"were to pull back" VS "pulled back"
SCRIPT
As was stated earlier, the Americans were to pull back from supporting Japan´s claim by 1954.
QUESTION
What if I write in this way:
the Americans "pulled back" from supporting ~~
instead of "were to pull back"?
Can you give me a shot? How much difference they have?
Thank you so much!
Search from various English teachers...
Answers · 4
1
The structure to be + infinitive is often used to talk about official plans and arrangements.
'The Prime Minister is to visit Africa next month.'
For the past =If the plan did not happen we can use be + perfect infinitive 'The Prime Minister was to have visited Africa last month' (but he didn't)
We can also use the were/was + infinitive for the past but it does not make it clear if an event did or didn't happen only that it was planned as in your example ' The Americans were to pull back......'
The past simple (The Americans pulled back...)however makes it clear that an action was completed but doesn't refer to the planning of the event only to it's completion.
If you put one of the following verbs between the were/was and the infintive you can get a better understanding of the meaning expected/intended/supposed/meant. ex 'The Americans were supposed to pull back....'
0
The Americans pulled back.
0
The Americans pulled backed
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