"Would have" instead of "will have"

Question

In the sentence "I went to the bank to ensure that I would have enough money for my trip," why  is "would have" used instead of "will have"?

"Would have" seems to be conveying the subjunctive mood, but if I went to the bank already, wouldn't I use "will have" to express certainty about having enough money?

tchrist · Answer

This is a simple case of backshifting, since the past tense of will is would.
Normal Present

Today he says he will do it now.
Today I am going to the bank to make sure I will have enough money for my trip.

Backshifted Past

Yesterday he said he would do it then.
Yesterday I went to the bank to make sure I would have enough money for my trip.

This is sometimes called “the future in the past”.  It is frequent in reported speech.

"Would have" instead of "will have"

One Answer

Normal Present

Backshifted Past

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