"I HAD class TOMORROW" - English is Weird!

- What are you doin' tomorrow?

Well, I had class tomorrow but I'm just gonna sleep.

I had class tomorrow, what?

I had class tomorrow.

Is that correct?

What does it mean?

Today I'll show you why it is correct

and how you can use it.

I'll return to this sentence in a moment,

but right now, let's look at this sentence.

Tonight I'm going to meet Maria for a drink.

Remember that be going to, that is for future plans.

He used I am going to, the present tense,

because that is his plan right now for the future.

But, plans can change, right?

And in this case, it does.

(speaking in foreign language)

Yellow?

Hey, it's Maria, sorry I can't come tonight

because I have a boyfriend now so I don't like you anymore.

Bye.

So this plan, it has changed.

This is not the plan now.

This is an old plan.

So, if someone asks about his plans,

what are you doing tonight?

Have you got any plans?

He can say this,

Well, I was going to meet Maria for a drink,

but now I'm going to stay in and watch TV shows.

Oh, right.

The old plan, the plan which was changed,

you put that in the past tense.

I was going to, we were going to.

Now you have a new plan, now that one

is in the present tense.

I am going to.

We are going to.

Another example.

Maybe one day you'll have a conversation

that goes like this.

So what are you dreams?

What do you wanna do in life?

Well I was studying philosophy

and I was gonna be a philosopher.

But, no, that's a dumb job.

No, now I'm gonna be an Instagram butt model.

I was gonna be a philosopher, past plan,

it changed, so past tense.

The new plan, the plan right now,

I'm gonna be an Instagram butt model, present tense.

Okay let's look at another situation.

What are you doing tomorrow?

I have class tomorrow.

I really don't wanna do it.

I just wanna sleep.

Just don't go.

(speaking in foreign language)

Dude, class tomorrow just got canceled, woo-hoo!

Nice!

So what are you gonna do tomorrow?

I don't know, I had class tomorrow,

but I'm just gonna sleep now.

So now you understand.

If someone says I had class tomorrow,

they mean that class was a plan but it changed.

Maybe it got canceled for example.

So verbs for plans, or booking, or reserving

like in a hotel or restaurant,

pretty much just the verb have and be.

You can change those verbs to the past tense

when those plans change and you're describing the old plan.

Okay, let's try some new situations together.

You have to decide the verb be or have,

should it be present or past?

And, depending on the subject, how can you conjugate them?

The plan, to get married.

Read the sentence, you decide what the verb should be.

(intense music)

It's a past plan, it changed after she slept

with his brother, and the subject is we.

So, we were going to get married,

but she slept with my brother.

This is such a soap opera, I love it.

If you meet your friend in the street but then you realize,

"Oh, ah, she asked me to call her and I didn't call her,"

don't worry, she's here now.

Oh my God, hey, I, just about to call you!

What's the verb that should be there?

(intense music)

She had a plan to call her but she met her

in person now so that's changed.

So I, I was just about to call you, I promise, I love you.

You know sometimes when you make plans with your friends

but then you realize, "Oh my God, I would prefer

"to stay at home and do nothing.

"I don't want to be social."

But then something amazing happens.

I, plans to see friends tonight

but they all died, so, sleep.

(intense music)

The plan changed, this is your now plan, so,

I had plans to see friends tonight,

but they all died so I'm gonna sleep.

That's your plan right now.

Old plan changed, past tense.

New plan, present tense.

So this guy booked an English test for today for the future,

but now he's very, very sick.

So think of the context, what should that verb be?

(intense music)

He's talking about a booking that got changed so,

I had an English test booked today, but I'm too sick!

Sometimes the context is obvious.

For example, it's raining and you can't have a barbecue

if it's raining, so, what should that verb be?

(intense music)

I was gonna have a barbecue.

You don't need any more details.

You could add them, it's an option.

Now it's not the plan, so.

I was gonna have a barbecue today,

I'm not gonna have one now.

Your plan together was always no kids, no kids, but.

Things change, so, how can she explain what's happening?

(intense music)

The plan was no kids but that changed,

so, remember that we weren't gonna have kids?

Practice this by writing your own examples in the comments.

Or, tell me about your plans, or your past plans,

which changed, in your Instagram Stories.

Tag me @PapaTeachMe in your Instagram stories

and I'll repost the best ones.

See you in the next class.

(soft music)