Learn English – Which is better: “was to become” versus “would become”

word-usage

… where she filmed what was to become her final performance …

OR

… where she filmed what would become her final performance …

(I like the first one, as it seems to (accurately) imply that it was fully unknown that it would become her final performance… )

Best Answer

I doubt there is much difference, but to me:

...where she filmed what was to become her final performance ...

talks about a definite occurrence in the past, while

... where she filmed what would become her final performance ...

also talks about the past, but from a reported time just before her final performance.

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