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After having drunk seven beers, he announced his candidature in the presidential election that would/will take place in 2018.

I am not sure whether to use "will" or "would". The main clause is in the past but there is referred to the future so I am leaning towards "would". Am I right?

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You can express this as a narrative with its center of conscious (or temporal origo) being the inebriated politician as he looked forward to the election:

After having drunk seven beers, he announced his candidature in the presidential election that would take place in 2018.

or as reportage told from the perspective of the reporter and the readership in their shared present:

After having drunk seven beers, he announced his candidature in the presidential election that will take place in 2018.

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    To tell the truth I am not sure that I understand your explanation of the usage of "would" (what is temporal origo?). Could you be please a little bit dumped down.
    – bart-leby
    Aug 23, 2017 at 16:09
  • Have you looked up origo?
    – TimR
    Aug 23, 2017 at 16:12
  • A fine point, but "candidacy" is more commonly used in American English than "candidature."
    – Jim Roth
    Aug 23, 2017 at 16:12
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This is the past future. You are describing something in the past, and referring to something that is in the future at that point in time.

In your case, the word "Will" is correct. This is because 2018 hasn't happened yet. Either word can be correct. See Tᴚoɯɐuo's answer.

You would use the word "would" when you are describing something that was in the future at that point in time, but has passed since then.

Examples:

Last September we decided that we would meet again at christmas.

Last September we decided that we will meet again at christmas.

The first sentence is referring a christmas which was in the future, but is now in the past. The second sentence is referring to a christmas which is still in the future.

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