First example:
- Maria thought John was going to invite her to the party.
- Mary thought John would invite her to the party.
Second example:
- They thought the film was going to start at 8:00.
- They thought the film would start at 8:00.
What is the difference in meaning between the "past continuous tense" and the structure "would + infinitive" when we are talking about past expectations and beliefs using the verb "think"?