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Chitika

Friday, January 30, 2009

Asking about Possibility

PATTERNS

  1. Asking about possibility

  1. Is it going to ….?
  2. Do you think it is possible / probable / likely / unlikely ……
  3. Could/ can he be ……?
  4. Can you/we rule out/exclude the possibility of …..?

  1. Expressing possibility

  1. I think it’s going to ……
  2. It’s quite possible / probable / likely …..
  3. There’s a good chance/every possibility
  4. I/We can’t rule out/exclude the possibility …
  5. In all probability/ likelihood ….
  6. I won’t be surprised if ……..

  1. Expressing impossibility

  1. I don’t think ….
  2. It’s quite impossible / improbable/unlikely …….
  3. I don’t think/suppose ……..
  4. I’m afraid there’s very little likelihood of …..
  5. It’s very doubtful…..
  6. I think we can rule out the possibility of …..

PRACTICE / DIALOGUE

On the park

A : What’s happening? Getting dark so soon?

B : No, it’s cloudy.

C : Oh! Is it going to rain?

B : It is quite likely.

A : I don’t think so. It’s only partly cloudly. Perhaps it may not rain at all.

B : There’s a good chance of at least a drizzle, if not a heavy rain.

At the hospital

A : I’m afraid there’s been too long a delay in bringing him. The patient is in a critical condition.

B : Do you think it is possible to operate upon him?

A : Quite impossible in this condition. In all probability we might be able to do it at the earliest after a week.

B : Isn’t it more probable that his condition will improve with all those antibiotics?

A : Well, it is possible.

Between friends

A : Where is my watch?

B : It ought to be in bedroom.

A : But it isn’t there. I don’t remember where I left it.

B : Could you have left it in your office?

A : Impossible. I remember I had it on my own wrist while I was in the club.

B : Did you remove it while playing tennis?

A : Oh yes; I remember to have given it to one of the boys in the club.

B : Do you think you are going to get it back?

A : I bet. I will.

B : Good luck to you.

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