Infinitive after be likely

Question

According to the book of Michael Swan Practical English Usage:

"Be . (Probable cannot be used in this way).
I am likely to be busy tomorrow.
Are you likely to be staying in this evening.
Do you think it is likely to rain?
He is unlikely to agree."
It is not used as a preparatory subject in this structure.
He 's likely to succeed .(NOT it is likely for him to succeed.)"

Could you please clarify about the last two lines ?
I think ' we are not allowed to use this format :
'it is likely ... to ..'
'The Environment Agency has warned that it is likely to be an ongoing problem.'
As we know, 'It is likely to rain' is grammatically correct, but we used 'it' as a subject in above sentence. And it is the opposition of Michael Swan book.

Thanks.

Teechr · Accepted Answer

I find it difficult to follow your question. Which construction does Swan say isn't correct?

CalifJim · Answer

Mickey Mouse 8241It is not used as a preparatory subject in this structure.

Swan says 'it' can't be used as a preparatory subject; he doesn't say it can never be used as any kind of subject.

The Environment Agency has warned that it is likely to be an ongoing problem.

Here, the boldface underlined 'it' is not a preparatory subject, i.e., it's not a case of "dummy it". "it" refers to something which was mentioned earlier in the text. What is the text that precedes this sentence? It must contain some clue as to what "it" is.

— I think I have lost my pen.
— It (the pen) is likely to be near the computer. (OK)
— It ("dummy it") is likely for your pen to be near the computer. (Not OK)

CJ

Mickey Mouse 8241 · Answer

teechrI find it difficult to follow your question. Which construction does Swan say isn't correct?

He taught about adjective 'Likely'.
He classified 'likely' usage in three sections as following:
1 meaning
2 it is likely + that-clause
3 infinitive after be likely

In the last section he explained that we cannot use this format as a preparatory subject :
"It" is not as a preparatory subject in this structure :
He is likely to succeed.( NOT It is likely for him to succeed).

Mickey Mouse 8241 · Answer

Thanks for your reply.
How can I distinguish between 'it' as a preparatory and 'it' as normal one to not used them in ' infinitive after be likely'?
I don't know why this sentence is considered to be wrong:
'It is likely for him to succeed'.
Please take a look at the following examples of 'Longman Dictionary'.
I think it is not normal to use ' it is likely something to something' , I find no examples in other dictionaries that 'it' is used as 'subject' in this form. Is it a fixed rule?

It is likely that the girl knew her killer.
they are likely to be of greater strategic than employment significance, and there will be losses.

The http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/study_1 http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/show_1 some http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/people_1 are more likely to http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/suffer back http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/problem.

It seems likely that interest http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/rate_1 will http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/rise_1.

Young drivers are far more likely to have accidents than older drivers.

Tickets are likely to be expensive.l

It's likely that the thieves don't know how much it is worth.

...and etc.

Mickey Mouse 8241 · Answer

CalifJim— It ("dummy it") is likely for your pen to be near the computer. (Not OK)

"It is likely to rain tomorrow" it refers to weather.
Is it OK?

CalifJim— It ("dummy it") is likely for your pen to be near the computer. (Not OK)

Did you mean in this structure 'it' have to refer to something that is meaningful not 'dummy it' and it should act as pronoun to refer to something earlier in the sentence ?

Am I right?

CalifJim · Answer

Mickey Mouse 8241How can I distinguish between 'it' as a preparatory and

Sometimes you can't distinguish between them, especially in an isolated sentence. You need a preceding context that mentions something specific that "it" could be before you can say that "it" is not preparatory "it".

However, if you have a FOR ... TO ... clause, then you have a preparatory "it". It is likely FOR ... TO ...is one that is definitely wrong.

Note well: The "it" in "It is likely THAT ..." is also a preparatory "it", but it is correct. Swan is talking about "likely TO", not "likely THAT".

Mickey Mouse 8241I don't know why this sentence is considered to be wrong:'It is likely for him to succeed'.

It's got a FOR ... TO ... clause. That's why it's wrong. You can change it to "It is likely that he will succeed" and then it's OK.
__________________

It is likely that the girl knew her killer . OK
They are likely to be of greater ... significance ... OK. No "it".
... some http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/people_1 are more likely to http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/suffer back http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/problem. OK. No "it".
It seems likely that interest http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/rate_1 will http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/rise_1. OK
Young drivers are far more likely to have accidents than older drivers. OK. No "it".
Tickets are likely to be expensive. OK
It's likely that the thieves don't know how much it is worth. OK

Some of the wrong versions of those above are

It is likely for them to be of greater .. significance Not OK.
It seems likely for interest rates to rise. Not OK.
It is likely for tickets to be expensive. Not OK.

CJ

CalifJim · Answer

Mickey Mouse 8241"It is likely to rain tomorrow" it refers to weather.Is it OK?

Yes, it's OK, because weather expressions take dummy "it" anyway. In weather expressions this is not "preparatory"; it's just part of the weather expression.

The wrong version is It is likely for it to rain tomorrow.

Mickey Mouse 8241Did you mean in this structure 'it' ~~have~~ has to refer to something that is meaningful not 'dummy it' and it should act as pronoun to refer to something earlier in the ~~sentence~~ text?

Yes. Earlier in the text. If 'it' is the first word of the sentence, its antecedent can't be earlier in the same sentence, of course.

We did see an exception in weather expressions, however. In those "it" doesn't refer to anything, but it's OK.

CJ

Mickey Mouse 8241 · Answer

Thanks dear teacher for all your patience during our conversation. I really appreciate your hep. You was a tremendous help to me.
I also found all your examples so helpful, in particular the following.Thanks again.
I think I have lost my pen. It (the pen) is likely to be near the computer.

Teechr · Answer

Mickey Mouse 8241You ~~was~~ were a tremendous help to me.

Infinitive after be likely

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