It seems that/ It seems likely that

Question

Hi teachers!Today I want to ask about the differences between 'It seems that~' and 'It seems likely that' and the possibility of omitting 'that' in sentences. 1. It seems that she had a good night's sleep.2. It seems likely that she had a good night's sleep.First, does the second sentence sound natural? Second, is there any differences between the sentences? If any. What are those?Third, what does exactly 'likely' mean in the sentence and which words can replace it?Fourth, is it grammatical to omit 'that' in both sentences?As  always, I appreciate all the kindness you teachers have shown.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Michelle Cha
Hi teachers!
Today I want to ask about the differences between 'It seems that~' and 'It seems likely that' and the possibility of omitting 'that' in sentences.
1. It seems that she had a good night's sleep.
2. It seems likely that she had a good night's sleep.
First, does the second sentence sound natural? [Natural enough. It doesn't strike me as problematic.]
Second, is are there any differences between the sentences? If any, what are ~~those~~ they? [See below.]
Third, what ~~does~~ exactly does 'likely' mean in the sentence and which words can replace it? [probable]
{'exactly' comes after the initial question word.
Why exactly did you do that?
Where exactly are you going to put that?
How exactly should I do that?}
Fourth, is it grammatical to omit 'that' in both sentences? [Yes.]

It seems (that) ... says that appearances lead the speaker to the conclusion that .... Usually, but not always, the speaker is observing the situation directly.

It seems likely (that) ... says that the speaker believes that the probability is high that a given situation or event happens, happened, or will happen. This may be deduced through logic, so it can be one step removed from direct observation. This form works well with the future.

It seems that the Middle East is descending into a spiral of violence.
~
From what I've observed of the Middle East lately, I have the impression that it's descending into violence.

It seems likely that volatility in the stock market will continue for the rest of this week.
~
In my opinion, there is a high probability that the stock market will be volatile for the rest of this week.

In the first case, what "seems" is the situation itself.
In the second case, what "seems" is a high probability about the situation.

CJ

Nel0506 · Answer

This was a very interesting question! Thanks.

Since it has already been answered, I just want to make a comment. We also have "seems like," which is not followed by "that." I wondering if this was the cause of the confusion, maybe.

**

It seems [that] they are not here yet.

It seems likely [that] they are stuck in traffic.

It seems like [?] I have been waiting forever.

He seems like [?] a nice guy.

»Sometimes if you're doing translations, for example, you may have to keep the "that's" in the original English text.

"

It seems that/ It seems likely that

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