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Usenet Posted 23 years ago
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Likely vs. possible
Suppose there are five nominated films contending for the best picture. If one of them is most unlikely to win, can we say
"This film is the least possible to win an Academy Award."?
This leads me to wonder whether it's definitely wrong to say,
"This film is possible to win an Oscar." or
"This film is the most impossible to win an Oscar."
"This film is the least possible to win an Academy Award."?
This leads me to wonder whether it's definitely wrong to say,
"This film is possible to win an Oscar." or
"This film is the most impossible to win an Oscar."
Top answer
[nq:1]Suppose there are five nominated films contending for the best picture. If one of them is most unlikely to win, ... "[/nq] None of that sounds good.
- [nq:1]Suppose there are five nominated films contending for the best picture.
- If one of them is most unlikely to win, ...
- "[/nq] None of that sounds good.
- This film is the least likely to win an Academy Award.
- This film could possibly win an Oscar.
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7 Answers
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[nq:1]Suppose there are five nominated films contending for the best picture. If one of them is most unlikely to win, ... say, "This film is possible to win an Oscar." or "This film is the most impossible to win an Oscar."[/nq]
None of that sounds good.
This film is the least likely to win an Academy Award.
This film could possibly win an Oscar. (Other rewrites possible.)
None of that sounds good.
This film is the least likely to win an Academy Award.
This film could possibly win an Oscar. (Other rewrites possible.)
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[nq:1]Suppose there are five nominated films contending for the best picture. If one of them is most unlikely to win, ... say, "This film is possible to win an Oscar." or "This film is the most impossible to win an Oscar."[/nq]
Try "least likely." (I'm not even sure whether "degrees of possibility" makes any sense as a conceyt a thing is either possible or impossible.)
Petter Hesselberg
Try "least likely." (I'm not even sure whether "degrees of possibility" makes any sense as a conceyt a thing is either possible or impossible.)
Petter Hesselberg
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[nq:2]Suppose there are five nominated films contending for the best ... "This film is the most impossible to win an Oscar."[/nq]
[nq:1]Try "least likely." (I'm not even sure whether "degrees of possibility" makes any sense as a conceyt a thing is either possible or impossible.)[/nq]
You can modify "possible" a thing can be barely possible, or very possible, or quite possible. It was the r
[nq:1]Try "least likely." (I'm not even sure whether "degrees of possibility" makes any sense as a conceyt a thing is either possible or impossible.)[/nq]
You can modify "possible" a thing can be barely possible, or very possible, or quite possible. It was the r
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(Email Removed) (sklin) wrote on 03 Dec 2003:
[nq:1]Suppose there are five nominated films contending for the best picture. If one of them is most unlikely to win, ... say, "This film is possible to win an Oscar." or "This film is the most impossible to win an Oscar."[/nq]
Why not say "This film is the most unlikely to win"? Or "This film is the least likely to win"? They are normal and id
[nq:1]Suppose there are five nominated films contending for the best picture. If one of them is most unlikely to win, ... say, "This film is possible to win an Oscar." or "This film is the most impossible to win an Oscar."[/nq]
Why not say "This film is the most unlikely to win"? Or "This film is the least likely to win"? They are normal and id
00
[nq:1]Suppose there are five nominated films contending for the best picture. If one of them is most unlikely to win, ... say, "This film is possible to win an Oscar." or "This film is the most impossible to win an Oscar."[/nq]
In all these sentences, 'possible' (or 'impossible') seems to be applied to the film itself, which isn't really appropriate. The film is not only possible, it already e
In all these sentences, 'possible' (or 'impossible') seems to be applied to the film itself, which isn't really appropriate. The film is not only possible, it already e
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[nq:1]Suppose there are five nominated films contending for the best picture.If one of them is most unlikely to win, can we say "This film is the least possible to win an Academy Award."?[/nq]
No, we can't.
[nq:1]This leads me to wonder whether it's definitely wrong to say, "This film is possible to win an Oscar." or "This film is the most impossible to win an Oscar."[/nq]
Yes,
No, we can't.
[nq:1]This leads me to wonder whether it's definitely wrong to say, "This film is possible to win an Oscar." or "This film is the most impossible to win an Oscar."[/nq]
Yes,
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[nq:2]Suppose there are five nominated films contending for the best ... "This film is the most impossible to win an Oscar."[/nq]
[nq:1]Try "least likely." (I'm not even sure whether "degrees of possibility" makes any sense as a conceyt a thing is either possible or impossible.)[/nq]
There seems to be a trend to use 'possible' like 'probable' and 'possibility' like 'probability'. So :
[nq:1]Try "least likely." (I'm not even sure whether "degrees of possibility" makes any sense as a conceyt a thing is either possible or impossible.)[/nq]
There seems to be a trend to use 'possible' like 'probable' and 'possibility' like 'probability'. So :
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