Likelihood: is it bound to happen? Likelihood exercises from almost certain to unlikely

This C1 drill lesson gives likelihood exercises that rate the future from almost certain to probably not, plus might as well for the best option left.

Grammar: Be bound, sure, certain or likely to + verb, It's (un)likely that, may / might / could well, might as well, There's every / a good / little chance, In all likelihood, and their past forms.
Topic: The economy: an invented business paper's five forecasts for a river valley, with Dr. Oyelaran's reply, the radio news, an apple grower's letter and a baker's texts.
Activities: True or false, sorting, choices, gap-fills, matching, tables, word order, quizzes, drag-and-drop texts, memory games and a chat.

What's inside

Chapter 1The rule
- PictureUnlock
- Study the scheme: bound to, likely to, may well, might as wellGrammar schemeTry it
- Is the sentence correct? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Sort the sentences: how sure is the speaker?Sort into columnsTry it
- Choose the right formChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: the phrase and the verbFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 2Bound, sure, likely: + to + verb
- Fill in the gaps: bound, sure, certain and likelyFill in the gapsTry it
- Choose the right words: will it happen or not?Choose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the table: two ways to say itFill in the tableUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: bound, sure and likelyUnjumbleUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: bound, sure and likelyQuizUnlock
- Match the situations and the predictionsMatchUnlock
- Read Ilona's message and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
Chapter 3May well or might as well?
- Fill in the gaps: may well, might well, could wellFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: might as wellFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right meaningQuizUnlock
- Match the problems and the suggestionsMatchTry it
- Choose the right form: may well and might as wellChoose the optionUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: may well and might as wellUnjumbleUnlock
- Read Radek's post and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
Chapter 4Every chance or little chance?
- Fill in the gaps: chance and likelihoodFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right words: how likely is it?Choose the optionTry it
- Fill in the table: say it with the word givenFill in the tableUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: the phrase and its meaningMemory gameUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: all the phrasesQuizUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: chance and likelihoodUnjumbleUnlock
- Read the principal's email and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: The year ahead
- Read the forecast articleReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the article again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read Dr. Oyelaran's letter and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the radio news and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Read Zofia's letter and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Joaquim texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose the right form: at work and at homeChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: bound, sure, certain and likely at workFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: may well and might as well at homeFill in the gapsUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: everyday sentencesUnjumbleUnlock
- Fill in the table: now and in the pastFill in the tableUnlock
- Sort the sentences: correct or wrong?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endingsMatchUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: everyday EnglishQuizUnlock
- Choose the correct sentenceQuizUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: the same meaningMemory gameUnlock
- Write the questionsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Bartek's match preview and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Saskia's email and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read the weather forecast and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps with the lesson's phrases: how likely is it?Fill in the gapsUnlock

Grammar: saying how likely something is

English rates a prediction with fixed phrases, from almost certain (bound to) through likely (may well, a good chance) down to probably not (unlikely to, little chance). Might as well is the odd one out: it doesn't predict, it suggests the best option left.

Likelihood: bound to, likely to, may well, might as well

Say how sure you are about the future, from almost certain to probably not, and suggest the best option with might as well.

Bound, sure, certain, likely + to + verb

Be bound, sure or certain to means almost certain; be likely to, probably; be unlikely to, probably not. All of them take to + base form, never -ing: Fares are bound to rise. The bus is likely to be late.

be + bound / sure / certain / (un)likely + to + verb

subject + bebound / sure / certain / likely / unlikelyto + base form

Ticket prices are bound to rise.

The new mall is likely to open in May.

Our coach is unlikely to agree.

How sure are you?

How sure?	Phrases	Example
Almost certain	be bound / sure / certain to + verb · It's certain that…	Our guests are sure to love it.
Very likely	There's every chance (that)… · In all likelihood, … · It's highly likely that…	In all likelihood, it'll snow.
Likely, quite possible	be likely to + verb · It's likely that… · There's a good chance (that)… / of + noun · may / might / could well + verb	Rents may well rise. · There's a good chance of rain.
Probably not	be unlikely to + verb · It's unlikely that… · There's little / a slim chance (that)…	He is unlikely to call.
Not at all	There's no chance (that)…	There's no chance he'll come.
No better option	might / may as well + verb (a suggestion, not a prediction)	The shop's shut. We might as well leave.

Likely and certain: two patterns

Likely, unlikely and certain also work with It's… that + clause: It's likely that the bank will raise rates. Bound and sure take only the subject pattern, so It's bound that rents will rise is wrong, and so is It's likely the train to be late.

Subject + be (un)likely / certain to + verb

The bank is likely to raise rates.
Gas is unlikely to get cheaper.
bound and sure take only this pattern: Rents are bound to rise.

It's (un)likely / certain that + clause

It's likely that the bank will raise rates.
It's unlikely that gas will get cheaper.
Not: It's likely the bank to raise rates. · Not: It's bound that rents will rise.

May well or might as well?

May, might or could well + verb predicts that something is quite possible: Rents may well rise. Might as well + verb suggests: There's no bus, so we might as well walk. And She's sure to win is the speaker's view; She's sure she'll win is hers.

may well or might as well? sure to or sure that?

may well + verb predicts: Rents may well rise (= it's quite possible). might as well + verb suggests: There's no bus, so we might as well walk (= there's no better option). She's sure to win = I'm sure she'll win. She's sure (that) she'll win = she feels sure.

Chances, questions and the past

There's every, a good, little or no chance (that) covers the whole scale; questions are Is there any chance…? and How likely is it that…? The past uses was bound to fall through, may well have left and might as well have stayed.

Form	be likely / bound / sure to	may well · might as well · chance
Negative (−)	He is unlikely to come. · He isn't likely to come.	He may well not come. · There's little chance he'll come.
Question (?)	Is he likely to come? · How likely is it that he'll come?	Is there any chance (that) he'll come?
Past	The deal was bound to fall through. · She was likely to win.	She may well have left. · We might as well have stayed home.

Same meaning, and the usual slips

Bound, sure and certain to mean the same, as do may, might and could well; Americans also say Prices will likely rise. The slips drop or add to: is likely be late, might as well to walk.

Two right answers

bound to = sure to = certain to (almost certain). may well = might well = could well (quite possible). might as well = may as well (no better option). In all likelihood = In all probability. that is often left out: There's a good chance (that) it'll rain. Americans also say will likely: Prices will likely rise.

Common mistakes

The bus is likely be late.
The bus is likely to be late.
be likely + to + verb
Fares are bound to rising.
Fares are bound to rise.
to + base form, never -ing
It's likely the train to be late.
It's likely that the train will be late.
It's likely + that + clause
We might as well to walk.
We might as well walk.
may well, might as well + base form: no to

Examples

Taxes are bound to go up after the election.almost certain
There's every chance that the plant will open on time.very likely
The train is likely to be packed on Friday.likely
That old printer could well break again.quite possible
It's unlikely that they'll finish before ten.probably not
It's too late to cook, so we might as well order pizza.there's no better option

More lessons on this grammar: Future tenses lessons and exercises

Try the likelihood exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

What's in the lesson

40 auto-checked exercises
6 games
1 real-life document
1 grammar scheme
1 picture

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

rate a prediction with be bound, sure or likely to + verb: The new playground is bound to be popular with families.
switch between the two patterns of likely: Rents are likely to rise or It's likely that rents will rise, never It's likely the shop to close
say something is quite possible with may well: Take a jacket. It may well get cold after sunset.
suggest the best option left with might as well: The last train has gone, so we might as well get a taxi.
use the chance phrases: There's every chance that we'll win on Saturday. In all likelihood, the new law will pass next week.

Grammar:: be bound to · be sure / certain to · be (un)likely to · it's (un)likely that · may / might / could well · might as well · there's every chance · in all likelihood
Topic:: grammar practice · economy · forecasts · predictions

Teaching tips

Draw a likelihood line on the board, from almost certain to no chance. Read out predictions about the coming week, and students place a phrase on the line before saying the sentence with it.
Answer problems, then headlines: for problems such as a missed bus or a full café, students reply with might as well; for headlines about prices or weather, with may well.
Send the Courier a letter: after the forecast chapter, each student agrees or disagrees with one of the five forecasts in a few lines with two likelihood phrases.

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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · C1

English Grammar Practice · C1 has 16 drill lessons on advanced grammar, one point each: inversion, cleft sentences, the subjunctive, advanced passives, ellipsis, nominalization, hedging, fronting and concession. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words.See the course

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