likely we will be able

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "likely we will be able" is not correct in standard written English.
It can be used when expressing a possibility or expectation about future capabilities, but it needs to be restructured for clarity. Example: "It is likely that we will be able to complete the project on time."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

"The more we learn about how these viruses are transmitted to humans, the more likely we will be able to stop them,'' Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said.

The New Yorker

Accommodations are scarce to non-existent now and the sooner we know the make-up of delegations, the more likely we will be able to provide suitable rooms within reasonable distance of the major venues.

The Guardian

"The more we learn about how these viruses are transmitted to humans, the more likely we will be able to stop them," Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said.

The New Yorker

The more diverse the pool of potential technological leaders, the more likely we will be able to identify the solutions that can change the world.

TechCrunch

And the more we improve on each of these things...the more likely we will be able to solve the real problems confronting us in business and in policy, particularly our violent culture...and hopefully the healthier and stronger our nation will be.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

"I think it's likely we'll be able to unite the party and win in November," he said.

The New York Times

In time, it is likely we'll be able to directly account for more and more of the heritability indicated by twin, family and adoption studies.

The Guardian

It seems likely we'll be able to add 'smartwatch' to that list too, sometime soon.

TechCrunch

"It is not very likely that we will be able to compensate the losses in print advertising with digital advertising," said Dietmar Schantin, co-founder of the Institute for Media Strategies.

The Guardian

"At the same time it is also not very likely that we will be able to compensate our losses in print subscriptions with digital subscriptions.

The Guardian

It is likely that we will be able to offer more targeted and risk-adapted therapeutic approach to patients with multiple myeloma at different stages of their disease guided by these potential biomarkers.

Translational Research

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When indicating probability, prefer structures like "it is likely that we will be able to" for clearer and more grammatically sound writing.

Common error

Avoid placing adverbs of probability, such as "likely", directly before "we will be able". This can create awkward phrasing. Instead, use constructions like "it is likely that" or rephrase the sentence for better clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "likely we will be able" functions as an attempt to express a probability regarding future capability. However, Ludwig AI indicates this construction is not standard English. A more correct form involves a full clause such as "it is likely that we will be able to" or rephrasing the sentence.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "likely we will be able" is understandable, it is considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. Ludwig AI suggests using more appropriate constructions such as "it is likely that we will be able to" or rephrasing the sentence altogether. It appears with low frequency across diverse sources like news outlets, scientific publications and wikis. If you aim at higher levels of correctness, adopt a better formulation and pick one of the alternatives.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

we may well be able to

Uses "may well" to suggest a strong possibility or expectation of capability.

it is probable that we can

Replaces "likely" with "probable" and simplifies "will be able" to "can", emphasizing possibility.

chances are we can

Uses a more informal expression to suggest a good possibility of being capable.

we are apt to be able

Substitutes "likely" with "apt", indicating a natural tendency or inclination.

it's foreseeable that we can

Replaces "likely" with "foreseeable", focusing on the predictability of being capable.

it is anticipated that we will

Replaces "likely" with "anticipated", highlighting the expected future capability.

we should be in a position to

Indicates that the circumstances are conducive to enabling the action.

we have the potential to

Highlights the inherent capability or possibility of doing something.

it's within the realm of possibility that we will

Suggests that something is possible but not necessarily probable.

we are predisposed to be able

Indicates a pre-existing inclination or tendency to be capable.

FAQs

How can I correctly use "likely" to express ability?

Use "likely" with a complete clause, such as "It is "likely that" we will be able to" or "We are "likely to" be able to".

What are some alternatives to "likely we will be able"?

Consider using phrases such as "probably we can", "it is probable that we can", or "we may well be able to".

Is "likely we will be able" grammatically correct?

While understandable, "likely we will be able" is not considered standard English. It's better to rephrase as "It is "likely that" we will be able to".

What's the difference between "likely we will be able" and "it is likely that we will be able"?

"Likely we will be able" is a less formal and somewhat grammatically awkward construction. "It is "likely that" we will be able" is grammatically correct and more formal.