[Vocabulary] Likely vs possible

[Vicky42]

Hi everyone,

I'm doing a multiple choice exercise:

"The treasure was as likely to be found by a clever child of ten as it was by a university professor."

I can't account for the choice of likely, as opposed to possible, which is one of the options.

Why is possible wrong here?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Rover_KE]

What were the other options?

 

[Raymott]

Hi everyone,

I'm doing a multiple choice exercise:

"The treasure was as likely to be found by a clever child of ten as it was by a university professor."

I can't account for the choice of likely, as opposed to possible, which is one of the options.

Why is possible wrong here?

Thanks in advance!

"Likely" means probable. "Probable" (>50% chance) does not mean "possible" (>0% chance).
"Just as probable" means the probability is the same (or greater). Naturally if something is just as probable, it must be just as possible, but the reverse isn't necessarily true.

"Anything is possible", as they say (not really true); but "Anything is probable" is obviously wrong. Probable (likely) does not equal possible.

 

[emsr2d2]

In addition, we don't use the construction "as possible to be found as".

 

[MikeNewYork]

Hi everyone,

I'm doing a multiple choice exercise:

"The treasure was as likely to be found by a clever child of ten as it was by a university professor."

I can't account for the choice of likely, as opposed to possible, which is one of the options.

Why is possible wrong here?

Thanks in advance!

"Likely" works for me.

 

[Vicky42]

Thanks for your answers! :up:

(By the way, the other two choices were suitable and probable.)

 

[Vicky42]

In addition, we don't use the construction "as possible to be found as".

I thought about that. But again, I can't explain what the problem is. Is it the comparative or the passive voice?