Indicating likelihood
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Using verbs to indicate likelihood | page 2 of 5 |
Which verbs can be used to indicate likelihood?
A number of verbs can be used to indicate likelihood, and pages 3 and 4 of this file provides further information about such verbs, as well as lists. A useful check to determine whether a verb is functioning to indicate likelihood is to see how the tag behaves:
I think they'll hold all that, won't they? (Bank of English)
Here the tag won't they? refers back to the proposition
that "they (the
bags) will hold all that (weight)" rather than to the main verb think. If a
verb's function is solely to indicate modality, the tag will never "agree" with
that verb.
Compare the following sentence where "he thinks it'll be all right" is itself the proposition being put forward by the speaker for confirmation:
He thinks it'll be all right, doesn't he? (Bank of English)
Only one of the two clauses in this single proposition can be tagged by the speaker, however, and it is always the "quoted" modality in the first clause; in other words, he - he, and thinks - does, as well as positive thinks - negative doesn't.
For further information about tag questions, see 
Asking and answering questions: Using tag questions.
Consider also the negative version of the above examples:
I don't think they'll hold all that, will they?
He doesn't think it'll be all right, does he?
Note that in sentences like these, the clause containing the reporting verb is negated,
and not the clause following it. For further information about reporting verbs and
negation, see
Using indirect speech to report words and ideas: Common reporting
verbs (p 7).
Which verbs can be used to indicate likelihood?
