Indicating likelihood
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Using verbs to indicate likelihood | page 4 of 5 |
Indicating mid to low likelihood
It is very difficult to distinguish between verbs which indicate mid likelihood, and those which indicate low likelihood. In the following examples, the context indicates that guess is being used to indicate mid likelihood (reasonable probability):
He has many solid achievements, but it is safe to guess that until this trial started most people had never heard of him. (Microconcord Corpus A)
A: Why would he be making forgeries? B: The money, I guess. (Bank of English)
Compare this use of guess with the following examples, where it is being used to indicate low likelihood (weak possibility):
They are very polite and you can only guess what they want. (SCMP 17/5/94)
It is possible that this will make him more tired than usual and so we might guess that he will sleep longer. (Microconcord Corpus B)
Here is a list of verbs which indicate mid to low likelihood:
appear think look as if assume believe doubt reckon estimate expect not know suppose guess imagine argue threaten look like presume consider hope seem suggest feel not think tend
Note that there is a small but important group of linking
verbs 
(including appear and
seem) which indicate that the identification or description depends on the
speaker or writer's perceptions. For further information, see 
Representing being and having: Using linking verbs (p 5).
Indicating mid to low likelihood
