The sentence "It is unlikely that he will come today" means that we do not think he will come today. We are not 100% sure, but we believe it is not going to happen. This structure is useful when we want to talk about something that probably will not happen in the future.
Examples:
It is unlikely that she will go to the party.
It is unlikely that they will win the game.
It is unlikely that we will finish on time.
We often use this structure to express low probability.
GRAMMAR
We use the future with "will" to talk about future actions or decisions.
In this case, we use:
It is unlikely that + subject + will + verb
This is a common structure to express doubt or low possibility in the future.
Examples:
It is unlikely that he will call you.
It is unlikely that I will travel next month.
It is unlikely that the train will arrive on time.
You can also use:
Probably won't (informal)
He probably won’t come today.
VOCABULARY
Unlikely – not probable or not expected to happen
Probably – most likely
Maybe – possibly, but not certainly
Expect – to think something will happen
Plan – something you want to do in the future
Decision – a choice you make
Arrive – to get to a place
Cancel – to stop a plan or event
Late – after the expected time
Wait – to stay until something happens
USEFUL EXPRESSIONS
I don’t think he will come.
It’s not very likely.
He might be busy.
Maybe he changed his mind.
We should wait a little longer.
Let’s see what happens.
He usually comes on time.
Things happen.
It’s better to be patient.
Let’s not worry too much.
SENTENCES
Positive:
He will come later.
They will visit us tomorrow.
Negative:
It is unlikely that he will come today.
She won’t call you tonight.
Questions:
Will he come today?
Do you think he will arrive soon?
Answers:
No, I don’t think so. It is unlikely.
Yes, but maybe he will be late.
CONVERSATION
Sophie: Where is Mark? It's already 6 PM.
David: I don’t know. He said he might come.
Sophie: Do you think he will come today?
David: It is unlikely that he will come today.
Sophie: Why? Did he call you?
David: No, but he looked very tired this morning. He also said he had a lot of work.
Sophie: Maybe he changed his mind.
David: Yes, probably. Should we wait a bit longer?
Sophie: Let’s wait 15 more minutes, just in case.
David: Okay. But I don’t think he’ll come.
Long READING
Yesterday, Emily invited her friend Josh to a small dinner at her house. She told him to come around 7:00 PM. Josh said, “I will try to come, but I’m not sure.” During the day, Josh had many things to do. He had to go to the bank, finish a report, and take his dog to the vet. It was a busy day.
At 6:30 PM, Emily called him. He didn’t answer. At 7:00 PM, she called again. Still no answer. By 8:00 PM, her friends arrived, but Josh was not there. Emily said, “It is unlikely that he will come now.” Her friends agreed. They started dinner without him.
At 9:00 PM, Josh finally sent a message: “I’m so sorry, Emily. I couldn’t make it today. Can we meet tomorrow?”
Questions:
What did Emily plan?
Why was Josh busy?
What time did she expect him?
What did Emily say at 8:00 PM?
Did Josh come to the dinner?
Answers:
A dinner with friends.
He had to go to the bank, finish a report, and visit the vet.
Around 7:00 PM.
“It is unlikely that he will come now.”
No, he did not come.
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