Possibly vs. probably

[KYTTIE]

Test No. incompl/elem-21 "Remove the Spoon", question 7

I can't ......... give up drinking tea, doctor.

(a) probably
(b) possibly
(c) likely
(d) impossibly

Test No. incompl/elem-21 "Remove the Spoon", answer 7

I can't possibly give up drinking tea, doctor.

Correct answer: (b) possibly

Your answer was: incorrect
I can't probably give up drinking tea, doctor.
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Dear Alan
Please tell me the difference between possibly and probably?
I think it's the same meaning and using. Why we can't use it in this sentence?
Thank you very much

[Alan]

Not possibly means impossible to do and therefore cannot be done. Probably means it could be or it might be and so you can't link that vague idea with the negative.
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English as a Second Language
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[pablo_ivher]

What about

I got this from an article about two people who saw a yeti and what is more suitable, probably or possibly and why?

What could the have possibly/probably seen?

[pablo_ivher]

The sentence

what could they have probably/possibly seen? is of course with they not the, and it came in a test at a center of a major in english and the teacher in charge only could utter when asked why it was probably instead of possibly: That is the way the answer book has it. So I hope you can give a more sensible answer.

Thanks.

The exam is for the second semester of a course and the first partial exam of this, and is based on the first certificate language practice student?s book from Leo Jones.

[Alan]

I think you have to concentrate on the verb construction here: could have seen., which already hints at probability and thus makes the construction: they could probably have seen as a question somewhat meaningless because you are expressing the same idea twice. As it is a question, you are looking for an answer that will point to a possible solution. I would therefore suggest that the word possibly makes better sense in your sentence.
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English as a Foreign Language
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