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Sat Feb 25, 2006 21:07 pm It's not possible |
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Hi Egle,
If you use the phrase it's not possible ... in this context then you are saying that you will pass the exam. The expression there's no saying indicates that there is a chance that you will pass the exam - it isn't as definite as the other expression (it's not possible).
Alan _________________ English as a Second Language You can read my ESL story Phrasal Verbs/go |
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Alan Co-founder

Joined: 27 Sep 2003 Posts: 7278 Location: UK
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Sun Feb 26, 2006 1:13 am There's no saying you couldn't |
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It's rather late and maybe I'm not thinking straight, but shouldn't it rather be:
It's not impossible you could pass your exam if you really tried.
meaning there is a possibility? |
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Conchita Language Coach
Joined: 26 Dec 2005 Posts: 2702 Location: Madrid, Spain
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Sun Feb 26, 2006 11:44 am 'it is not impossible' vs. "there's a possibility" |
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. Thanks for nailing that down, Conchita -- I knew there was something illogical going on, but it was late for me last night, too, when I first took a look at this thread. . _________________ Canadian-American native speaker who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber |
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Mister Micawber Language Coach

Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 3976 Location: Yokohama, Japan
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Sun Feb 26, 2006 14:09 pm Not impossible |
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Hi Conchita,
I'm going to stick my neck out, I'm going to go out on a limb and I'm going to push my luck and no doubt going to regret it but I want to stand by the sentence in my test despite the reference to illogicality from the nameless contributor with the lugubrious facial expression:
| Quote: | | It's not impossible you couldn't pass your exam if you really tried. |
I'll go back to the original expression:
| Quote: | | There's no saying you couldn't pass your exam if you really tried. |
To me conveys the idea of: Dismiss from your mind/Don't give a second thought to the idea/Perish the thought and so on. The question is whether | Quote: | | It's not impossible | adequately conveys the same idea. I hope it does.
Alan _________________ English as a Foreign Language You can read my EFL story In touch |
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Alan Co-founder

Joined: 27 Sep 2003 Posts: 7278 Location: UK
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Sun Feb 26, 2006 14:33 pm 'it is not impossible' vs. "there's a possibility" |
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. Alan,
There's no saying does not mean it's not impossible; there's no saying = it's not possible to say.
Please look at these:
(1) There's no saying / what the weather will be like tomorrow = it's not possible to say / what the weather will be like tomorrow.
(2) There's no saying / you couldn't pass your exam if you really tried = it's not possible to say / you couldn't pass your exam if you tried
Therefore:
(3) it's possible to say you could pass your exam if you really tried and (4) it's not impossible to say you could pass your exam if you really tried.
Your answer is:
(5) It's not impossible you couldn't pass your exam if you really tried.
Are (4) and (5) different, in your mind? . _________________ Canadian-American native speaker who teaches English for a living at Mister Micawber's ESL cafe: Interview with Mr. Micawber |
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Mister Micawber Language Coach

Joined: 17 Jul 2005 Posts: 3976 Location: Yokohama, Japan
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Mon Feb 27, 2006 0:11 am Impossible |
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I know what There's no saying means.
In the sentence in the test There is no saying gives the same flavour of uncertainty as It's not impossible when you bear in mind that couldn't as used here really means wouldn't be able to. _________________ English as a Second Language You can read my ESL story Well, Hello! |
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Alan Co-founder

Joined: 27 Sep 2003 Posts: 7278 Location: UK
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Tue Dec 12, 2006 9:33 am 'it is not impossible' vs. "there's a possibility" |
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Hi,
I am sorry to harp on the same string for this old topic at so late a time but I ran into it right now for the first time. I am still sorry to say that I am far from understanding this double or triple negative riddle well but so interested in it. My feeling was,
There's no saying you couldn't pass your exam if you really tried = You could pass your exam if you really tried
(If we take off two 'not's here the effect should remain the same, both of which = No body would say you couldn't pass your exam if you really tried)
If this is true and right, then I think b) and d) are equally good to be the right answer because,
It's not possible (=It's impossible) you couldn't pass your exam if you really tried = It's possible you could pass your exam if you really tried = You could pass your exam if you really tried
Am I right?
haihao |
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Haihao I'm a Communicator ;-)
Joined: 26 Oct 2006 Posts: 1306 Location: Japan
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| Expression: as sure as eggs are eggs | Meaning of "taking to brick wall" |