'it is not impossible' vs. "there's a possibility"

[Egle]

English Idioms and Expressions, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #23 "Idioms with prepositions", question 3

There's no saying you couldn't pass your exam if you really tried.

(a) There's a possibility
(b) It's not possible
(c) It's not impossible
(d) It's impossible

English Idioms and Expressions, Advanced Level

ESL/EFL Test #23 "Idioms with prepositions", answer 3

It's not impossible you couldn't pass your exam if you really tried.

Correct answer: (c) It's not impossible

Your answer was: incorrect
It's not possible you couldn't pass your exam if you really tried.
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Could you please explain the difference between it is not impossible and there's a possibility please?

Egle

[Alan]

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
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story A funny thing happened...

[Conchita]

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?

[Mister Micawber]

.
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.
.
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Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Alan]

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:

[Mister Micawber]

.
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?
.
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Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Alan]

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.
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Phrasal Verbs/take

[Haihao]

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

[MrPedantic]

It seems to me that this test confuses two idioms:

1. There's no saying [when it happened / what happened / why it happened, etc.].
2. I'm not saying you couldn't do XYZ if you tried.

#2 would seem to be the intended idiom. Answer (c), which expresses qualified assent, would then fit very well.

Though why the question should be listed as an "idiom with preposition", I'm not quite sure.

(To preempt the inevitable enquiry: I find myself on this thread after following a link.)

MrP