... is unlikely if not impossible/if not possible.

[yuheci]

I am wondering why the meaning of following two sentences are same:

A law outright banning the use of mobile phones in schools is unlikely if not impossible.
A law outright banning the use of mobile phones in schools is unlikely if not possible.

Thanks for your time and help.

Yu Heci

 

[Tarheel]

I am wondering why the meaning of following two sentences IS THE same:

A law outright banning the use of mobile phones in schools is unlikely if not impossible.
A law outright banning the use of mobile phones in schools is unlikely if not possible.

[..........................]

They are not the same. In fact, the second one means the opposite of what the first one does if it means anything at all.

 

[5jj]

Did you make up these sentences, yuheci, or did you read/hear them somewhere? If the latter, where?

 

[yuheci]

Thanks for your reply.
I checked Google to know the Chinese meaning of the sentence :a law outright banning the use of mobile phones in schools is unlikely if not impossible. Then I also checked the Chinese meaning of the sentence: a law outright banning the use of mobile phones in schools is unlikely if not possible. The answer is same.
Yu Heci

 

[emsr2d2]

@yuheci You still need to answer 5jj's questions in post #3.

 

[Tarheel]

Thanks for your reply.
I checked Google to LEARN the Chinese meaning of the sentence :a law outright banning the use of mobile phones in schools is unlikely if not impossible. Then I also checked the Chinese meaning of the sentence: a law outright banning the use of mobile phones in schools is unlikely if not possible. The answer is same.
Yu Heci

In the first one you have "not impossible". In the other you have "not possible". The words "impossible" and "possible" are opposites.

 

[Rover_KE]

It would be more natural to change round 'outright' and 'banning'.

 

[tedmc]

You need a comma after "unlikely" and "if not". "Unlikely" only goes with "impossible" as they express the varying degree of being unlikely.

 

[emsr2d2]

Mod note: Please refrain from adding any more comments to this thread until the OP has answered 5jj's questions. The thread is clearly tagged "Waiting for source information" (and has been for quite some time) so nothing should be added until that tag has been removed.

 

[yuheci]

Did you make up these sentences, yuheci, or did you read/hear them somewhere? If the latter, where?

The sentence “…a law outright banning the use of mobile phones in schools is unlikely if not impossible…” is from https://yle.fi/a/74-20088057.

The sentence “…a law outright banning the use of mobile phones in schools is unlikely if not possible…” is written by me just for asking Google translator.

Today I checked Google again, I found a different answer from Google translator. So my question is over.

But now I still want to know the real meaning of “…a law outright banning the use of mobile phones in schools is unlikely if not impossible…”.

Thanks for help and time.

Yu Heci

 

[emsr2d2]

The sentence "A law outright banning the use of mobile phones in schools is unlikely if not impossible” is from https://yle.fi/a/74-20088057.

The sentence I wrote “A law outright banning the use of mobile phones in schools is unlikely if not possible” is written by me just for asking so I could check it on Google translator Translate.

Today I checked Google again, and I found a different answer from on Google translator Translate no full stop here so my question is over no longer necessary.

But now I still want to know the real meaning of “A law outright banning the use of mobile phones in schools is unlikely if not impossible”.

Thanks for your help and time. Don't thank us in advance.

Yu Heci Unnecessary. We can see your username.

The sentence means that, even though it's unlikely that schools will completely ban the use of mobile phones, it's not completely impossible that they will do so.

In short, they can but they probably won't.