6. Likely and probably

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Likely.

Likely is most often used as an adjective, meaning probable, (opposites are unlikely and improbable). If something is likely, it is probably going to happen.

it's likely that + clause

Likely is quite often used with it as a preparatory subject:

• It's unlikely that this afternoon's class will last very long. It should be over by five o' clock.

•  I am almost certain to bump into him, in fact.

be likely to + infinitive

As an alternative, we can use the be unlikely to + infinitive construction with a normal subject, but probable cannot be used in this way:

• This afternoon's class is unlikely to last very long.
• I'm unlikely to be back late from the meeting.
• Are you likely to be staying in when you get back?

With the modifiers most, quite or very, likely is also sometimes used as an adverb, meaning most probably:

• They'll quite likely invite you out to eat in a restaurant when you're staying with them.

The expression more than likely means ‘almost certain':

• It's more than likely that the rules will be changed again in the near future'.

With the meaning of 'suitable', likely can also be used before nouns such as candidate, successor and replacement:

• She's a likely candidate for the job.

If, on the other hand, you describe something as ‘a likely story', usually in response to something you have just been told, you indicate that you do not believe it. 

Probably

If we wanted to use probably as an alternative in these examples, it would need to re-phrase them as follows, since probably is an adverb:

• This afternoon's class will probably finish quite early.
• I shall probably be back quite early from the meeting.
• Will you probably stay in when you get back?
• The authorities will probably be hard pressed to respond to the disaster.

We use probably before the main verb:

• She'll probably be off work for a long time.

But before the auxiliary verb in a negative sentence:

• He probably won't come.