¿Estarán en casa en este momento? – Sí, es posible/probable.
Will they be at home now? – Yes, it is possible./Maybe./Probably.¿Puedes hacerlo solo? – Es imposible/No es posible.
Can you do it on your own? – It is impossible./It is not possible.Va a llover – Posiblemente/Probablemente.
It’s going to rain – Maybe./Probably.Although these expressions occur much more frequently in the present, as illustrated
by the examples above, they are also used in other tenses, for example:No fue posible. It wasn’t possible.
Será imposible. It will be impossible.
Sería imposible. It would be impossible.48.1.2 (No) es posible+ infinitive;es imposible+ infinitive
These impersonal constructions with an infinitive are used when the expression of
possibility or impossibility does not refer to any specific person. The words probable,
‘probable’, and improbable, ‘improbable’, cannot be used with this type of
sentence.Es posible encontrar algo mejor.
It is possible to find something better.No fue posible encontrar lo que buscábamos.
It was impossible to find what we were looking for.
Creo que será imposible terminarlo hoy.
I think it will be impossible to finish it today.The expressions above can be personalized by placing an indirect object pronoun
before them, for example:Me es imposible aceptar. I cannot possibly accept.
No nos es posible hacerlo. We cannot possibly do it.8.2 (p. 36); 17.11 (p. 79)
48.1.3 (No) es posible/probable que+ subjunctive; es imposible/improbable/poco probable
que+ subjunctive
If the expression of possibility or impossibility refers to a specific person, these
impersonal constructions must be followed by a subjunctive. In the expression of
impossibility, es imposible/improbable/poco probable que... , ‘it is impossible/
improbable/unlikely that.. .’, are heard much more often than the negative forms no
es posible/probable que... , ‘it is not possible/probable that.. .’.
Es posible/probable que lleguen en el próximo vuelo.
It is possible that they may arrive on the next flight.No es posible que haya desaparecido así como así.
It is not possible that he/she/it may have disappeared just like that. (he/
she/it can’t have disappeared just like that)Saying whether something is considered possible or impossible 48.1