Certainty, Doubt & Probability — Unit 1, Upper-intermediate English
Collocations for hedging in professional updates — likelihood, risk, and confidence without overclaiming.
Reading: Q4 Projections – New Software Launch
**From:** Samuel Voss, Product Director **To:** Board of Directors **Subject:** Q4 Projections – New Software Launch
Colleagues,
Following the recent beta testing, I have compiled the preliminary data regarding the Mercury launch. Frankly, the outlook is highly encouraging, though we must remain cautious.
The initial feedback from our focus groups is **overwhelmingly positive**. **There is every likelihood that** we will hit our target of 50,000 downloads within the first week. However, we **are bound to** encounter some minor technical glitches, given the complexity of the new interface. I **suspect that** the development team will **be up against it** to patch these before the official release, but they are determined to ensure a smooth rollout.
From a financial standpoint, I **am inclined to believe that** the early adopters will **sustain our momentum**. We **stand a very good chance of** outperforming our competitors in the first quarter. Nevertheless, we **cannot take success for granted**. The marketing department is expected to begin their campaign next Monday, which should generate significant buzz. If that **falls through**, the figures **could well** look very different.
I **have no hesitation in saying that** this project has been our most ambitious to date. **The odds are** heavily in our favour, but I would urge the board to keep a **contingency fund** available just in case.
I look forward to our meeting on Thursday.
Best, Samuel
**Addendum, circulated the following morning**
Colleagues,
On reflection, I want to qualify one paragraph of yesterday's note, because several of you have quite reasonably asked what the download projection actually rests on.
The 50,000 figure derives from beta conversion rates observed over eleven days with 3,200 participants, extrapolated to our mailing list. **It is worth stressing that** beta participants self-selected: they were people sufficiently interested in the product to volunteer. **It would be misleading to suggest that** their behaviour maps cleanly onto a general audience, and **I should have made that clearer** in the original summary.
A more defensible range is 30,000 to 55,000. **On the balance of probability** we land in the upper half of that band, but **I would be reluctant to commit** to a single number before load testing concludes on the 22nd.
Two further caveats. First, the competitor launch rumoured for November **may or may not** materialise; **as things stand**, we have nothing beyond trade press speculation, and I would not plan around it. Second, the marketing spend assumed in my projection **is contingent upon** the partner agreements Ms Ortiz is finalising. **Should those fall through**, the forecast requires revision downwards, not adjustment at the margins.
**I am conscious that** yesterday's note read more confidently than the underlying data warrants. That was my error rather than the data's. The outlook remains genuinely good; **what I cannot in honesty claim** is that it is settled.
I would rather correct this now than defend an inflated number in January.
Samuel
Vocabulary from this unit
| Collocation | Pronunciation | Register | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| there is every likelihood that | /ðeər ɪz ˈevri ˈlaɪklihʊd ðæt/ | written · formal | There is every likelihood that we will hit 50,000 downloads. |
| the odds are | /ði ɒdz ɑː/ | spoken · neutral | The odds are heavily in our favour. |
| stand a very good chance of | /stænd ə ˈveri ɡʊd tʃɑːns ɒv/ | neutral | We stand a very good chance of outperforming rivals. |
| could well | /kʊd wel/ | neutral | The figures could well look very different. |
| cannot take for granted | /ˈkænɒt teɪk fɔː ˈɡrɑːntɪd/ | written · caution | We cannot take success for granted. |
| Collocation | Pronunciation | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| be bound to | /biː baʊnd tuː/ | bound to + verb | We are bound to encounter glitches. |
| fall through | /fɔːl θruː/ | plan / deal + fall through | If the campaign falls through, sales may drop. |
| sustain momentum | /səˈsteɪn məˈmentəm/ | verb + noun | Early adopters should sustain our momentum. |
| keep a contingency fund | /kiːp ə kənˈtɪndʒənsi fʌnd/ | noun phrase | Keep a contingency fund available just in case. |
| Collocation | Pronunciation | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| be inclined to believe | /biː ɪnˈklaɪnd tuː bɪˈliːv/ | tentative professional opinion | I am inclined to believe adopters will sustain momentum. |
| suspect (that) | /səˈspekt/ | think something is true but not proved | I suspect the team will be up against it. |
| have no hesitation in saying | /hæv nəʊ ˌhezɪˈteɪʃn ɪn ˈseɪɪŋ/ | strong open confidence | I have no hesitation in saying this is our boldest launch. |
1 more vocabulary section in the full unit.
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Common questions
What level is this unit?
Upper-intermediate — roughly CEFR B2. If you are not sure of your level, the course places you with a short diagnostic before you start rather than making you guess.
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The reading passage and vocabulary on this page are free to read. The rest of the unit — the remaining passages, the exercises, the listening, the answer key and the progress tracking — is part of the paid General English course.
Is this British or American English?
British English spelling and vocabulary, which is what most learners in Azerbaijan are taught and what IELTS expects, though both are accepted in the exam.