Breakdown of Il est probable que le chercheur a raison.
être
to be
il
it (impersonal subject)
que
that (introducing a clause)
le chercheur
the researcher
Questions & Answers about Il est probable que le chercheur a raison.
Why does this sentence use the indicative a instead of the subjunctive ait after que?
Even though it might seem like it expresses an opinion, il est probable que (it is probable that) indicates a high degree of certainty. In French, expressions of high probability trigger the indicative. The subjunctive is only used when there is doubt, such as with il est peu probable que (it is unlikely that).
Would the verb change if I made the sentence negative?
Yes, it would! Saying il n'est pas probable que introduces doubt, which means you must switch to the subjunctive. The sentence would become: Il n'est pas probable que le chercheur ait raison.
Why use a raison instead of a form of être (to be)?