Questioning if analysts had spoken to people on the ground, Mr Anwar said: “I covered almost the entire country and I must say, realistically, there’s that possibility that we may be able to reach a simple majority."
Can “there’s that possibility that we are able to reach a simple majority” replace the part in bold?
Thanks.
Asked if analysts had talked to people on the ground, Mr. Anwar said, “I’ve scoured almost the entire country, and I have to say, realistically, there’s a possibility we can get a simple majority.”
The more times you mention uncertainty unsing words like “probability”, and “may be able”, the less realistic the chances would seem to be.
There is a clear difference in the mood of the speaker between ‘We may be able’ and ‘We are able’. So, you cannot replace it.