Hs chances of being able to leave hospital in time for New Year celebrations were good
His chance of being able to leave hospital in time for New Year celebrations were good
It’s just the straightforward difference:
chances - more than one chance (plural)
chance - one chance (singular)
If you use ‘chance’ then you need the singular verb ‘…was good’ at the end of your sentence.
‘Chances’ is the most common form in the example you give as it is generally used to indicate a succession of chances (each time the doctor comes round in the interval between speaking and New Year’s eve.)
could you explain more clearly,i don’t still understand why here use ‘plural’.
In this example, it’s because they have more than one chance to get sent home.
For example, imagine a patient who is getting better, and New Year’s Eve is the following Friday:
When the doctor visits on Monday, he will decide whether the patient can or can’t go home that day. That is chance 1.
If the patient is kept in, when the doctor visits on Tuesday he will again decide whether the patient is well enough to go home. That is chance 2.
If the patient is still kept in, when the doctor visits on Wednesday that will be chance 3.
If the patient is still kept in, when the doctor visits on Thursday that will be chance 4.
If the patient is still kept in, when the doctor visits on Friday that will be chance 5. This is their last chance before the New Year Celebrations.
In addition, '(the) chances are… ’ is idiomatic anyway. The plural form is frequently used to indicate a certain level of possibility.
thanks for your answers. in the sentence ‘The following day,however,the doctor consoled him by telling him that his chances of being able to leave hospital in time for New Year celebrations were good. the word "chance’ is used with plural because of idiomatic way?
It could be both idiomatic and literal in the way I have already described.