Please comment on the following sentence.

[Bonsoir]

Mr Fonseka's goal is likely to have a prestigious career.

'foal' would make sense!

Or, at a push, "goat"?!...

Or 'goat'!

Yes. Goat works

or do they mean his goal in life is to have a prestigious career?

Well, it doesn't make sense. Unless 'goal' is supposed to be 'goat'.

Ooops...crossed posts.

The sentence is taken from this year's French baccalaureate English exam. Candidates are required to say whether the statement is right or wrong, according to a reading passage on which various comprehension questions are asked.

Maybe Mr Fonseka makes the posts for top football stadia?

Maybe it means that his goal in life is likely to be that of having a prestigious career.

At a stretch, if Mr F is a top footballer and he scored some celebrated goal, I can imagine some pundit saying this to suggest it's a goal that we will be shown again and again over the coming years. After all, that clip of the end of the 1966 World Cup has had quite a prestigious "career".

Otherwise, I'd be wondering if the writer was trying to say: Mr F's goal is likely to be to have a prestigious career. But even that sounds a bit odd.

A mistake has obviously crept in. I would guess it's meant to be 'Mr F's goal is to have a prestigious career'.

Or carer instead of career. This prestigious carer could come and wash the net, polish the pole things.

Maybe 'goal is likely' is an autocorrect for 'goal in life is', which was never picked up?

It's clearly not correct in British English but it's not possible to say what the sentence ought to be without some context. My best guess would be "Mr Fonseka's goal is likely to be to have a prestigious career." If that is what they are going for then I think the original sentence might be acceptable in US English, where I'm sure I've seen that sort of elision before.

Is there a distinction between British and US English in the baccalaureate, as a matter of interest?

I would guess it's meant to be 'Mr F's goal is to have a prestigious career'.

That's how I would read it. With goal 'in life' understood.

The likely,is that a mistake?
A goal (football or aspiration) cannot have a prestigious career
However,mr f the individual can have the goal of desiring a prestigious career

it's the 'likely to' that is really making a nonsense of it. Otherwise with a bit of punctuation you could just about make an arse about tit sentence out of it.

But the likely thing, no.

Ah Xpost with ScottishMummy.

You can't aspire for something to be 'likely'

It's hurting my brain.

Maybe Mr. Fonseka owns a football club - 'Mr. Fonseka's goalie is likely to have a prestigious career'

Omit likely and it's fine.

I can imagine my American family saying it and meaning 'it is likely that Mr F's goal is to have a prestigious career.' It's horrible though.

Agree it sounds American

It would be OK if there was a comma either side of likely.

Is it not more likely to be "Fonseca" rather than "Fonseka"?

[misses point]

'Mr. Fonseka's likely goal is to have a prestigious career.'

The word "likely" is in the wrong place.