そう よう
耳のそう/Hearsay, I heard that.
plain form そうです。I heard that.
TIP: mnemonic : it's easy to repeat information you've heard and it uses the easiest grammar (plain form).
目のそう/It looks like.
The meaning changes slightly between verbs and adjectives.
１．Verbs
V-ますそうです
"it looks like [something] will": use when making a supposition about a future state based on direct observation of the present state.
今にも雨が降りそうです。
Can also be used with negatives:
Vないform[い]そう
勉強しなそう (He/she doesn’t look like they would study).
Another way to say a negative supposition is using the
V-ますそうもない/そうにない/そうにもない
form which conveys the meaning that it "is very unlikely to"; "shows no sign of"; "doesn't look like it will". Use に when is it objective (can be broadly agreed by many people), も when it is subjective, and にも when it is a subjective supposition that is made with a higher degree of certainty.
２．Adjectives
For adjectives the meaning is more of a judgement about (a quality of) the current state (of an object) based on direct observation although it has not been confirmed as a fact. "it looks like it is"
A（は/が）いadj(い）[さ]そうです (see * below for more detail)
A（は/が）なadj(な）そうです
この料理は辛そうです。
３．Nouns: can't be used for nouns.
4. Non-existence (ない＝plain form of ありません or negative adjectives, not negative verbs!). "It looks like it isn't".
ない→なさそうです。Note: conjugates like an いadj (following * rules below)
Lサイズがあるかどうか、あの人に聞いてみようか。
。。。でも、あの人はお店の人じゃなさそうよ。
Note: this also applies to negative adjectives:
おいしくなさそう
大変じゃなさそう
TIP: remember that 目のそう drops the ends i.e., verbs drop ます/ adjectives drop い or な。 (mnemonic: imagine you can only "see" part of the word thus making an unconfirmed supposition about it's state.)
*The いadj [さ]そう conjugation rules：
1. drop い
2. if single mora add さ
3. add そう at end
よう/Conjecture, inference
"it seems that"
This is an inference from indirect information that the speaker observes (from any sensory input).
It might include what speaker has been told or what speaker has (can) see, but the key is it is indirect information (not information about the object on which the inference is being made).
Plain form (except なadj だ→な and N だ→の) ようです。
隣（となり）の部屋にだれかいるようです。
Comparisons
You can hear things about a person which lead you to conjecture he is busy without being told he is busy.
彼は忙しそうです (It looks like he is busy)
彼は忙しいようです (From various indirect things I've noticed/been told/read/heard it seems he is busy)
彼は忙しいそうです (I heard that he is busy)
Take care conjugating the なadj. We either drop(目), change to だ(耳), or keep the な（よう）。
refs：
MN４３ MN47
Try！N3 ５
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