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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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a hard working effort

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a hard working effort" is not correct in standard English; it should be "a hardworking effort." You can use it when describing an effort that requires significant dedication and diligence.
Example: "The team put in a hardworking effort to complete the project ahead of schedule."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Pavlich was cheered by the 32,401 crowd every time he touched the ball, with the 34-year-old finishing with 15 disposals and two late goals in a hard-working effort.

– had a hard working life.

He was an avid traveler and a hard working entrepreneur.

News & Media

The New York Times

Robert Gibbs is a hard working, nice man.

News & Media

Huffington Post

"They seem like a hard working bunch".

News & Media

Vice

She is a hard working and accomplished American.

News & Media

Huffington Post

As it turns out though, the Whitney Houston phenomenon was set into motion not by the gods, nor even by Clive Davis himself, but by a hard-working low-profile guy named Gerry Griffith, whose efforts as an Arista A&R man serve to remind us what the acronym A&R stands for: artist(s) and repertoire.

The success of research and development of nisin was attributed to a hard-working team and the fruits of their labour resulted from the effort of several generations of scientists.

He's a hard-working businessman.

News & Media

The New York Times

"He is a hard-working guy.

News & Media

BBC

"He was a hard-working person.

News & Media

The New York Times
Show more...

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a hardworking effort" to describe a sustained and dedicated attempt to achieve something, especially when highlighting the intensity and perseverance involved. For clarity and correctness, it is better to use the single word "hardworking".

Common error

Avoid separating "hardworking" into "hard working" before a noun like "effort". The compound adjective "hardworking" functions as a single descriptor. Using "hard working" is generally incorrect.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

84%

Authority and reliability

2.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase consists of an article ("a"), an adjective modifying another adjective ("hard working") and a noun ("effort"). The proper way to express it is with the compound adjective "hardworking" as in "a hardworking effort". Ludwig AI identifies that the phrase "a hard working effort" is not correct in standard English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "a hard working effort" is generally considered grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "a hardworking effort". According to Ludwig, this phrase describes an effort characterized by dedication and diligence. While understandable, using "a hard working effort" may detract from clarity in formal writing. Alternatives like "a diligent effort" or "a dedicated effort" offer better grammatical accuracy while maintaining a similar meaning. Always ensure that "hardworking" is used as a single compound adjective before the noun it modifies. While the phrase appears in varied sources, including news and media, adhering to proper grammar enhances credibility.

FAQs

How can I properly use the term "hardworking" in a sentence?

Use "hardworking" as a compound adjective before a noun to describe someone or something that is diligent and industrious. For example, "She is a "hardworking employee"" or "They made a "hardworking effort"".

Is "hard working" ever correct to use?

While "hardworking" is generally preferred as a compound adjective, "hard working" can be used when "hard" modifies "working" as an adverb. This is less common and might sound awkward. For instance, "He was working hard, striving for success" is acceptable.

What are some alternatives to "a hard working effort"?

You can use alternatives such as "a diligent effort", "a dedicated effort", or "a strenuous effort" to convey a similar meaning with better grammatical accuracy.

What is the difference between "a hard working effort" and "a hardworking effort"?

The phrase "a hard working effort" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrase is "a hardworking effort", where "hardworking" is a single compound adjective describing the noun "effort".

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Source & Trust

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Authority and reliability

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Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences: