a laborious work

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a laborious work" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct expression would be "laborious work" without the article "a." Example: "The project required laborious work to complete, but the results were worth the effort."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Academia

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

He who engages in a laborious work, (such, for instance, as Johnson's Dictionary,) which may employ his whole life, will do it with more spirit, if, besides his own glory, he thinks it may be a provision for his family.

Harvard University

To our surprise, collecting the present reference strain set constituted a laborious work, since strains corresponding to non-starter species are frequently not conserved once described.

BMC Genomics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Consequently, it's preferable to analyse all amplicons observed on the electrophoresis gel and to eventually them using Sanger technology, which may be a quite laborious work.

BMC Biotechnology

But it can be hard to add up the money for one doctor from several sources, identify the biggest recipients or list them all for a hospital or a city, without laborious work by a computer expert.

The New York Times

Regardless of their successful demonstration on the positioning of a single QD, laborious work with sensitive and expensive instrumentation remains necessary.

Nanoscale Research Letters

The construction of a tongkonan is laborious work and is usually done with the help of the extended family.

Wikipedia

Even though industrialised textile-making was taking over in nearby towns such as Tilburg, there were still cottage weavers in the village, scraping a living from their slow, laborious work using a technology unchanged for centuries (in the Nuenen visitor centre, there is a beautiful 18th-century loom, just like the ones in Van Gogh's drawings).

The Guardian - Arts

Sure, yes, the vast majority of people in this country, especially those of my own Boomer generation, have less than fabulous relationships and therefore exhibit a certain amount of laborious work.

HuffPost

Later in his career he rejected such laborious work for a more modern, fluidly impressionistic style, which was infused with light and bordered on the abstract.

The New York Times - Arts

His landscapes and people-filled scenes were more layered than those found in most other car illustrations, but he later rejected such laborious work for a more modern, fluidly impressionistic style, which was infused with light and bordered on the abstract.

The New York Times

Pretty laborious work for a small non-profit.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer the grammatically correct form "laborious work" without the article. For instance, use "The project required laborious work" instead of "a laborious work."

Common error

Don't add the indefinite article "a" before "laborious work". The correct form is "laborious work". Think of it as similar to "hard work", which also doesn't take an article.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a laborious work" functions as a noun phrase where "laborious" modifies "work". Although Ludwig AI indicates that it's not correct in standard written English, understanding its intended function helps in identifying appropriate corrections and alternatives.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Academia

34%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "a laborious work" aims to describe a demanding task, it's grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI suggests that the correct form is "laborious work", without the article. Reputable sources like The New York Times and The Guardian occasionally use this phrase, however, this does not make it grammatically correct. It's best to stick to the corrected version or use alternatives like "arduous task" or "difficult job" to ensure clarity and grammatical accuracy in your writing. Remember to avoid article misuse to maintain a professional and polished tone.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a tough work

Replaces 'laborious' with 'tough', indicating difficulty.

a cumbersome work

Substitutes 'laborious' with 'cumbersome', highlighting the unwieldy nature of the work.

a lengthy work

Replaces 'laborious' with 'lengthy', emphasizing the time-consuming aspect.

a challenging work

Uses 'challenging' instead of 'laborious', focusing on the mental or skill-based difficulty.

a painful work

Substitutes 'laborious' with 'painful', emphasizing the unpleasantness of the work.

a burdensome work

Replaces 'laborious' with 'burdensome', highlighting the weight or obligation associated with the work.

a tedious work

Uses 'tedious' instead of 'laborious', focusing on the monotonous or repetitive nature of the task.

a strenuous work

Substitutes 'laborious' with 'strenuous', emphasizing the physical effort required.

a tiresome work

Replaces 'laborious' with 'tiresome', highlighting the exhausting quality of the work.

a difficult work

Replaces 'laborious' with 'difficult' maintaining a general sense of challenge but omitting the physical aspect.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "a laborious work"?

The grammatically correct way is to omit the article "a" and simply say "laborious work". For example, "Completing the project was laborious work".

What are some synonyms for "laborious work"?

You can use phrases like "arduous task", "difficult job", or "strenuous activity" to convey a similar meaning.

Is it ever correct to use "a" before "laborious"?

No, using the indefinite article "a" directly before "laborious work" is grammatically incorrect. "Laborious" describes the type of work, and functions as an adjective in this context. A more natural usage of "a" may involve rephrasing, e.g. "a laborious undertaking".

How can I avoid mistakes when using "laborious"?

Remember that "laborious" is an adjective. Use it to describe nouns like "task", "effort", or "process" and avoid placing an article directly before "laborious work". For example, say "laborious effort" instead of "a laborious work".