a major difficulty is

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a major difficulty is" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when introducing a significant challenge or problem in a discussion or analysis. Example: "A major difficulty is the lack of resources available for the project, which hinders our progress."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

17 human-written examples

A major difficulty is that both heat and work (not only heat) are involved.

Energy

A major difficulty is access to information and access to resources to help them get into educational institutions".

The New York Times

A major difficulty is that every tumor behaves as an organ that evolves in function of its microenvironment.

Bulletin du Cancer

A major difficulty is that American corporations are governed not only by federal law but also by the rules of the state in which they choose to incorporate.

The New Yorker

Compared to the space homogeneous case, or more in general to the case of splitting based methods, studied in Dimarco Pareschi [7] a major difficulty is that the local Maxwellian equilibrium state change with respect to time and thus needs a proper numerical treatment.

Journal of Computational Physics

A major difficulty is the system and computational complexity.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

43 human-written examples

A major difficulty was posed by the incompatibility of the price systems used in the various member countries.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Despite these efforts, the "form follows function" assertion still remains to be fully understood from a complex network science perspective, a major difficulty being the fact that present network patterns are the result of non-stationary and adaptive evolutionary histories that can greatly vary depending on the network.

Plosone

A major difficulty was that, beyond a certain point in most new relationships, condom use could not be sustained.

Culture, Health and Sexuality

Although there is a significant body of quantitative data investigating the variables associated with the decision to continue or terminate an affected fetus, 10 17 the complete pathway from antenatal diagnosis through to pregnancy outcome has been sparsely researched, a major difficulty being the lack of detailed, routinely recorded, relevant data.

Archives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal and Neonatal Edition

Because she is not a member of the rural communities, she says the "major difficulty is finding a balance between the desire to give visibility to a reality by taking a good photo, which in this case is that of indigenous women, and respecting the intimacy of a person's life".

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "a major difficulty is", ensure you clearly and concisely state the difficulty immediately following the phrase for maximum impact.

Common error

Avoid using "a major difficulty is" as a mere introduction; clearly define the specific problem and its implications to ensure your statement has substance.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a major difficulty is" serves as an introductory phrase to highlight a significant problem or obstacle. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically sound. Examples show its use across diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

30%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Academia

5%

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a major difficulty is" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to introduce a significant problem or challenge. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's suitable for diverse contexts, ranging from scientific discussions to news reports. While alternatives such as "a significant problem is" or "a key challenge is" exist, the effectiveness of "a major difficulty is" lies in its clarity and directness, which makes it ideal for emphasizing critical issues.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a primary challenge involves

Replaces "difficulty" with "challenge" and uses "involves" to highlight the problem directly.

a significant problem lies in

Substitutes "difficulty" with "problem" and focuses on the location of the problem.

the main obstacle consists of

Uses "obstacle" instead of "difficulty" and specifies the composition of the obstacle.

a key impediment centers on

Replaces "difficulty" with "impediment" and focuses the issue around a central point.

a notable hurdle revolves around

Uses "hurdle" as a synonym for "difficulty" and indicates the issue's central theme.

a substantial snag is

Replaces "difficulty" with the more informal "snag".

a critical issue stems from

Substitutes "difficulty" with "issue" and indicates the origin of the problem.

the principal complexity arises from

Replaces "difficulty" with "complexity" and specifies the origin of the complexity.

a central struggle concerns

Uses "struggle" instead of "difficulty" and focuses on what the struggle is about.

a major concern relates to

Replaces "difficulty" with "concern" and highlights the area of concern.

FAQs

How can I use "a major difficulty is" in a sentence?

You can use "a major difficulty is" to introduce a significant problem or challenge. For example, "A major difficulty is the lack of funding for the project".

What are some alternatives to saying "a major difficulty is"?

Some alternatives include "a significant problem is", "a key challenge is", or "the main obstacle is".

Is it better to use "a major challenge is" or "a major difficulty is"?

Both phrases are correct and often interchangeable. "A major challenge is" might emphasize the need to overcome something, while "a major difficulty is" might focus on the problematic aspect.

When is it inappropriate to use "a major difficulty is"?

It might be inappropriate in highly informal settings or when discussing trivial issues. In those cases, simpler phrases like "the problem is" or "it's hard to" might be more suitable.