a single challenge

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a single challenge" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to one specific difficulty or obstacle that needs to be addressed or overcome. Example: "The team faced a single challenge that tested their problem-solving skills."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

32 human-written examples

A delayed resolution could be a significant contributory factor to the observations that older people have less diverse repertoires, because if the effects of a single challenge can still be seen a month later, then the multiple challenges we encounter as part of everyday life could present a significant compromise to the baseline diversity.

Aging Cell

After a single Challenge Cup win in the last decade, nobody in Wigan is complaining about that.

The Guardian - Sport

Everything hinges on a single challenge: confront the karma, appease the pain, take the taint from surviving geography of Whitechapel.

The Guardian - Film

A single patent, and hence a single challenge, would make that easier.In America generics firms should also take some blame.

The Economist

Prediction 8th Title odds 200-1 Leeds Rhinos Coach Daryl Powell (GB) Captain Francis Cummins (GB) Last season 5th Prospects Leeds have been the underachievers of the Super League era, with a single Challenge Cup in six seasons.

The Guardian - Sport

In truth, Real Madrid were made to pay for not capitalising on a first half that saw Juventus' back four fail to win a single challenge throughout the half.

Independent

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

28 human-written examples

Following a single OVA challenge, or multiple challenges, animals were assessed for pulmonary cytokine production, airway inflammation, and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR).

Environmental Health Perspectives

As expected, mice that received OVA alone during the sensitization phase did not develop AHR after a single OVA challenge or after six challenges.

Environmental Health Perspectives

By the way, the biggest single challenge facing a startup with IP is kick-starting sales.

Forbes

Its procurement of contracts has been a "fantastic achievement", with "not a single legal challenge".

The Guardian

You might spend two hours scrutinizing a single hopeless challenge, your head aching, your eyes watering uncontrollably, as you try for the thousandth time to reverse-engineer your way to whatever it is you're plainly missing.

The Guardian - Tech

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "a single challenge", ensure that the context clearly defines the specific challenge being addressed to avoid ambiguity. Using descriptive language to further clarify the nature of the challenge can improve clarity.

Common error

Avoid overstating the impact of "a single challenge". While a challenge may be significant, ensure your language reflects its true scope relative to other factors. For instance, don't present "a single challenge" as the sole determinant of an outcome if multiple elements are at play.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a single challenge" functions as a noun phrase, typically serving as the subject, object, or complement within a sentence. As supported by Ludwig, it identifies a specific difficulty or obstacle. For example, "Everything hinges on a single challenge: confront the karma."

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

45%

News & Media

45%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a single challenge" is a grammatically sound and neutrally registered noun phrase used to highlight a specific difficulty or obstacle. Ludwig's analysis indicates that this phrase is "correct" and appears across scientific, news, and formal contexts, though it is considered "uncommon". When employing this phrase, ensure the context clearly defines the challenge to avoid ambiguity. Common alternatives include "one challenge", "a solitary challenge", and "a unique hurdle".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

one challenge

This alternative is a more concise and direct way of expressing the same idea, removing the article 'a'.

a solitary challenge

This alternative emphasizes the isolated nature of the challenge.

a unique hurdle

This alternative replaces 'challenge' with 'hurdle', suggesting an obstacle to overcome, and 'single' with 'unique', emphasizing its distinctiveness.

an individual test

This alternative replaces 'challenge' with 'test', highlighting the evaluative aspect, and emphasizes the individual nature of it.

a lone obstacle

This alternative uses 'obstacle' instead of 'challenge', focusing on the obstructive nature, and 'lone' to describe the singularity.

a stand-alone problem

This alternative replaces 'challenge' with 'problem' and uses 'stand-alone' to describe its isolated nature.

a distinct difficulty

This alternative uses 'difficulty' for 'challenge' emphasizing the problematic aspect and 'distinct' for 'single' implying clarity.

a singular task

This alternative replaces 'challenge' with 'task', focusing on the required effort, and uses 'singular' implying uniqueness.

an isolated issue

This alternative replaces 'challenge' with 'issue', softening the tone, and uses 'isolated' to highlight its disconnected nature.

a particular undertaking

This alternative replaces 'challenge' with 'undertaking', giving it a more formal tone, and using 'particular' to maintain specificity.

FAQs

How can I use "a single challenge" in a sentence?

You can use "a single challenge" to refer to one specific difficulty or obstacle. For example, "The project presented "a single challenge": securing adequate funding."

What are some alternatives to "a single challenge"?

You can use alternatives like "one challenge", "a solitary challenge", or "a unique hurdle" depending on the nuance you want to convey.

Is it more appropriate to say "a single challenge" or "one challenge"?

Both "a single challenge" and "one challenge" are grammatically correct and can be used interchangeably. "One challenge" is slightly more concise, while "a single challenge" can add emphasis.

What is the difference between "a single challenge" and "a common challenge"?

"A single challenge" refers to a specific, individual difficulty, whereas "a common challenge" refers to a difficulty that is frequently encountered by many.