an excessive task

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "an excessive task" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe a task that is overly demanding or burdensome, often implying that it exceeds reasonable limits. Example: "Completing the project in just one week felt like an excessive task, given the amount of research required."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

This was therefore an hypothesis-driven selection and in this sense a certain bias cannot be ruled out, but it is clear that a completely open, hypothesis-free screen is an excessive task far beyond the scope of this study.

Gene

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

The lack of stable footing also contributes to the excessive task demand.

International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics

This phenomenon may underlie the inverse relationship between excessive task difficulty and performance.

Biological Psychology

The majority of existing WSI algorithms are not applicable to capture both lexical semantics and syntactic relations without involving excessive task-specific feature engineering.

Neurocomputing

We have posited that some of the motor impairment in PD is the consequence of excessive, task-inappropriate beta synchronization, which preserves or even reinforces existing processing streams and precludes others by limiting the number of independent processing channels.

European Journal of Neuroscience

Furthermore, resources may be scarce for an excessive number of Map tasks.

Journal of Cloud Computing

Needing an excessive amount of advice and reassurance from others before undertaking any task is a sign of deep dependence.

WikiHow

We opted not to include an excessive number of subactions in order to reduce the complexity of the conjoint task.

Health Research Policy and Systems

We assigned Ben Johnson the task of writing about what it is about people that makes them feel like an excessive use of exclamation points makes whatever they're writing seem more "nice".

Vice

Staff faced an "excessive or pressured workload".

The Guardian

It's an excessive suspension.

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "an excessive task", consider the context and whether a more specific adjective might be more descriptive. For instance, instead of "an excessive task", try "a time-consuming task" or "a technically demanding task" if those aspects are more relevant.

Common error

Avoid using "an excessive task" when you simply mean a difficult or challenging task. "Excessive" implies that the task is beyond reasonable expectations or limits, not just that it requires effort.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "an excessive task" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "excessive" modifies the noun "task". According to Ludwig, this phrase is grammatically correct. The adjective "excessive" indicates that the task is beyond what is considered reasonable or necessary.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "an excessive task" is a grammatically sound phrase used to describe a task that is considered unreasonably demanding or burdensome. While Ludwig confirms its correctness, it appears infrequently in written English. When using this phrase, consider if a more specific adjective might provide better clarity. Contexts include science, news, and wiki sources. When seeking alternatives, options such as "an overwhelming task" or "an unreasonable task" may suit your needs.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

an overwhelming task

Replaces "excessive" with "overwhelming", emphasizing the feeling of being burdened by the task.

an unreasonable task

Substitutes "excessive" with "unreasonable", highlighting the lack of justification for the task's demands.

an undue burden

Replaces "task" with "burden", shifting the focus to the negative impact or hardship imposed.

an inordinate assignment

Uses "inordinate" and "assignment" to convey a similar meaning with more formal vocabulary.

an exorbitant undertaking

Employs "exorbitant" and "undertaking" to suggest a task that is excessively large or costly.

a demanding endeavor

Uses "demanding" and "endeavor" to focus on the challenging nature of the task.

an overambitious project

Replaces "task" with "project" and "excessive" with "overambitious" focusing on the scope being too broad.

a grueling activity

Uses "grueling" and "activity" to emphasize the exhausting nature of the task.

an overly difficult challenge

Replaces "task" with "challenge" and adds "overly difficult" to emphasize the level of difficulty.

a disproportionate effort

Focuses on the imbalance between the task and the resources or effort required.

FAQs

How can I use "an excessive task" in a sentence?

You can use "an excessive task" to describe something that demands too much effort or resources. For instance: "Completing the project in just one week felt like "an excessive task", given the amount of research required."

What are some alternatives to "an excessive task"?

Alternatives include "an overwhelming task", "an unreasonable task", or "an undue burden", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "an excessive task"?

It's appropriate when the task is not just difficult but also seems disproportionately demanding or goes beyond what's reasonable or necessary.

What's the difference between "a difficult task" and "an excessive task"?

"A difficult task" simply means something that requires effort and skill. "An excessive task" implies that the task is unreasonably demanding or goes beyond what is expected or justifiable.