are hard to monitor

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "are hard to monitor" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing something that is difficult to observe or keep track of, such as processes, behaviors, or systems. Example: "The activities of the users on the platform are hard to monitor, making it challenging to ensure compliance with the guidelines."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

8 human-written examples

Anyway, they are hard to monitor and vulnerable to fraud.

The Economist

Doctors worry that it may have long-term cardiovascular effects, ones that are hard to monitor or predict.

The New York Times - Health

Young told me that most of the specific effects are still unmeasured and unknown, because the places from which sand is taken are hard to monitor.

The New Yorker

Many of these sites are located in countries with lackluster piracy enforcement efforts, like China, and are hard to monitor, so media companies do not have a clear sense of how much content is being stolen.

The New York Times

One bias in the economic statistics -- which never shows up in published revisions -- is embedded in the health care sector, where third-party payments, subsidies and care quality are hard to monitor and measure.

The New York Times

Still, the risks are obvious: Governments change, distant markets are hard to monitor, and the pursuit of rapid growth in new media is a constant effort to do what has not yet been done.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

52 human-written examples

Such migrants are harder to monitor than registered Lhasa residents.

The Economist

Serious crimes, such as child prostitution, are harder to monitor in the general climate of criminality.

The Economist

Chat rooms are harder to monitor, because they are live discussions among perhaps a dozen computer users, and the comments vanish almost as quickly as they appear.

The New York Times

He said Qaeda suspects in Britain rarely spoke to one another in or near buildings and made increased use of Internet-based telephone services, which are harder to monitor than conventional phone lines.

The New York Times

Meanwhile, air-gapped and disconnected networks are harder to monitor because of less logging of data that takes place; also, due to the inconvenience, they're not updated with security patches as often.

Forbes

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "are hard to monitor", clearly specify what exactly is difficult to monitor. Providing context helps the reader understand the specific challenges involved.

Common error

Avoid using "are hard to monitor" without providing specific reasons. Saying that 'the situation is hard to monitor' is less effective than explaining why it is challenging, such as limited resources or complex factors.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "are hard to monitor" typically functions as a descriptive adjective phrase, indicating a challenge or difficulty associated with observing or tracking a particular subject. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "are hard to monitor" describes something that is difficult to observe, supervise, or track effectively. Ludwig AI confirms it's grammatically correct, however, its usage is rare, appearing mainly in News & Media, Science, and Academic contexts. To enhance clarity, specify what makes the subject hard to monitor, and choose more formal alternatives like "difficult to oversee" in professional settings. Avoid overgeneralization by providing specific reasons for the difficulty in monitoring.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

difficult to keep track of

Replaces "hard" with "difficult" and uses the phrasal verb "keep track of" for monitoring.

challenging to observe

Substitutes "hard" with "challenging" and "monitor" with "observe", focusing on the act of observation.

tough to oversee

Uses "tough" instead of "hard" and "oversee" as a synonym for monitoring, implying supervision.

not easily supervised

Expresses the difficulty in supervision using a passive construction.

difficult to scrutinize

Emphasizes the difficulty in detailed examination using "scrutinize".

hard to keep under surveillance

Focuses on surveillance, implying a more active and continuous monitoring effort.

not straightforward to supervise

Replaces 'hard' with 'not straightforward' and uses the verb 'supervise' to mean monitor.

prove difficult to supervise

Rephrases to highlight difficulty as a proven characteristic of the object being monitored.

present monitoring challenges

Nominalizes the phrase to focus on monitoring as a source of challenges.

tough to keep tabs on

Uses the informal idiom "keep tabs on" to express monitoring in a more casual tone.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "are hard to monitor" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, consider using alternatives like "difficult to oversee", "challenging to observe", or "not easily supervised". These options, like "difficult to oversee", "challenging to observe", and "not easily supervised", often suit professional and academic contexts better.

What does it mean when something "is hard to monitor"?

When something "is hard to monitor", it means it's challenging to keep track of, observe, or supervise effectively. Factors contributing to this difficulty can include complexity, scale, or lack of resources.

Which is correct, "are hard to monitor" or "is hard to monitor"?

"Are hard to monitor" is used when referring to plural subjects, while "is hard to monitor" is used for singular subjects. For example, "The data points are hard to monitor," versus, "The overall trend is hard to monitor."

What can I say instead of "are hard to monitor" in casual conversation?

In casual settings, you might use alternatives like "tough to oversee" or "hard to keep tabs on". These options offer a less formal way to convey the same idea.