comparative difficulty

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "comparative difficulty" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the relative level of difficulty between two or more tasks, subjects, or situations. Example: "The comparative difficulty of the two exams was evident, as one required more critical thinking skills than the other."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

The disparity between the grades suggested a sharp imbalance either in teaching quality or in the comparative difficulty of the tests for the two grades.

The New York Times

When the target depth was reduced to four inches, the group that had been taught the general principle of refraction adjusted rapidly to the change and exhibited substantial positive transfer; the other boys showed comparative difficulty in learning to hit the target at the shallower level.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The comparative paucity of larger islands can not only be explained by their tendency to be fragmented by sea-level rise (see above) but also by the comparative difficulty of building and maintaining large islands in oceanic settings.

Geoscience Letters

Because of the comparative difficulty in experimental structure determination, it is likely that co-evolution-based prediction will continue to have the most impact for membrane proteins.

eLife

The relative neglect of voice processing in the clinical literature is likely to reflect a lack of theoretical frameworks for understanding voice analysis, the comparative difficulty of working with vocal stimuli and the scarcity of symptomatic deficits of voice processing (phonagnosia), in turn partly attributable to the primacy of the face as a source of person knowledge in daily life.

Brain

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

SE/CEAMD faces comparative difficulties with "blinding," variable physician technique and a shorter product life cycle.

Globalization and Health

In order to overcome some of these comparative difficulties, specific inclusion criteria were applied in order to select studies for meta-analysis.

British Journal of Cancer

The second issue relates to the comparative task difficulty of the language task(s) between the aphasic patient group and the healthy control subjects.

Brain

The underlying methods, such as RNAz[ 91], are inherently comparative, presenting difficulties for application to schistosome genomes due to the large evolutionary distance between schistosome and non-schistosome genomes.

BMC Genomics

The degree of hardness is determined by observing the comparative ease or difficulty with which one mineral is scratched by another or by a steel tool.

Encyclopedia Britannica

At the same time, the lack of comprehensive and comparative studies brings difficulties and resistances to have a better understanding about the security and performance trade-off.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "comparative difficulty", ensure you clearly define what items or tasks you are comparing to avoid ambiguity. For example, "The comparative difficulty of learning French versus Spanish depends on your native language".

Common error

Avoid using "comparative difficulty" when the difference is minimal or negligible. Instead, opt for language that reflects a more nuanced similarity or near equivalence. For example, if two tasks are only marginally different, avoid saying "the comparative difficulty is significant".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "comparative difficulty" functions as a noun phrase, where "comparative" acts as a pre-modifying adjective specifying the type of difficulty being discussed. Ludwig AI examples confirm this usage across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

60%

Encyclopedias

20%

News & Media

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "comparative difficulty" is grammatically correct and functions to describe the relative level of challenge between tasks or subjects. As demonstrated by Ludwig AI examples, it appears most frequently in scientific and academic contexts. While the phrase is valid, alternatives such as ""relative difficulty"" may offer greater clarity in certain situations. The usage is generally formal, aligning with analytical discussions in academic and scientific fields. Remember to avoid oversimplifying comparisons when using this phrase and to clearly define what you are comparing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

relative difficulty

Replaces "comparative" with "relative", emphasizing the relationship between different levels of difficulty.

differential difficulty

Uses "differential" to highlight the difference in difficulty levels.

varying degrees of difficulty

Emphasizes that the difficulty exists on a spectrum.

unequal difficulty

Highlights the imbalance in difficulty between two or more items.

disparate levels of difficulty

Replaces "comparative" with "disparate levels of", highlighting the significant difference in difficulty.

contrast in difficulty

Focuses on the contrast between easier and harder tasks.

difference in the level of challenge

Rephrases the concept using "level of challenge" instead of "difficulty".

complexity contrast

Uses "complexity contrast" which has a slightly different connotation but related meaning.

easier versus harder

Offers a simplified expression focusing on the contrast between "easier" and "harder".

comparative easiness

Focuses on easiness instead of difficulty, providing an opposite perspective.

FAQs

How can I use "comparative difficulty" in a sentence?

You can use "comparative difficulty" to discuss the relative level of challenge between tasks or subjects. For instance, "The "comparative difficulty" of math and science depends on individual aptitude".

What are some alternatives to "comparative difficulty"?

Alternatives include "relative difficulty", "differential difficulty", or "varying degrees of difficulty" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "the difficulty is comparative"?

While grammatically understandable, "the difficulty is comparative" is less common and may sound awkward. It's generally better to use ""comparative difficulty"" to modify the subject directly.

What's the difference between "comparative difficulty" and "absolute difficulty"?

"Comparative difficulty" refers to the relative level of challenge between two or more things, while "absolute difficulty" refers to the inherent level of challenge of a single thing, regardless of comparison.