difficulties to locate

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "difficulties to locate" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used to describe challenges in finding something or someone. Example: "We encountered several difficulties to locate the missing documents in the archives."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

After encountering difficulties to locate individuals, with non-contact rates reaching 59% (depending on the origin group), the Localmultidem survey also opted for expanding the sampling units from individuals to dwellings and adjacent dwellings.9.9

Comparative Migration Studies

The residential units method was introduced by Casacchia and Strozza (1990) at the beginning of the 1990s in Italy and its application was successful in small and medium cities of some Italian Region, but it failed in big cities due to the difficulties to locate the apartments and contacts indicated with the snowball question (Natale & Strozza, 1997).

Comparative Migration Studies

Difficulties to locate the ocular britle made the identification to species level quite impossible.

BMC Veterinary Research

Reasons for not participating in the clinical examination were difficulties to locate women, withdrawal of consent and death.

BMC Oral Health

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

The Canadian experience is discussed in detail as the use of the clay buffer and emplacement in the saturated zone represents an approach that is common to many countries, as a consequence of their difficulty to locate a desert, low precipitation, and remote location, as that of the Yucca Mountain in the United States.

Fundamentals of Geoenvironmental Engineering Understanding Soil, Water, and Pollutant Interaction and Transport

But art is about itself before it is about the world, and this has always been the artist's task and difficulty, to locate an artistic shape amid the chaos of reality.

The Guardian - Books

This study shows that the use of accuvein did not ensure the installation of peripheral vein, but still there are limits and a part of failure although the implementation of this resort tool in case of difficulty to locate veins.

Annals of Intensive Care

Characterization of the effect of cis-acting polymorphisms in regulatory regions is a great challenge due to the difficulty to locate these regions.

BMC Medical Genomics

Urbanity (until it was interrupted by her strangulation) marked both their brief meetings — the first at the Hôtel Ambassador, when Weidmann, presenting himself with what Miss De Koven's aunt, Miss Ida Sackheim, afterward described as the most gracious smile she ever saw, offered to interpret for the two ladies, who were with difficulty trying to locate a friend in the building.

The New Yorker

In this study, RMA uses the difficulty parameter, δ, to locate healthcare technologies along a continuum of technological capability while conjointly locating hospitals based on their ability to implement healthcare technologies, β, along the same continuum.

BMC Health Services Research

Physicians also indicated that testing upfront saves time and difficulty in trying to locate a biopsy or pathology report that might be a few years old, which can delay treatment.

Cancer Medicine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing problems related to finding something, use more common and grammatically correct phrases such as "difficulties in locating" or "challenges in finding" for clarity.

Common error

Avoid using "to" as a preposition before a gerund (a verb ending in -ing used as a noun). Instead of "difficulties to locate", use "difficulties in locating", which correctly uses 'in' as the preposition connecting the noun 'difficulties' to the gerund 'locating'.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "difficulties to locate" functions as an infinitive phrase attempting to describe a problem or challenge related to finding something. However, as Ludwig AI points out, the phrasing is grammatically incorrect. A more appropriate construction would use a gerund, such as "difficulties in locating".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

75%

News & Media

25%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "difficulties to locate" is grammatically incorrect in standard English. Ludwig AI analysis suggests using alternatives such as "difficulties in locating", "challenges in finding", or "problems with locating" to convey the intended meaning effectively. While examples exist, these do not validate the expression, but show the importance of relying on grammatically sound expressions. Predominantly found in scientific and news contexts, ensuring clarity and grammatical correctness enhances communication across various fields.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

difficulties in finding

Focuses on the act of finding rather than the location itself.

challenges in locating

Emphasizes the demanding nature of the locating process.

problems with locating

Highlights issues directly related to the act of location.

trouble finding

Uses a more informal term for difficulty.

obstacles in determining the location

Focuses on ascertainment of location, adding specificity.

hardships in pinpointing

Emphasizes the precision required in location.

impediments to locating

Formal phrasing emphasizing the hindrances faced.

complications in detecting

Shifts focus to detection rather than mere location.

locating proves difficult

Inverts the sentence structure to emphasize difficulty.

struggles to locate

Highlights the effort and struggle involved in the act of locating.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "difficulties to locate"?

The correct phrasing is "difficulties in locating". The preposition "in" is used to connect the noun "difficulties" with the gerund "locating".

What are some alternatives to "difficulties to locate"?

You can use alternatives such as "challenges in locating", "problems with locating", or "trouble finding" depending on the specific context.

Is there a difference between "difficulties to locate" and "difficulties in locating"?

Yes, "difficulties in locating" is grammatically correct, while "difficulties to locate" is not standard English. The preposition "in" is required before the gerund "locating".

How can I improve my sentence if I used "difficulties to locate"?

Replace "difficulties to locate" with "difficulties in locating" or rephrase your sentence to use a different structure, such as "locating is difficult".