difficulties were made

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "difficulties were made" is not correct in standard written English.
It is unclear and does not convey a clear meaning, as "made" is not typically used with "difficulties." Example: "The difficulties were made apparent during the project review."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

The difficulties were made clear in articles by Nicholas Wade and Andrew Pollack in The Times this month.

The New York Times

It was a tricky proposition, and its difficulties were made clear last year in the publication of Go Set a Watchman, an earlier version of To Kill a Mockingbird set during the fight over desegregation in the 1950s.

The Guardian - Books

Mr. Holder and past attorneys general "arguably did some things that created problems for themselves," Mr. Marcus said, "but there's no question their difficulties were made worse by the strong partisan battles going on in Washington".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

The government should stop spending money on unnecessary things in Syria, Iraq and other places and allocate it for creating jobs here". He warned that economic difficulties were making people desperate but not necessarily violent.

The Washington Post

Chamberlain replied that telephone difficulties were making it hard to communicate with Paris and tried to dispel fears that the French were weakening.

Wikipedia

The difficulties are made apparent by new projections of energy use between 2017 and 2050 by the U.S. Energy Information Administration EIAA).

The Washington Post

The first attempt of Brentano's students to overcome these difficulties was made by Twardowski, who distinguished between content and object of the act, the former of which is immanent to the act, the latter not.

SEP

Among our most profound difficulties is making them work together.

The New Yorker

The difficulty is made even greater with free safeties who aren't usually near the line of scrimmage.

The New York Times

At the center of the play, however, Mr. Ashiotis does an impressive turn in a role whose difficulty is made evident by what are bound to be nightly mishaps.

The New York Times

The paper thus argues that a simple and rational synthesis of the leading cases can without difficulty be made, if one abandons the confusions of "deference" for the distinct qualities of "weight" and "space". Agency views of statutory meaning may often be entitled to considerable weight when judges come to decide for themselves issues of statutory meaning.

Columbia University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Avoid using the phrase "difficulties were made". Instead, opt for clearer and more grammatically sound alternatives such as "difficulties arose" or "challenges emerged".

Common error

Using "made" in conjunction with "difficulties" often results in awkward phrasing. Ensure that the verb accurately reflects the emergence or encountering of difficulties, such as using "arose", "emerged", or "were encountered".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "difficulties were made" functions as a declarative statement, aiming to convey that problems or challenges were somehow 'manufactured' or 'brought into existence'. However, this usage is unconventional and can lead to confusion. As Ludwig AI states, this phrasing is not correct in standard written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Academia

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "difficulties were made" is generally considered grammatically incorrect and lacks clarity in standard English. As noted by Ludwig AI, the phrase is unclear, and the verb "made" is not typically used with "difficulties". While some examples exist, they do not validate the phrase's correctness. More appropriate alternatives include "difficulties arose", "challenges emerged", or "problems surfaced", which more effectively convey the intended meaning. Given its rarity and grammatical issues, it is best to avoid using "difficulties were made" in both formal and informal writing. Opt for clearer and more accepted phrasing to communicate effectively.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

difficulties arose

Changes the verb to 'arose' for a more standard and natural expression of problems emerging.

challenges emerged

Replaces "difficulties" with "challenges" and "were made" with "emerged" for a more suitable phrase.

problems surfaced

Uses "problems" instead of "difficulties" and "surfaced" instead of "were made" for a clearer expression of issues becoming apparent.

issues came up

Offers a more informal alternative, replacing "difficulties" with "issues" and "were made" with "came up".

complications developed

Replaces "difficulties" with "complications" and "were made" with "developed" for a more formal tone.

obstacles arose

Substitutes "difficulties" with "obstacles" and "were made" with "arose", indicating hindrances appearing.

setbacks occurred

Uses "setbacks" instead of "difficulties" and "occurred" instead of "were made" to convey a sense of temporary impediments.

hurdles presented themselves

Presents a more vivid image, replacing "difficulties" with "hurdles" and indicating that the problems appeared without external influence.

impediments materialized

Substitutes "difficulties" with "impediments" and "were made" with "materialized" for a formal and slightly literary tone.

difficulties were encountered

While similar in structure, uses "encountered" instead of "made" for a more grammatically standard usage.

FAQs

What are some alternatives to "difficulties were made"?

Instead of "difficulties were made", you can use alternatives like "difficulties arose", "challenges emerged", or "problems surfaced" for clearer and more grammatically correct expressions.

Is it grammatically correct to say "difficulties were made"?

No, the phrase "difficulties were made" is not grammatically correct. It's better to use phrases like "difficulties arose" or "challenges emerged".

How can I use "difficulties arose" in a sentence?

You can use "difficulties arose" in a sentence like: "During the project, several difficulties arose that needed to be addressed promptly."

What's the difference between "difficulties were made" and "difficulties were encountered"?

"Difficulties were made" is grammatically incorrect and not commonly used. "Difficulties were encountered" is a grammatically correct phrase that means problems were faced or experienced.