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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak
CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com
difficulty to continue
Grammar usage guide and real-world examplesUSAGE SUMMARY
The phrase "difficulty to continue" is not correct in standard written English.
A more appropriate expression would be "difficulty in continuing." Example: "She faced difficulty in continuing her studies due to financial constraints."
⚠ May contain grammatical issues
Formal & Business
Science & Research
News & Media
Alternative expressions(1)
Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Human-verified examples from authoritative sources
Exact Expressions
1 human-written examples
Between December 15 , 2010 and January 15 , 2011 UNICEF organised its first online fundraising campaign, The Future Starts at School, to prevent dropout and to help children in financial difficulty to continue with their education.
Formal & Business
Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources
Similar Expressions
59 human-written examples
According to ANIRC, "Ramón y Cajal researchers are finding enormous difficulties to continue their research work in Spain due to the lack of continuity in their contracts".
Science & Research
Mr. De Sole said he expected the difficulties to continue through the rest of the first half.
News & Media
"The Sailfish OS requires quite a big investment and human resources… And that's something we have difficulties to continue if we don't have additional financing, it's difficult to continue developing the operating system with these resources that we have at the moment.
News & Media
'Whatever the sources of disturbances, the consequences resulting from them could be; difficulties to continue work, decreased productivity, reduced production rate, increased defective products, unplanned rework, delayed delivery to market, unexpected downtime, human loss, etc.' (Islam et al. [2006]; Islam [2008]).
Welfare states and in particular nations of Western Europe are increasingly facing difficulties to continue to maintain social benefits in the areas of health care, education and pensions, that Europeans have unfortunately become too used to.
News & Media
Especially in the beginning, students found the support of a supervisor important when they had difficulties to continue the consultation or failed in their clinical reasoning: "when we were working with simulated patients for the first time and got lost, I felt confident I could rely on the supervisor.
Science
We spent a fair amount of time talking about the difficulty for books to continue to compete with alternative forms of entertainment and for book shops such as Waterstones to remain vibrant and successful in a publishing age of disruptive innovation led by the new game changers on the endcap, Amazon and Apple.
News & Media
Analysts at N+1 Singer forecast a tough six months ahead for Thorntons, as it expects the company's difficulties with retailers to continue.
News & Media
And if they were having difficulties, I would want them to continue having difficulties.
News & Media
We detected some difficulties related to continuing with the course due to insufficient pre-course knowledge, especially with regards to statistics.
Science
Expert writing Tips
Best practice
When referring to ongoing challenges, use the grammatically correct phrase "difficulty in continuing" or alternatives like "challenges to proceed" for clear communication.
Common error
Avoid using "difficulty to continue". The correct form is "difficulty in continuing". The preposition 'in' is required before the gerund form of the verb.
Source & Trust
84%
Authority and reliability
2.8/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested
Linguistic Context
The phrase "difficulty to continue" functions as a noun phrase followed by an infinitive. While it aims to express a challenge in proceeding, Ludwig AI indicates that it's not grammatically correct, needing the preposition "in" before the gerund form of the verb.
Frequent in
News & Media
30%
Science
30%
Formal & Business
13%
Less common in
Wiki
10%
Encyclopedias
3%
Science & Research
3%
Ludwig's WRAP-UP
In summary, while the phrase "difficulty to continue" might seem straightforward, it's grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI suggests that the correct form is "difficulty in continuing". Furthermore, alternative expressions like "challenges to proceed" or "obstacles to carrying on" can also be used to convey the same meaning. Based on the provided examples, such expressions are commonly found in news, scientific, and formal business contexts. Therefore, it's crucial to use the proper phrasing to ensure clarity and grammatical accuracy in your writing.
More alternative expressions(10)
Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:
difficulty in continuing
Corrects the grammatical structure to use the gerund form after the preposition "in".
challenges to proceed
Replaces "difficulty" with "challenges" and rephrases "continue" as "proceed" to offer a more standard expression.
obstacles to carrying on
Substitutes "difficulty" with "obstacles" and replaces "continue" with the phrasal verb "carry on".
hindrances to ongoing progress
Uses more formal vocabulary like "hindrances" and "ongoing progress" instead of simpler terms.
struggles to maintain momentum
Emphasizes the effort required to keep going, replacing "difficulty" with "struggles" and "continue" with "maintain momentum".
impediments to sustained effort
Presents a more formal and abstract version, with "impediments" replacing "difficulty" and "sustained effort" replacing "continue".
setbacks affecting continuation
Focuses on setbacks as the cause of difficulty, shifting the perspective slightly.
problems persisting forward
A less common, more literal substitution; "problems persisting forward" directly replaces the original phrase.
constraints hindering advancement
Emphasizes limitations and their impact on forward movement, with "constraints" and "hindering advancement".
hardships impeding progress
Replaces "difficulty" with "hardships" and "continue" with "impeding progress", keeping a similar negative connotation.
FAQs
What is the correct way to say "difficulty to continue"?
The grammatically correct way to express this idea is "difficulty in continuing". The preposition "in" is necessary before the gerund form of the verb.
What are some alternatives to "difficulty to continue"?
You can use phrases like "challenges to proceed", "obstacles to carrying on", or "hindrances to ongoing progress" depending on the context.
Is "difficulty to continue" grammatically correct?
No, "difficulty to continue" is not grammatically correct. The correct phrasing is "difficulty in continuing".
How can I use "difficulty in continuing" in a sentence?
You can use it like this: "She faced difficulty in continuing her studies due to financial constraints."
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Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Source & Trust
84%
Authority and reliability
2.8/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested