difficulty to cross

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "difficulty to cross" is not correct in standard written English.
A more appropriate expression would be "difficulty in crossing." Example: "The river presented a significant difficulty in crossing during the rainy season."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

The challenge is to deliver siRNAs in the target cell as they are rapidly degraded by nucleases and have difficulties to cross the cellular membranes.

International Journal of Pharmaceutics

Reasons given for late attendance were: not recognizing the pregnancy early (29%); poor accessibility due to distance, difficulties to cross rivers or poor road conditions (17%); not being able to come due to illness or other obligations such as travelling, caring for a sick person or agricultural work (14%); or negligence or apathy (13%).

BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

The 12-metre vessel got into difficulties while attempting to cross a treacherous sand bar on the way back to port, triggering a huge rescue operation involving police, coastguard and local surf life-saving teams.

The Guardian

In the right geographical circumstances that eliminates both the difficulty of obtaining wayleaves to cross private land and the not-in-my-backyard objections that power lines are ugly.

The Economist

She writes that this feat took "2 hours, 6 minutes and 11 years," referring to the difficulty she had getting permission to cross the Soviet border.

The New York Times - Books

The results show that: 1) pedestrians' crossing speed on the second half of the crosswalk is systematically faster than the first half; 2) children's behaviors are influenced by adults and children rely on their parents; 3) children often feel overwhelmed because of the difficulty judging when and how to cross the street.

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences

Stopping times at crossings in the UK have been suggested to be too short in duration for some older people to cross safely [ 32], and difficulty with short crossing times are associated with reduced outdoor physical activity among older people [ 33, 34].

BMC Geriatrics

The Impact defense (and team as a whole) has shown difficulty to defend crosses whether it was against the Columbus Crew or the Chicago Fire.

The Guardian - Sport

Donop's force either had difficulty crossing the river, or was reluctant to do so, and elements of the British force were the first to cross the river.

Wikipedia

The variance in average years of schooling is relatively low, which in part explains the difficulty to account for cross-country income differences among developed countries when only using this narrow measure of human capital.

SERIEs

Due to the difficulty of crossing the BBB, the treatment with BDNF was delivered by intracranial injection.

Clinical and Translational Medicine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer using the phrase "difficulty in crossing" or rephrasing to something like "challenge to cross" for grammatical correctness.

Common error

Avoid using "to" after "difficulty" when referring to an action. The correct preposition to use is "in", as in "difficulty in crossing". Alternatively, rephrase the sentence to avoid the preposition altogether.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "difficulty to cross" functions as a noun phrase that describes a challenge or obstacle in traversing something. However, as Ludwig AI points out, it's grammatically incorrect. The correct preposition after 'difficulty' when referring to an action is 'in'.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

News & Media

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "difficulty to cross" is used to describe a challenge or obstacle in traversing something. However, Ludwig AI indicates that this phrase is grammatically incorrect; the correct form is "difficulty in crossing". While the phrase appears in various sources, including news and scientific articles, it's advisable to use the grammatically correct version or consider alternatives like "challenge to traverse", "obstacle to overcome in crossing", or other similar phrases to ensure clarity and precision in writing. Correcting the prepositional usage or choosing a synonymous phrase enhances the overall quality and professionalism of the text.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

challenge to traverse

Replaces "difficulty" with "challenge" and "cross" with "traverse", suggesting a demanding task of moving across something.

obstacle to overcome in crossing

Highlights the hurdle that needs to be overcome during the act of crossing, emphasizing the process and its impediment.

impediment to crossing

Focuses on what hinders or prevents one from crossing, denoting something that obstructs movement.

hardship in getting across

Emphasizes the suffering or trouble experienced when trying to cross, indicating a difficult experience.

trouble navigating

Shifts the focus to the act of navigating, suggesting complexity and potential issues in finding a path across.

complexity in traversing

Highlights the intricate and involved nature of the act of crossing, implying that careful attention is needed.

barrier to entry

Implies a hurdle that prevents access or crossing, often used in a metaphorical sense.

tough to get through

Uses informal language to describe something difficult to pass or cross, often implying resilience is needed.

problem bypassing

Focuses on the issue of avoiding or going around something, implying that a direct crossing is not possible.

struggle to get past

Highlights the effort and difficulty in moving beyond or crossing something, suggesting a significant challenge.

FAQs

How can I correctly use the word "difficulty" when describing the act of crossing something?

The grammatically correct phrasing is "difficulty in crossing". For example, "There was considerable difficulty in crossing the river." Alternatively, you could say "It was difficult to cross the river".

What are some alternatives to the phrase "difficulty to cross"?

You can use alternatives like "challenge to traverse", "obstacle to overcome in crossing", or "impediment to crossing" depending on the context.

Which is the correct phrasing, "difficulty to cross" or "difficulty in crossing"?

"Difficulty in crossing" is the grammatically correct phrasing. "Difficulty to cross" is considered incorrect in standard written English. Consider alternatives such as "hardship in getting across".

When is it appropriate to use the phrase "difficulty in crossing"?

Use "difficulty in crossing" when you want to describe the challenges or problems encountered while attempting to traverse something, whether it's a physical space or a metaphorical barrier. However, based on the examples found by Ludwig, you might consider using alternatives to improve clarity and grammatical correctness.