difficulty to respond quickly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "difficulty to respond quickly" is not correct in standard written English.
A more appropriate construction would be "difficulty in responding quickly." Example: "I often face difficulty in responding quickly to emails during busy periods."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

This means tiredness, difficulty to respond quickly and smartly to anything that comes up.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

But the administration was not well positioned to respond quickly.

The New York Times

"I urge the Ethiopian party to respond quickly," he said.

The New York Times

Guards are authorised to respond quickly to threats.

The Guardian - Books

England had to respond quickly and they did.

BBC

Companies are pushed to respond quickly and cost-efficient to changing markets.

Mechatronics

The PEMFC was found to respond quickly and reproducibly to load changes.

Journal of Power Sources

Subjects were given standard instructions to respond quickly and accurately.

Plosone

Failure to respond quickly to usual treatment predicts increased risk.

Diabetes Care

It must be able to respond quickly and strongly.

BMC Systems Biology

The participants were instructed to respond quickly and accurately.

Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

For improved clarity and grammatical correctness, consider using the phrasing "difficulty in responding quickly" or alternatives such as "struggle to respond quickly".

Common error

Avoid using "difficulty to" when "difficulty in" is more grammatically sound. Remember that "difficulty" often requires a preposition like "in" to link it to a gerund (responding).

Linguistic Context

The phrase "difficulty to respond quickly" functions as a noun phrase describing a challenge or impediment related to the speed of reaction or reply. Ludwig AI indicates it is not grammatically correct in standard written English and suggests "difficulty in responding quickly" as an alternative.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

30%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Reference

5%

Social Media

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "difficulty to respond quickly" aims to express a challenge in reacting promptly, but as noted by Ludwig AI, it is grammatically questionable. The preferred phrasing is "difficulty in responding quickly" or alternatives like "struggle to respond quickly". While understandable, using the incorrect form might detract from the clarity of your writing. The phrase can be found in sources spanning news media, science, and wikis with related concepts revolving around responsiveness, timeliness, and speed.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

hard to respond quickly

Replaces "difficulty" with "hard", a more common and straightforward synonym.

struggle to respond quickly

Uses "struggle" to convey a sense of effort required in responding promptly.

find it difficult to respond quickly

Adds the personal pronoun "it" making it more complex but similar in meaning.

have trouble responding quickly

Replaces "difficulty" with "trouble" maintaining a similar level of formality.

difficulty in responding quickly

Corrects the grammar by using the preposition "in" after difficulty.

challenge to respond promptly

Substitutes "difficulty" with "challenge" and "quickly" with "promptly", altering the tone slightly.

slow to respond

Focuses on the slowness of the response rather than the difficulty.

not quick to respond

Uses a negative construction to express a lack of speed in responding.

delayed response time

Shifts the focus to the resulting delay in response rather than the difficulty in producing it.

inability to provide a timely response

Replaces "difficulty" with "inability" and adds the dimension of timeliness, increasing formality.

FAQs

What's a more grammatically sound way to say "difficulty to respond quickly"?

A more grammatically accepted alternative is "difficulty in responding quickly". The preposition "in" correctly links "difficulty" to the gerund "responding".

What can I say instead of "difficulty to respond quickly"?

Depending on the context, you could use phrases like "struggle to respond quickly", "hard to respond quickly", or "slow to respond".

Is "difficulty to respond quickly" grammatically correct?

No, the phrasing "difficulty to respond quickly" is not grammatically correct. The standard construction is "difficulty in responding quickly" or a similar alternative that uses a linking preposition.

How does the use of "difficulty to respond quickly" affect the perception of my writing?

Using the phrase "difficulty to respond quickly" may make your writing seem less polished. Opting for grammatically correct alternatives like "difficulty in responding quickly" or "struggle to respond quickly" will improve clarity and credibility.