difficulty to summarize

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "difficulty to summarize" is not correct in standard written English.
A more appropriate expression would be "difficulty in summarizing." Example: "The complexity of the research findings presents a difficulty in summarizing the key points effectively."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Structure description is not unequivocal and group ascertainment is potentially prone to misassignments, probably because of (i) the difficulty to summarize all the information contained in large datasets (many variables and/or accessions) and (ii) marker information that may not be complete enough.

BMC Genomics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

Updated at 4.18pm BST 3.44pm BST We've experienced a technical difficulty and will backtrack to summarize part of deputy attorney general James Cole's testimony.

The Guardian

One difficulty in the analysis is to summarize the information from posterior topologies since we have a distribution of topologies for each segment.

Plosone

Theme IV was included to summarize the most frequently cited difficulties by all three parties as there was considerable overlap.

Globalization and Health

To summarize, these results underline the difficulties in clinical diagnostics, particularly regarding unexplained complaints, which are frequent causes for consultation [ 16].

BMC Family Practice

Quality of life data in cancerology are often difficult to summarize due to missing data and difficulty to analyze the pattern of evolution in different groups of patients.

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

As a result of using each assessment with two different cohorts, we developed the RED to summarize areas in which students consistently demonstrate difficulties with experimental design.

CBE Life Sciences Education

To summarize, in Study ‐ I, three different kinds of questions are used with varying difficulty level.

Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences

To summarize, the data from these four experiments do not directly support the view that difficulty determines strategic or heuristic involvement of memory affecting search.

Attention, Perception & Psychophysics

To summarize, in Hebrew MH exhibited non-fluent speech with anomia and disturbances in auditory comprehension, but without difficulty in repetition.

Behavioral and Brain Functions

To summarize: it's good.

The New York Times - Travel

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer the grammatically correct form "difficulty in summarizing". This phrasing is more conventional and widely accepted in formal writing.

Common error

Be mindful of preposition usage after "difficulty". "Difficulty in" is generally preferred over "difficulty to" when followed by a gerund (summarizing).

Linguistic Context

The phrase "difficulty to summarize" functions as a noun phrase followed by an infinitive phrase. However, according to Ludwig AI, this construction is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. The intended meaning is to express the inherent challenge in creating a concise summary.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "difficulty to summarize" may be understood, it is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. Ludwig AI suggests that "difficulty in summarizing" is the preferred phrasing. Although examples exist across various contexts, including science, news, and general usage, it's best to opt for grammatically sound alternatives, especially in formal writing. Remember to use "difficulty in summarizing" or alternatives like "challenging to summarize" to ensure clarity and correctness in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

difficulty in summarizing

This is the grammatically correct form, using the preposition 'in' after 'difficulty'.

hard to summarize

Replaces 'difficulty' with the simpler adjective 'hard'.

challenging to summarize

Substitutes 'difficulty' with 'challenging', indicating a demanding task.

problematic to summarize

Uses 'problematic' to highlight issues encountered during summarization.

tough to summarize

Employs 'tough' as a more informal synonym for 'difficult'.

a challenge to summarize

Rephrases the idea using 'a challenge' instead of 'difficulty'.

presents a summarization challenge

Restructures the phrase to focus on the challenge itself.

poses a problem for summarization

Highlights that the subject causes difficulties in summarizing.

creates summarization hurdles

Emphasizes obstacles that hinder the process of summarizing.

is not easy to summarize

Offers a straightforward way to express that something isn't easily condensed.

FAQs

What's the correct way to say something is hard to summarize?

The grammatically correct way is to say "difficulty in summarizing". While "difficulty to summarize" might be understood, it is not considered standard English.

Are there alternatives to "difficulty in summarizing"?

Yes, you can use alternatives such as "challenging to summarize", "hard to summarize", or "problematic to summarize" depending on the context.

When should I use "difficulty in summarizing" over other phrases?

Use "difficulty in summarizing" in formal or academic writing. In more casual settings, phrases like "hard to summarize" or "tough to summarize" might be more appropriate.

What is the difference between "difficulty to summarize" and "difficulty in summarizing"?

"Difficulty in summarizing" is grammatically correct and widely accepted, while "difficulty to summarize" is considered non-standard. The former is preferred in formal writing.