exerted great effort

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "exerted great effort" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe someone putting in a significant amount of work or energy towards a task or goal. Example: "She exerted great effort in preparing for the final exam, studying late into the night."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

In addition, the U.S. government exerted great effort to track down other al-Qaeda agents and sympathizers throughout the world and made combating terrorism the focus of U.S. foreign policy.

Encyclopedia Britannica

They'd exerted great effort in putting down on paper their thoughts and feelings about graduation, and I owed them my honest attention and benevolence.

Los Angeles Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

The effect was mutual: Employees felt more appreciated and, in turn, exerted greater effort when they had a clear view of customers.

Harvard Business Review

Exposure to the babies' images produced two different response patterns: for normal babies, there was a similar effort by the two groups to extend the visual processing with lower attractiveness ratings by men; for abnormal babies, women exerted greater effort to shorten the viewing time despite attractiveness ratings comparable to the men.

Harvard University

However, it seems plausible that the low Effort Expended would at the very least detract less from the moral worth of the action if the agent would have exerted greater effort had this been required.

Ethical Theory and Moral Practice

"You do not need to exert great effort or spend a lot of money to make 10g of explosives, more or less.

The Guardian

Maybe this was Dell's plan all along: let other companies exert great effort in chipping away a foothold in the iPad mountain.

TechCrunch

I needed to exert great effort simply to project my voice, and for decades I had to catch my breath after speaking just five or six words.

Huffington Post

During an August appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," she pretended to exert great effort as she opened a jar of pickles and asked the host to check her pulse.

Los Angeles Times

Similarly, effort expectancy may not have a significant relationship with behavioural intention because people tend not to exert great effort during a pilot project.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

Rather than simply posting a cheque or making an online donation, she elected to donate by (i) entering a marathon in which the $100 entry fee is to be passed on to UNICEF for all entrants who succeed in completing the race, and (ii) exerting great effort to complete that marathon.

Ethical Theory and Moral Practice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing past events or completed actions, "exerted great effort" effectively conveys the magnitude of energy or work applied. Use it to emphasize the intensity of the effort.

Common error

Avoid using "exerted great effort" for minor or trivial tasks. This phrase is best reserved for situations where a significant amount of energy, resources, or dedication was truly required.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "exerted great effort" functions as a verb phrase, where "exerted" is the past tense of the verb "exert", indicating the action of applying effort, and "great effort" serves as the object, specifying the degree of effort applied. Ludwig provides examples showing its use in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

31%

Science

47%

Academia

9%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

6%

Wiki

3%

Formal & Business

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "exerted great effort" is a grammatically sound and understandable way to describe the application of significant energy or work. While Ludwig highlights that the phrase is suitable for various contexts, it's most frequently found in Science and News & Media. When writing, consider the intensity of the effort you're describing and reserve this phrase for situations where substantial energy or dedication was truly involved. Remember that Ludwig provides various alternative phrases that may better suit your particular needs.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

put forth considerable energy

This alternative emphasizes the energy expended, using 'put forth' to highlight the action of applying the energy.

devoted significant resources

This highlights the allocation of resources, not just effort, towards a particular aim.

strove mightily

This emphasizes the intensity and forcefulness of the effort, using 'strove' to convey a sense of struggle and 'mightily' to amplify the intensity.

applied oneself diligently

This alternative focuses on the consistent and careful application of effort over time.

labored intensely

This alternative focuses on the hard work and intensity of the effort.

worked assiduously

This emphasizes the consistent and persistent nature of the work.

made a Herculean attempt

This suggests the effort was incredibly challenging and demanding.

tried one's best

A simple, common way to describe giving maximum effort.

gave it their all

This idiom suggests complete and total effort was put into something.

went the extra mile

This idiom describes exceeding expectations in terms of effort.

FAQs

What does "exerted great effort" mean?

It means to have applied a significant amount of energy, resources, or dedication toward achieving a goal or completing a task.

How can I use "exerted great effort" in a sentence?

You can say, "The team "exerted great effort" to complete the project on time", or "She "exerted great effort" in preparing for the competition".

What are some alternatives to "exerted great effort"?

Alternatives include "put forth considerable energy", "devoted significant resources", or "strove mightily". The best choice depends on the specific context.

Is it more appropriate to say "exerted a great effort" or "exerted great effort"?

"Exerted great effort" is generally preferred. While "exerted a great effort" isn't incorrect, it is less common and can sound slightly awkward. The absence of the article 'a' emphasizes the magnitude of the effort itself.