find it difficult to locate

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "find it difficult to locate" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when expressing a challenge or struggle in identifying or discovering something. Example: "Many users find it difficult to locate the settings menu in the new app interface."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

4 human-written examples

Yet too many of us find it difficult to locate the information we need, when we need it.

Huffington Post

A wide range of holiday festivities can lead to anxiety or depression on the part of those who find it difficult to locate the senses of excitement or enthusiasm that we perceive all others to be experiencing.

Huffington Post

Even for a dentist who has a good knowledge of canal anatomy can find it difficult to locate the root canals in a calcified pulp chamber [ 1].

BMC Oral Health

To take a few examples, rats with lesions of the hippocampus find it difficult to locate a submerged platform in a swimming pool, either with reference to landmarks outside the pool (Morris et al., 1982), or with reference to the shape of the pool (Pearce et al., 2004).

Hippocampus

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Indeed, some golfers have found it difficult to locate a room for the week.

The New York Times - Sports

He has tried to revive certain specialty knit techniques using bouclé and angora, but has found it difficult to locate factories still able to make them.

The New York Times

Due to privacy concerns, Sotelo found it difficult to locate former children soldiers in Colombia, so instead he hired a voice actor to record passages from an anonymous autobiography, entitled A Born Winner, written by a child soldier who got out.

Columbia University

That's probably because consumers found it difficult to locate HBO NOW's recommendations in the first place.

TechCrunch

"He doesn't mean to nip me," he says, "he just finds it difficult to locate his food". Tortoises scrape at the grass with their horny beaks, made from keratin, like nails.

BBC

While our findings are clearly exploratory, reports from some of these university qualified educators that they found it difficult to locate their own professional practice within the EYLF are of concern.

International Journal of Child Care and Education Policy

Those who have graduated since 2006 have found it difficult to locate and maintain jobs, the same jobs that would have been assured in past economies.

HuffPost

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "find it difficult to locate", ensure that the object or information being located is clearly specified to avoid ambiguity. For instance, instead of saying "Many find it difficult to locate", specify "Many users find it difficult to locate the settings menu."

Common error

While acceptable, "find it difficult to locate" can sometimes sound less direct than alternatives like "struggle to find" or "encounter difficulty locating". In highly formal writing, consider if a more concise expression would be more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "find it difficult to locate" functions as a verb phrase expressing the difficulty or challenge someone faces in finding something. Ludwig AI examples illustrate its use across diverse domains, highlighting its capacity to convey struggles in identifying or discovering.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Science

33%

Academia

32%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "find it difficult to locate" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase for expressing challenges in finding something. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and provides various examples across different contexts. While relatively uncommon, it is widely understood and suitable for neutral to slightly formal communication. Be mindful of specifying what exactly is difficult to locate and consider alternative phrases like "struggle to find" for stylistic variation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

struggle to find

Emphasizes the effort and difficulty involved in finding something.

have trouble finding

Highlights the problem or issue encountered when attempting to locate something.

experience difficulty in locating

More formal phrasing, emphasizing the experience of difficulty.

find it hard to locate

Simpler phrasing expressing the difficulty in locating something.

have a hard time finding

Informal phrasing expressing difficulty.

cannot easily find

Highlights the lack of ease in finding something.

are challenged to locate

Highlights the challenge faced in locating something.

encounter obstacles in finding

Emphasizes the obstacles present when trying to locate something.

are unable to easily locate

Expresses an inability to easily find something.

face difficulties in the discovery of

Formal phrasing focusing on the challenges during discovery.

FAQs

What are some alternative ways to say "find it difficult to locate"?

You can use alternatives like "struggle to find", "have trouble finding", or "experience difficulty locating" depending on the context.

Is "find it difficult to locate" grammatically correct?

Yes, "find it difficult to locate" is grammatically correct and commonly used in both spoken and written English.

In what contexts is it appropriate to use "find it difficult to locate"?

The phrase "find it difficult to locate" is appropriate in a variety of contexts, from describing personal challenges to explaining technical difficulties in locating information or objects.

How can I make my sentences clearer when using "find it difficult to locate"?

Ensure you clearly specify what is difficult to locate. For example, instead of "People find it difficult to locate", specify "People find it difficult to locate specific information on the website".