it posed a considerable difficulty

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it posed a considerable difficulty" is not correct in standard English; it should be "it posed considerable difficulty" or "it posed a considerable challenge." You can use it when discussing a situation or problem that was challenging or hard to overcome.
Example: "The new regulations posed considerable difficulty for the company in adapting its processes."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

It poses considerable difficulties in surgical histopathology.

Breast Cancer Research

It posed an excellent question.

Los Angeles Times

It's a very tactful approach, I think, to what his seminar understood to be a considerable difficulty these days in teaching.

Yale University

However, the large number of reviews poses a considerable challenge because it is impossible for customers to read all of them for reference.

Decision Support Systems

It is a phenomenon described by other researchers [ 12] and poses a considerable challenge in maintaining Scotland as a first rate centre for general practice research and development.

BMC Health Services Research

They pose a considerable design challenge.

The New York Times - Arts

Obviously this poses a considerable risk for the houses.

The New York Times - Arts

Lameness poses a considerable problem in modern dairy farming.

Journal of Dairy Science

Dementia poses a considerable socioeconomic burden to society.

Journal of the American Medical Directors Association

A nuclear Iran also poses a considerable threat to American interests.

The New Yorker

But why should it pose a problem?

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer using more standard phrases like "it posed considerable difficulty" (without the 'a') or "it presented a considerable challenge" for better clarity and acceptance.

Common error

The inclusion of 'a' before 'considerable difficulty' is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrasing is "it posed considerable difficulty" or "it posed a considerable challenge."

Linguistic Context

The phrase aims to describe something that presented a significant problem or challenge. The more appropriate wording according to Ludwig is to drop the article 'a' and use the expression as 'it posed considerable difficulty'.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Less common in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "it posed a considerable difficulty" is considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig suggests that it should either be phrased as "it posed considerable difficulty" (without the 'a') or reworded as "it presented a considerable challenge". Due to its grammatical issues, the phrase has a missing frequency and lacks strong examples from authoritative sources. When aiming to express that something presented a significant problem, using more standard and grammatically sound alternatives is advisable.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it presented a significant challenge

Replaces 'posed a considerable difficulty' with 'presented a significant challenge', offering a more common and grammatically sound alternative.

it created a major obstacle

Substitutes 'posed a considerable difficulty' with 'created a major obstacle', emphasizing the obstructive nature of the problem.

it raised substantial problems

Changes 'posed a considerable difficulty' to 'raised substantial problems', focusing on the emergence of issues.

it caused significant complications

Replaces the original phrase with 'caused significant complications', highlighting the resulting complexity.

it engendered notable hardship

Uses 'engendered notable hardship' instead of 'posed a considerable difficulty', emphasizing the difficulty experienced.

it led to considerable issues

Changes the phrase to 'led to considerable issues', indicating that the situation resulted in problems.

it presented a tough situation

Offers a simpler alternative, 'presented a tough situation', replacing the more complex phrasing.

it was a major stumbling block

Uses the idiom 'major stumbling block' to replace 'posed a considerable difficulty', highlighting the hindrance.

it proved highly problematic

Replaces the original with 'proved highly problematic', indicating that it turned out to be a significant problem.

it was a tough nut to crack

Employs the idiom 'tough nut to crack' to convey the difficulty in resolving the issue.

FAQs

What's the correct way to phrase "it posed a considerable difficulty"?

The correct phrasing would be "it posed considerable difficulty" or, alternatively, "it presented a considerable challenge". You can also use phrases like "it presented a significant challenge".

What can I say instead of "it posed a considerable difficulty"?

You can use alternatives such as "it created a major obstacle", "it raised substantial problems", or "it caused significant complications" depending on the context.

Is "it posed a considerable difficulty" grammatically correct?

No, the phrase "it posed a considerable difficulty" is not grammatically correct in standard English. It should be "it posed considerable difficulty", omitting the article 'a', or rephrased to "it presented a considerable challenge".

How does "it posed considerable difficulty" differ from "it presented a considerable challenge"?

While both phrases convey a similar meaning, "it posed considerable difficulty" focuses more on the inherent difficulty of the situation. "It presented a considerable challenge", on the other hand, emphasizes the need for effort and problem-solving. They can be used interchangeably but "it presented a considerable challenge" is the preferred expression.