it required effort

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it required effort" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a situation or task that necessitated a significant amount of work or energy to accomplish. Example: "Completing the project on time was challenging; it required effort from the entire team to meet the deadline."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

It required effort, too.

The New York Times

But it required effort to sense her body breathing inside of the music.

The New York Times - Arts

Even a composer as experienced as Steve Reich fell into that trap with "The Cave," in which the discussion of a biblical text was often so interesting that it required effort to focus on the music as well.

The New York Times - Arts

"It required effort to brainwash these bigots, and effort is needed to get them out of the realm of racist hatred.

Huffington Post

In another study, the toddlers disengaged from playing with a toy to help the adult in the room, suggesting that they were motivated to help even though it required effort on his or her part.

Huffington Post

One nurse noted that it required effort to ask this question ' the sexual abuse questions are harder for me to spit out…' (DG2).

BMC Health Services Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

It requires effort.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

It requires effort, concentration, attention.

The New York Times

It requires effort and occasional sacrifice.

The Washington Post

It requires effort, but not competition ("Fast Pace, Hard Seat").

The New York Times - Science

But it requires effort and willpower to make it tick.

University of California, Berkeley

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "it required effort" when you want to emphasize that achieving something was not easy and involved a conscious investment of energy and resources. It's particularly effective when the result seems simple or straightforward but the process was complex.

Common error

Avoid using "it required effort" for tasks that are universally known to be difficult. Save it for situations where the level of effort might be underestimated or overlooked, adding value and insight to your communication.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it required effort" functions as a statement indicating that a particular task, activity, or situation necessitated a certain level of exertion, energy, or dedicated work. Ludwig AI confirms this through numerous examples where the phrase is used to highlight the effort involved in achieving a specific outcome.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Science

20%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "it required effort" is a grammatically correct and usable phrase that indicates a task or situation necessitated significant work or energy. Ludwig AI confirms this with multiple examples across diverse contexts, including news, science, and business. While not extremely common, it effectively conveys the notion that something was achieved through active application of resources. Alternatives such as "it demanded exertion" or "it necessitated hard work" can provide nuanced variations in meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it demanded exertion

Replaces "effort" with "exertion", highlighting the physical or mental energy expended.

it necessitated hard work

Substitutes "effort" with "hard work", emphasizing the labor involved.

it called for dedication

Focuses on the commitment and resolve needed, rather than just the work.

it involved significant labor

Highlights the amount of physical or mental work that was part of the task.

it took considerable energy

Replaces "effort" with "energy", emphasizing the vitality needed.

it was a challenging undertaking

Shifts the focus to the difficulty of the task, implying that effort was needed.

it needed considerable application

Highlights the need of concentration on the task at hand.

it involved painstaking work

Focuses on the precision and care that the task demanded.

it was no easy feat

Emphasizes the difficulty of the task rather than directly mentioning effort.

it proved to be demanding

Highlights the exacting nature of the task and the effort it consequently needed.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "it required effort" to sound more formal?

In more formal contexts, consider using alternatives like "it necessitated considerable exertion", "it demanded significant application", or "it involved painstaking work" to convey a similar meaning with enhanced sophistication.

Is there a difference between "it required effort" and "it took effort"?

While both phrases are similar, "it required effort" implies a more inherent necessity for effort, while "it took effort" suggests that effort was expended, but perhaps not absolutely essential. The difference is subtle but can affect the nuance of your sentence.

When is it better to use "it required effort" instead of simply saying "it was hard"?

"It required effort" is better when you want to highlight the deliberate and active input of energy and resources. "It was hard" is a more general statement of difficulty, whereas the former emphasizes the conscious work applied. For instance: "Avoiding nuclear war "required effort"; it didn't just happen."

What are some common synonyms for "effort" that can be used to replace "it required effort"?

Depending on the context, you can replace "effort" with synonyms such as "exertion", "labor", "dedication", "application", or "energy" to create variations like "it demanded exertion" or "it took considerable energy".