it required substantial effort

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it required substantial effort" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to describe a task or project that demanded a significant amount of work or resources to complete. Example: "Completing the renovation of the old building was challenging; it required substantial effort from the entire team."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

While all jurisdictions provided a list of reportable conditions on their website, in many instances this information was not prominently displayed and required substantial effort to identify.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

This has required substantial effort from UPPNEX over the years to educate a large number of new users, many of whom had only used graphical operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows.

GigaScience

First, the process of securing an FIR usually required substantial efforts on the part of the complainant.

BMC Women's Health

This enhanced surveillance required substantial efforts to simplify reporting forms so they could be managed by district staff.

Clinical Infectious Diseases

It certainly requires substantial effort simply to concentrate on, let alone enjoy, the abstractions of Stockhausen's stark "Kreuzspiel" ("Cross-Play"), whose title refers to exchanges among oboe, clarinet, piano and percussion.

The New York Times

If I want to seriously look for work in another field it would require substantial effort to redirect my profile, as well as accepting that many of my hard earned skills and achievements are irrelevant outside academia, and may even intimidate prospective employers.

The Guardian

It may require substantial effort related to the boundary treatment to circumvent this problem, whereas the use of method based on primitive variables is quite common and definitely more straightforward.

Advances in Difference Equations

Successful revisions of management accounting systems (MAS) require substantial effort, and it has been suggested that providing feedback about the success of short-run MAS changes can motivate continued change efforts.

Accounting, Organizations and Society

While there are clear phylogeographic patterns resolved in C. southwardorum (and also C. angustitergum on the Caribbean coast), it is important to recognize that these patterns may require substantial effort to resolve further.

Plosone

It is obvious that PAT is a quite difficult technique requiring substantial effort in signal processing to tackle the unknowns of source position and emitted waveform as well as to separate the sources present simultaneously in the channel before switching them toward a dedicated blind inversion processor.

EURASIP Journal on Advances in Signal Processing

In a statement Tuesday, the S.E.C. said Mr. Madoff had kept multiple sets of books, so reconstructing the flow of money might require substantial effort.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "it required substantial effort" when you want to emphasize that a particular task or project demanded a significant amount of work, dedication, or resources. It's suitable for describing challenges overcome through considerable exertion.

Common error

Avoid using "it required substantial effort" for tasks that are inherently simple or routine. This phrase is best reserved for situations where the effort genuinely exceeded normal expectations.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "it required substantial effort" functions as a statement indicating that a task or activity necessitated a significant amount of work, resources, or dedication. Although Ludwig does not provide direct examples, this construction is commonly used to emphasize the demanding nature of an endeavor.

Expression frequency: Missing

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "it required substantial effort" is a grammatically correct and usable expression for describing tasks or projects that demanded a significant amount of work or resources. Ludwig's analysis suggests it functions as a statement emphasizing difficulty and dedication. Although there are no direct examples available in Ludwig, the phrase is likely used in neutral to slightly formal contexts, making it suitable for professional or descriptive writing. When using this phrase, ensure it accurately reflects the level of effort involved and consider alternatives like "it demanded considerable exertion" or "it necessitated significant labor" for variety.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it demanded considerable exertion

Replaces "required" with "demanded" and "substantial effort" with "considerable exertion", emphasizing the demanding nature of the task.

it necessitated significant labor

Substitutes "required" with "necessitated" and "substantial effort" with "significant labor", highlighting the necessity of the work involved.

it involved a great deal of work

Rephrases the sentence to focus on the involvement of "a great deal of work", simplifying the language.

it took considerable doing

Uses the idiom "took considerable doing" to express the effort required, making the phrase more informal.

it called for extensive input

Replaces "required" with "called for" and "substantial effort" with "extensive input", shifting the focus to the resources needed.

it entailed significant commitment

Substitutes "required" with "entailed" and "substantial effort" with "significant commitment", highlighting the dedication needed.

it imposed heavy demands

Rephrases the sentence to emphasize the imposition of "heavy demands", suggesting a burden of work.

it consumed vast resources

Changes the focus to the consumption of "vast resources", indicating the extensive use of materials and time.

it strained available capacity

Highlights the strain on "available capacity", suggesting the effort pushed limits.

it proved highly challenging

Shifts the focus to the challenging nature of the task, simplifying the language.

FAQs

How can I use "it required substantial effort" in a sentence?

You can use "it required substantial effort" to describe a task or project that demanded a significant amount of work, resources, or dedication. For example, "Completing the renovation of the old building was challenging; "it required substantial effort" from the entire team."

What can I say instead of "it required substantial effort"?

You can use alternatives like "it demanded considerable exertion", "it necessitated significant labor", or "it involved a great deal of work" depending on the context.

Is "it required substantial effort" formal or informal?

"It required substantial effort" is generally considered a neutral to slightly formal phrase, suitable for both professional and academic contexts. The level of formality can also depend on the surrounding language.

What's the difference between "it required substantial effort" and "it was easy"?

"It required substantial effort" implies that a task was difficult and demanded significant resources, while "it was easy" suggests the opposite: that the task was simple and required minimal resources. They are antonyms.