the difficulty has remained

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "the difficulty has remained" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing a situation or problem that has persisted over time without change. Example: "Despite numerous attempts to resolve the issue, the difficulty has remained, causing frustration among the team."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Under Mr Maduro's presidency, the difficulties have remained stark.

BBC

The proportion of self-employed women in emotional difficulty has remained consistently higher over the past five years, with 6.7% battling mental health worries compared to just 3.6% of men in 2017.

Forbes

The report concluded that OCR and Pearson's sample papers are harder than their current papers, while AQAs difficulty has remained broadly similar.

The Guardian

Although a handful of drugs and vaccines are available for the treatment of this disease, the problem has remained acute due to difficulties in diagnosis, long periods of treatment, inability to tackle latent forms of the bacteria and more importantly the emergence of drug resistant varieties of M.tb such as MDR, XDR and TDR strains [ 32].

BMC Systems Biology

Despite political difficulties and the tendency to radicalize politics, the country has remained a relatively peaceful, if crime-ridden, "rainbow nation".

Huffington Post

The emotions stirred are not simple, and Mr. Moran gives such acute and urgent life to his memories that you have no difficulty believing that he has remained in their thrall ever since.

The New York Times

The emotions stirred are not simple, and Mr. Moran gives such acute and urgent life to his memories that you have no difficulty in believing that he has remained in their thrall ever since.

The New York Times

Later, Mr. Obama proved just as fluent as Mrs. Clinton on the subject of his faith and the role of religion in American society, and he had no difficulty explaining once again why he has remained faithful to his former pastor, Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., despite Mr. Wright's incendiary sermons.

The New York Times

In general, to assign side-chain protons and use them for structural studies has remained a major difficulty for H-detected ssNMR spectroscopy.

Angewandte Chemie - International Edition

Men and younger people should also be targeted through these methods earlier and younger, school-based testing provides an opportunity to test young people easily, but there is a need to overcome political and social difficulties that affect school-based testing and has remained a challenge in the South African system to date.

BMC Public Health

Holocaust Memorial Day today reminds me that my faith has remained firm, despite difficulties.

The Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "the difficulty has remained", ensure the context clearly establishes what the difficulty is and why its persistence is significant. This phrase is most effective when highlighting a problem that has resisted previous attempts at resolution.

Common error

Avoid using "the difficulty has remained" in casual conversation or informal writing. Opt for simpler, more direct alternatives like "the problem is still there" or "it's still hard" to maintain a natural tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "the difficulty has remained" functions as a statement asserting the continuation of a problem or challenge. It is used to indicate that a specific issue persists despite efforts to resolve it. Ludwig suggests that this phrase is grammatically correct and usable.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

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Less common in

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "the difficulty has remained" is a grammatically correct expression used to highlight the continuation of a problem. While Ludwig confirms its usability, the expression is less common than its simpler and more direct alternatives. The phrase is most appropriate in neutral to formal contexts where emphasizing the persistence of a challenge is necessary. Consider rephrasing to sound more colloquial.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

the problem has persisted

Replaces "difficulty" with "problem" and "remained" with "persisted", emphasizing the ongoing nature of the issue.

the challenge has continued

Substitutes "difficulty" with "challenge" and "remained" with "continued", highlighting the sustained effort required to overcome the obstacle.

the issue has not been resolved

Focuses on the lack of resolution, using "issue" instead of "difficulty" and phrasing it in the negative.

the obstacle has endured

Replaces "difficulty" with "obstacle" and "remained" with "endured", suggesting a more formidable and lasting challenge.

the predicament has lingered

Uses "predicament" to replace "difficulty" and "lingered" instead of "remained", implying a more troublesome and prolonged situation.

the hardship has persisted

Substitutes "difficulty" with "hardship", emphasizing the challenging aspect, and uses "persisted" to indicate its continuation.

the snag has remained

Replaces "difficulty" with "snag", suggesting a minor but persistent problem.

the complication has endured

Uses "complication" instead of "difficulty", highlighting the complex nature of the unresolved issue and "endured" instead of "remained".

the setback has persisted

Replaces "difficulty" with "setback", focusing on the hindrance caused by the unresolved issue and uses "persisted" to indicate its continuation.

the stalemate has continued

Substitutes "difficulty" with "stalemate", implying a lack of progress, and "continued" to show its persistence.

FAQs

How can I use "the difficulty has remained" in a sentence?

You can use "the difficulty has remained" to emphasize that a problem or challenge has not been resolved despite efforts to address it. For example, "Despite several attempts to fix the bug, the difficulty has remained."

What are some alternatives to "the difficulty has remained"?

Some alternatives include "the problem has persisted", "the challenge has continued", or "the issue has not been resolved". You can also say something like "the obstacle has endured" or "the predicament has lingered" depending on the context.

Is it better to say "the difficulty has remained" or "the difficulties have remained"?

The choice between "difficulty" and "difficulties" depends on whether you're referring to a single, overarching problem or multiple distinct issues. If you are talking about a multifaceted problem and the various difficulties that compound it, use "the difficulties have remained". If it is a single issue that has proved hard to shift, then use "the difficulty has remained".

What's the difference between "the difficulty has remained" and "the difficulty remains"?

"The difficulty has remained" emphasizes the persistence of the difficulty over a period of time. "The difficulty remains" simply states that the difficulty exists in the present without necessarily implying a history of attempts to resolve it.