{"id":22895,"date":"2023-12-03T08:00:05","date_gmt":"2023-12-03T13:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/?p=22895"},"modified":"2024-07-16T14:19:44","modified_gmt":"2024-07-16T19:19:44","slug":"difficulty-or-difficulties-collocations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/difficulty-or-difficulties-collocations\/","title":{"rendered":"Difficulty or Difficulties? + Collocations"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LfV35xnH_Vw?si=nOQFdBMOptJHMUkc?rel=0\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/center><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"elementor-button large green rounded\" href=\"https:\/\/espressoenglish.lpages.co\/1000-collocations-in-10-minutes-a-day\/\"><strong>1000 Collocations E-Book<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>When do we use <strong>difficulty<\/strong> (singular) vs. <strong>difficulties<\/strong> (plural)?<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m going to explain this and also teach you a number of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/category\/collocations\/\">collocations<\/a>, typical combinations of words, to expand your vocabulary when it comes to common expressions!<\/p>\n<p>Learning collocations improves your English fluency because instead of trying to put a sentence together word by word, trying to think \u201cwhich verb goes with this noun?\u201d or \u201cwhich adjective sounds more natural?\u201d &#8211; instead, you\u2019ll already know combinations of words that go together.<\/p>\n<p>My e-book, <a href=\"https:\/\/espressoenglish.lpages.co\/1000-collocations-in-10-minutes-a-day\/\"><strong>1000 collocations in 10 minutes a day<\/strong><\/a>, makes learning collocations quick and easy. It has 50 short lessons, 50 quizzes, and comes with audio as well.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/espressoenglish.lpages.co\/1000-collocations-in-10-minutes-a-day\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-20577\" src=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/1000colls-small.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"207\" height=\"260\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/1000colls-small.png 350w, https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/1000colls-small-239x300.png 239w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 207px) 100vw, 207px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h4>Difficulty vs. Difficulties<\/h4>\n<p>Now let\u2019s take a look at difficulty vs. difficulties.<\/p>\n<p>We typically use <strong>difficulty<\/strong> (singular) when we\u2019re talking about <strong>one thing being hard<\/strong>, being difficult in general.<\/p>\n<p>We use <strong>difficulties<\/strong> (plural) when we\u2019re talking about <strong>a collection of multiple problems.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Look at the contrast between these sentences:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Many English learners have <strong>difficulty<\/strong> understanding movies without subtitles.<br \/>\n<em>(= it\u2019s hard)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>People who are disabled face many <strong>difficulties<\/strong> in daily life.<br \/>\n<em>(= multiple difficulties &#8211; transportation, discrimination, taking care of oneself, etc.)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>She lifted the heavy suitcase with <strong>difficulty<\/strong>.<br \/>\n<em>(= one thing &#8211; lifting the suitcase &#8211; was hard)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>I told the therapist about the <strong>difficulties<\/strong> in my marriage.<br \/>\n<em>(= various hard things &#8211; maybe trust issues, or communication problems, or jealousy, etc.)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure id=\"attachment_22897\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-22897\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-22897 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/lifting-suitcase.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"343\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/lifting-suitcase.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/lifting-suitcase-262x300.jpg 262w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-22897\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">She lifted the heavy suitcase with difficulty.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h4>Collocations with Difficulty and Difficulties<\/h4>\n<p>Now let\u2019s learn some collocations.<\/p>\n<p>With <strong>difficulty<\/strong>, singular, the most common verb to use is \u201chave.\u201d We typically say have difficulty, have some difficulty, or not have any difficulty, but not \u201chave a difficulty.\u201d For example:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>I <strong>had some difficulty<\/strong> fixing the bicycle.<br \/>\n<em>(= it was hard)<\/em><\/li>\n<li>She <strong>didn\u2019t have any difficulty<\/strong> making friends at school.<br \/>\n<em>(= it wasn\u2019t hard)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-22898\" src=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/have-difficulty.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"417\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/have-difficulty.png 1000w, https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/have-difficulty-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/have-difficulty-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/have-difficulty-768x768.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 417px) 100vw, 417px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>When it comes to <strong>difficulties<\/strong>, we usually don\u2019t say big\/large difficulties; instead, you can say:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>great difficulties <\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>enormous difficulties <\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>major difficulties <\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>serious difficulties<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If the difficulties are so big that they can\u2019t be overcome, those are <strong>insurmountable difficulties.<\/strong> The word \u2018insurmountable\u2019 means it can\u2019t be overcome. For example, \u201cThe program was canceled due to insurmountable difficulties during implementation.\u201d This means that the difficulties were so great that it was impossible to proceed.<\/p>\n<p>Another collocation is to talk about the <strong>difficulties inherent<\/strong> in something. \u2018Inherent\u2019 means that something is a necessary part of something else. For example, \u201cThe surgeon was aware of the difficulties inherent in such an experimental operation.\u201d If an operation (a surgery) is experimental, there are going to be many difficulties that exist as a necessary part of it. It\u2019s impossible to take them out.<\/p>\n<p>If a situation is <strong>fraught with difficulties,<\/strong> it means it is completely full of difficulties. Politics is often fraught with difficulties because there are many politicians with conflicting views, and they disagree and argue and work against each other.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22899\" src=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/meet-difficulties.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/meet-difficulties.png 600w, https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/meet-difficulties-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>There are a number of verbs we can use when difficulties happen to you. Don\u2019t say \u201cmeet difficulties\u201d &#8211; I\u2019ve heard some English learners say this, but it doesn\u2019t sound very natural. Instead, you can say:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>encounter difficulties<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>experience difficulties<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>face difficulties<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>run into difficulties<\/strong> (more informal)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>For the action you take in response to difficulties, you can use two phrasal verbs: <strong>cope with difficulties<\/strong> or <strong>deal with difficulties<\/strong>. And, if you take action that helps you succeed and get past the difficulties, then you have <strong>overcome the difficulties.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-22900\" src=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/overcome-difficulties.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/overcome-difficulties.png 600w, https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/overcome-difficulties-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I hope my lessons are helping you overcome the difficulties involved in learning English! That\u2019s my goal &#8211; to help you go from \u201cUm, I\u2019m not totally sure if my English is correct\u201d to \u201cYes! I understand English and can use it confidently!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To take the next step in learning English with me, I recommend getting the <a href=\"https:\/\/espressoenglish.lpages.co\/1000-collocations-in-10-minutes-a-day\/\"><strong>1000 Collocations E-Book<\/strong><\/a>. It\u2019s one of my most popular ones &#8211; more than 15,000 students have read and enjoyed it over the years I\u2019ve been teaching English. Download your copy today.<\/p>\n<p>Your action step for the day is to write a couple sentences using the words difficulty and difficulties, using some of the collocations you learned. Thanks for watching and I\u2019ll talk to you in the next video!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/espressoenglish.lpages.co\/1000-collocations-in-10-minutes-a-day\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-20577\" src=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/1000colls-small.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"350\" height=\"439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/1000colls-small.png 350w, https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/1000colls-small-239x300.png 239w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"elementor-button large green rounded\" href=\"https:\/\/espressoenglish.lpages.co\/1000-collocations-in-10-minutes-a-day\/\"><strong>1000 Collocations E-Book<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1000 Collocations E-Book When do we use difficulty (singular) vs. difficulties (plural)? I\u2019m going to explain this and also teach you a number of collocations, typical combinations of words, to expand your vocabulary when it comes to common expressions! Learning collocations improves your English fluency because instead of trying to put a sentence together word [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23916,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[267],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-collocations"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.1 (Yoast SEO v27.1.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Difficulty or Difficulties? + Collocations - Espresso English<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"1000 Collocations E-Book When do we use difficulty (singular) vs. difficulties (plural)? I\u2019m going to explain this and also teach you a number of\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.espressoenglish.net\/difficulty-or-difficulties-collocations\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Difficulty or Difficulties? + Collocations\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"1000 Collocations E-Book When do we use difficulty (singular) vs. difficulties (plural)? 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