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Candy Posted 22 years ago
Grammar
Difficulty + ...ing / trouble + ...ing
Recently I've seen some expressions on the Internet such as;
- I had difficulty 'in' finding a new job.
- Did you have any trouble 'with' translating the report?
Well..... I think these sentence should be;
- I had difficulty finding a new job.
- Did you have any trouble translating the report?
Am I wrong?
I've checked how to use difficulty/trouble with 'verb + ...ing", and in my grammer book these prepositions (e.g. in / with) are not used with those expressions. But I've checked them on the online dictionaries, and then some similar examples with prepositions appeared.
These are from Cambridge online dictionary.
- People with asthma have difficulty in breathing.
- [+ ing form of verb] She had great difficulty finding a job.
...... Now I'm really confused. I can't distinguish the diffrence between these two, I mean, when I should put the preposition 'in', and when I should not put it.
Could you please explain about them for me?
Many thanks in advance,
Candy
- I had difficulty 'in' finding a new job.
- Did you have any trouble 'with' translating the report?
Well..... I think these sentence should be;
- I had difficulty finding a new job.
- Did you have any trouble translating the report?
Am I wrong?
I've checked how to use difficulty/trouble with 'verb + ...ing", and in my grammer book these prepositions (e.g. in / with) are not used with those expressions. But I've checked them on the online dictionaries, and then some similar examples with prepositions appeared.
These are from Cambridge online dictionary.
- People with asthma have difficulty in breathing.
- [+ ing form of verb] She had great difficulty finding a job.
...... Now I'm really confused. I can't distinguish the diffrence between these two, I mean, when I should put the preposition 'in', and when I should not put it.
Could you please explain about them for me?
Many thanks in advance,
Candy
Top answer
Here's some advice. Don't use the prepositions (in, with) in these expressions. They add no special meaning to the same phrases without the prepositions.
- Here's some advice.
- Don't use the prepositions (in, with) in these expressions.
- They add no special meaning to the same phrases without the prepositions.
- Just know that you may hear them or read them from time to time.
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6 Answers
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Here's some advice. Don't use the prepositions (in, with) in these expressions. They add no special meaning to the same phrases without the prepositions. Just know that you may hear them or read them from time to time.
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Thansks for the reply, CalifJim. 
So, when I make sentences, there's no need to add the prepositions such as 'in' or 'wit
So, when I make sentences, there's no need to add the prepositions such as 'in' or 'wit
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Personally, I would not be troubled at all by hearing "difficulty in -ing" in an everyday conversation. On the other hand, "trouble with -ing" would strike me as odd but acceptable in casual conversation. I might use "difficulty in -ing" myself once in a while, but it wouldn't occur to me to use "trouble with -ing".
My definition of "correct" is "suitable in context". In that sense,
My definition of "correct" is "suitable in context". In that sense,
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Many thanks for your reply.
I've come across 'troubel with -ing' on the Internet several times recently, so I thought it must be a very common expression in daily conversation......
Thanks for answering my question again, and many thanks for your help.
I've come across 'troubel with -ing' on the Internet several times recently, so I thought it must be a very common expression in daily conversation......
Thanks for answering my question again, and many thanks for your help.
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My apologies if I've understood the question wrong.
In the stucture "have trouble" the next word is normally a gerund.
I thought this was the only structure you were concerned with. However, now I think you were concerned with any use of "trouble".
In the structure "(That's) the trouble" the next word is normally "with", then a gerund. So that's why you found so
In the stucture "have trouble" the next word is normally a gerund.
I thought this was the only structure you were concerned with. However, now I think you were concerned with any use of "trouble".
In the structure "(That's) the trouble" the next word is normally "with", then a gerund. So that's why you found so
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can i ask you this? sometimes i see people say : "i have no trouble to play with my kids". Is "no trouble+ to infinitive" right? please help me.
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