rigid rules and strict rules

Question

Hello,How would you differentiate between: "The rules to the competition were so strict/rigid that some of the inexperienced contestants opted out of it."? I think this is an absurd sentence, but I couldn't find anything better for which I apologize. I think that rigid rules are difficult to be changed, whereas strict rules are hard to bend.

Philip · Accepted Answer

In most situations, they should be about the same. I'm sure that most people see rigid as less bendable.

Gene93 · Answer

Thank you. Ideas can also be rigid, can't they?

CalifJim · Answer

Gene93I couldn't find anything better, for which I apologize.

Gene93The rules for the competition

I much prefer 'for' here.

Gene93~~difficult to be changed~~ difficult to change

______________

Only 'strict' sounds appropriate to me for describing rules, though I'm not saying 'rigid' is wrong.

CJ

Gene93 · Answer

I didn't realize that "difficult to be changed" was wrong.

Gene93 · Answer

It actually is, even in my native language. I just checked. What the heck is wrong with me? ;(

CalifJim · Answer

Gene93I didn't realize that "difficult to be changed" was wrong.

As a matter of interest, I checked fraze.it for "difficult to be". I found only 336 and I examined the first 100 for this structure ([subject] (is) difficult + passive infinitive). Of the 100 I found four of this type that are clearly so awkward that they should be changed so that the active infinitive replaces the passive infinitive:

These planets are too small and too difficult to be seen with past telescopes.
Any pair that was too difficult to be picked was placed on his upper arms.
The humanoid pylons in Iceland are impressive and the design probably difficult to be beaten.
I would say this record would be even more difficult to be broken.
___

One included a by-phrase of agent, so it might be forgiven, though I would not be happy with myself if I had written it.

For the most part, these were too difficult to be used by anyone except professional astronomers.
___

The rest (95) were all unrelated to the structure in question. Most were like difficult to be precise, difficult to be sympathetic, difficult to be a leader, .... And then there were the ones with "dummy it", which are not objectionable like those above.

As an NC resident, it really isn't all that difficult to be admitted.
Despite popular opinion it is very difficult to be appointed to the judiciary at any level.
It's very difficult to be interviewed and show who you are.

CJ

Gene93 · Answer

Is it actually wrong to say: "...difficult to be seen"? For some reason it sounds okay to me. Isn't "It's very difficult to be interviewed and show who you are." about the same?

CalifJim · Answer

Gene93Is it actually wrong to say: "...difficult to be seen"?

Apparently not. I found an example of it, so somebody thinks it's all right. Check those frequencies again. It's clear that this structure is not favored by native speakers.

Gene93Isn't "It's very difficult to be interviewed and show who you are." about the same?

No. The "dummy-it" version is different.

The candidate is difficult to interview.
NOT The candidate is difficult to be interviewed.
BUT It is difficult to be interviewed ~ It is difficult (for a candidate) to be interviewed is OK.

The cases with "candidate" as the subject are said to be cases of "subject raising".

CJ

Gene93 · Answer

Yeah, if you are talking about yourself or someone else, then "It is difficult to be..." should be okay.

Gene93 · Answer

One last question, Jim. I hope you don't mind. How does the passive voice make the four sentences sound unnatural? There's probably something about it that makes them sound bad.

rigid rules and strict rules

Top answer

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

Related Questions