ENGLISH
REFERENCE

it is difficult for sb to do sth

fixed phr..
A1 Beginner Oxford

fixed phr.. You use this pattern to say that an action is not easy for a specific person.

fixed phr.. A syntactic construction (it-extraposition) used to comment on the difficulty of an action for a specific agent, following the pattern `it + be + adjective + for + noun + to-infinitive`.


SIMPLE

It is difficult for him to see.

CONTEXTUAL

It is difficult for many people to save money with today's high prices.

COMPLEX

While theoretically possible, it is difficult for a single researcher to challenge a paradigm that has dominated the field for decades.

Usage

This pattern works with other adjectives like 'easy', 'important', or 'impossible'.

Teaching tip

Teach this as a chunk, 'it is ADJECTIVE for someone to do something', and drill it by substituting different adjectives and verbs.

Pitfall

It is difficult for me learning English.It is difficult for me to learn English.After the 'for [person]' part, you must use the 'to + verb' infinitive form, not the '-ing' form.

© 2026 English Reference