It was difficult to ascertain vs It is difficult to ascertain

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "It was difficult to ascertain" is used when referring to a past event or situation, while "it is difficult to ascertain" is used when talking about a current or ongoing situation.

Last updated: March 21, 2024 • 1106 views

This phrase is correct when referring to a past event or situation.

"It was difficult to ascertain "

This phrase is used to indicate that something was hard to determine or find out in the past.

Examples:

It was difficult to ascertain the exact cause of the problem.
It was difficult to ascertain his true intentions.

Show examples from the web [+]

It was difficult to ascertain what success had attended his patience. It is impossible to ascertain who these detractors were - possibly British fellow- workers in ...
It was difficult to ascertain which way the judges were leaning. Washington Post Feb 28, 2016. PrevNext. Copyright © 2016 Vocabulary.com All Rights Reserved.
He told the story in such a strange way that it was difficult to ascertain his exact message. To ascertain if his business was actually making a profit, John hired an ...
He said it was difficult to ascertain the impact of ChikV generally. “Most of my patients work hard physically, primarily as labour intensive farmers. ChikV, with the ...

Alternatives:

It was hard to determine
It was challenging to figure out

This phrase is correct when talking about a current or ongoing situation.

"It is difficult to ascertain "

This phrase is used to indicate that something is currently hard to determine or find out.

Examples:

It is difficult to ascertain the impact of the new policy.
It is difficult to ascertain the accuracy of the data.

Show examples from the web [+]

It is difficult to ascertain the true extent of domestic violence because: a) there is a large 'dark figure' of unreported incidents. b) the changing definitions of legal ...
As so many rapes go unreported each year, it is difficult to ascertain the actual number of sexual assaults. *Word of the Day Email*. Get vocabulary sentences ...
It is impossible to discover even his full name, Gaius or Caius being merely his personal name (praenomen). As with his name it is difficult to ascertain the span ...
Polarization is so much a part of the process of escalation that it is difficult to ascertain if one is the cause of the other. Ikle writes that as soon as two adversaries ...

Alternatives:

It is hard to determine
It is challenging to figure out

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It was difficult to ascertain vs It is difficult to ascertain