Cool MateIt took effort vs Labor vs Struggle vs Work
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
It took effort
Top 2,000 (common)
Labor
Top 2,000 (common)B2noun
Struggle
Top 1,000 (very common)B2verb
Work
High-frequency chunkA1verb
| It took effort | Labor | Struggle | Work | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //ɪt tʊk ˈɛfət//🇺🇸 //ɪt tʊk ˈɛfərt// | 🇬🇧 //ˈleɪbər//🇺🇸 //ˈleɪbɚ// | 🇬🇧 /["/ˈstrʌɡl/","/ˈstrʌɡlz/","/ˈstrʌɡld/","/ˈstrʌɡlɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈstrʌɡl/","/ˈstrʌɡlz/","/ˈstrʌɡld/","/ˈstrʌɡlɪŋ/"]/ | 🇬🇧 /["/wɜːk/","/wɜːks/","/wɜːkt/","/ˈwɜːkɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/wɜːrk/","/wɜːrks/","/wɜːrkt/","/ˈwɜːrkɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | It required hard work or energy. | Physical work or effort, especially to produce something. | To try hard to do something difficult. | To do a job or task. |
| Example | It took effort to finish the project on time. | The labor market has significantly changed in recent years. | She had to struggle through the difficult exam to pass her class. | I need to work on my homework before dinner. |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 2,000 (common) | Top 1,000 (very common) | High-frequency chunk |
| CEFR level | - | B2 | B2 | A1 |
| Part of speech | noun | verb | verb | |
| Collocations | took considerable effort, needed effort, required effort | manual labor, labor force, labor market, hard labor, labor union | desperately, hard, manfully, have to, against, along, down, struggle to your feet, badly, really, clearly, through, with, struggle to make ends meet, fiercely, furiously, violently, against, with, struggle free | hard, tirelessly, assiduously, continue to, choose to, prefer to, as, at, for, hard, tirelessly, assiduously, continue to, choose to, prefer to, as, at, for, correctly, effectively, efficiently, seem to, work like a charm, work like magic, work to somebody’s advantage, correctly, effectively, efficiently, seem to, work like a charm, work like magic, work to somebody’s advantage |
| Antonyms | - | rest, leisure, idleness | succeed, flourish, thrive | rest, idleness, leisure |
| Common mistakes | Confusing with 'It took time' - effort and time have different meanings., 'Effort' may be wrongly pluralized to 'efforts' when not needed. | Confused with 'labour' in British English and 'labor' in American English., Using 'labor' as a countable noun incorrectly., Misunderstanding 'labor' as only referring to physical work, ignoring intellectual labor. | 'Struggled' vs 'struggles' confusion - using the wrong tense., Omitting 'to' when saying what one struggles to do., 'Struggles with' is sometimes mistakenly used with objects instead of actions. | Confused with 'job' vs 'work': 'Job' is a specific role, while 'work' refers to the tasks involved., Using 'work' as a noun in contexts needing a verb: e.g., saying 'I will work tomorrow' instead of 'I will do work tomorrow.', Omitting plural forms: e.g., saying 'We all have work to do' is correct, but learners may mistakenly say 'We all have works to do.' |
| Usage notes | Use in contexts discussing work or challenges. It's neutral and suitable for most situations. Avoid in overly casual or slang contexts. | Used in both formal and informal contexts. In formal settings, it can refer to work done for wages or in economic discussions. In informal settings, it may refer simply to hard work in everyday tasks. Not typically used for casual or trivial efforts. | Use 'struggle' when discussing challenges or difficulties, both physically and mentally. It's appropriate in most contexts, from casual conversations to more serious discussions about issues. | Use 'work' in professional or casual contexts to refer to tasks or jobs. Avoid using in overly formal settings where a more specific term may be preferred. |
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Frequently asked questions: It took effort vs Labor vs Struggle vs Work
What's the difference between It took effort, Labor, Struggle, and Work?
It took effort: It required hard work or energy. Labor: Physical work or effort, especially to produce something. Struggle: To try hard to do something difficult. Work: To do a job or task.
Can you show an example of each?
It took effort: It took effort to finish the project on time. Labor: The labor market has significantly changed in recent years. Struggle: She had to struggle through the difficult exam to pass her class. Work: I need to work on my homework before dinner.
Can I use It took effort, Labor, Struggle, and Work interchangeably?
Not always. It took effort, Labor, Struggle, and Work are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.