Boy caught it with difficulty.

Meaning: The boy managed to grab the ball, but it required effort and struggle.

Choice of Words: Boy is a male child, caught means to successfully grab something, it refers to the ball, with indicates the means or instrument used, difficulty means with effort or struggle.

Alternative Expressions

The boy had a hard time catching it.

Meaning: This sentence tells us that the boy found it difficult to catch something.

Choice of Words: The boy is the subject of the sentence and it tells us who is doing the action. Had is the past tense of the verb have and it shows that the action happened in the past. A hard time means that it was difficult for the boy to catch the object. Catching is the present participle of the verb catch and it tells us what the boy was doing. It is the object of the verb catching and it refers to the thing that the boy was trying to catch.

Catching it was difficult for the boy.

Meaning: This sentence also tells us that the boy found it difficult to catch something.

Choice of Words: Catching is the present participle of the verb catch and it tells us what the boy was doing. It is the object of the verb catching and it refers to the thing that the boy was trying to catch. Was is the past tense of the verb be and it shows that the action happened in the past. Difficult means that it was hard for the boy to catch the object. For shows that the difficulty was experienced by the boy.

With difficulty, the boy caught it.

Meaning: This sentence tells us that the boy caught something, but it was difficult for him to do so.

Choice of Words: With difficulty is an adverbial phrase that tells us how the boy caught the object. Difficulty means that it was hard for the boy to catch the object. The boy is the subject of the sentence and it tells us who is doing the action. Caught is the past tense of the verb catch and it tells us what the boy did. It is the object of the verb caught and it refers to the thing that the boy caught.

Related Expressions