Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Calm-mind]

Don't you say "it is not "necessarily" easy to live up to what our parents expect?" Though I have googled about "not "necessarily" easy to live up to", I coun't find it, but I found "not ALWAYS easy to live up to."
Why? I feel somehow ALWAYS is better, though.

[Mister Micawber]

.
Both are fine. Ms Google does not take kindly to long phrases; they are too context-specific. The following also are easily possible permutations:

it is not necessarily easy to live up to what our parents expect
it is not always easy to live up to what our parents expect
it is never easy to live up to what our parents expect
it is not very easy to live up to what our parents expect
it is not often easy to live up to what our parents expect
it is seldom easy to live up to what our parents expect
it is rarely easy to live up to what our parents expect
it is not terribly easy to live up to what our parents expect

etc.
.
_________________
"I really do not know that anything has ever been more exciting than diagramming sentences." � Gertrude Stein
...............
Canadian-American who teaches English for a living at Mr Micawber's

[Calm-mind]

Thank you very much for giving me so much, Mister Micawber.