grasp attention

USAGE SUMMARY

"grasp attention" is not a correct sentence in written English.
You could say "grasp the attention of the audience," or "grasp people's attention," but not just "grasp attention." For example, "The speaker was able to grasp the attention of the audience with her story."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Experimental Psychology

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Feedback signals are designed to minimize the risk that a participant would miss the outcome and as such the feedback may grasp attention.

Experimental Psychology

Oftentimes, their only purpose in humiliation is to grasp attention.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

The combination of love and hate is fairly cliched and time-worn; if you are looking for a different style of poem you will probably do better to either avoid this combination or learn to craft it anew in a clever and magnificent manner that will grasp the attention of your reader and rivet his or her attention.

WikiHow

The colorful and appealing illustrations grasp the attention of the young readers.

Yale University

Whether it's house, bass, or both, Jam City continues to grasp my attention with some of the quirkiest tracks of the last twelve months.

The Guardian - Music

Fawcett is much too busy making breakfasts and commuting to practice and keeping her concentration to fully grasp the attention she is receiving for her latest comeback.

The New York Times - Sports

About 100 female residents of Mukuru, an informal settlement in south-east Nairobi, travelled across town to wave signs and sing songs in a bid to grasp the attention of a government that has for decades failed to recognise their existence.

The Guardian

Too often, our phones allow us to mix these things up – a buzz mid-meeting will grasp our attention, though what's important is happening right in front of us.

Forbes

But your company cannot grasp our attention for too long if the communication happens one-way.

HuffPost

Stone researched actress Ashley Tisdale's performance as Candace on YouTube to better grasp the attention needed on the voice role.

Wikipedia

Be creative -- create a video, interview students, do an activity -- anything to make a powerful point and grasp the attention of other teens.

HuffPost

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Instead of "grasp attention", use more grammatically correct alternatives like "capture attention" or "grab someone's attention" to ensure clarity and professionalism.

Common error

Avoid using "grasp attention" directly. The verb "grasp" typically requires an object that specifies whose attention is being captured, such as "grasp the audience's attention" or "grasp their attention".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "grasp attention" functions as a verb + noun construction, intended to describe the act of capturing someone's focus. However, Ludwig AI identifies this construction as not being a correct sentence in written English, suggesting that it typically requires an object to specify whose attention is being grasped.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Wiki

50%

Science

50%

News & Media

0%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "grasp attention" is intended to mean capturing or attracting someone's focus. However, Ludwig AI identifies it as not a correct construction in written English, because the verb "grasp" needs an object to denote whose attention is being captured. While the phrase appears in some online sources like WikiHow and PMC, more appropriate alternatives include ""capture attention"", ""grab attention"", or specifying the object of the verb, like "grasp the audience's attention".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

capture attention

Uses a more common and widely accepted verb with a similar meaning.

seize attention

Implies a more forceful and immediate capturing of focus.

grab attention

More informal, suggesting a quick and perhaps fleeting capture of focus.

attract attention

Suggests drawing focus to something passively, rather than actively taking it.

draw attention

Similar to "attract attention", implying a more gentle pull.

command attention

Suggests an inherent quality that demands focus, often due to authority or importance.

gain attention

Implies a gradual accumulation of focus over time.

win attention

Suggests effort is required to earn focus.

secure attention

Emphasizes the effort to protect or maintain the attention gained.

hold attention

Focuses on maintaining focus over time rather than initially capturing it.

FAQs

What's a more correct way to say "grasp attention"?

More grammatically sound alternatives include "capture attention", "grab attention", or "seize attention".

Is it ever correct to use "grasp" with attention?

Yes, but it needs an object. You can say "grasp the attention of the audience" or "grasp someone's attention". The phrase "grasp attention" on its own is grammatically awkward.

What's the difference between "grasp attention" and "capture attention"?

While both aim to convey attracting focus, "capture attention" is the idiomatic and grammatically accepted choice. "Grasp attention" is not typically used in standard English.

How can I use "grasp" correctly in a sentence about attention?

Ensure you specify whose attention is being grasped. For example, "The speaker's opening remarks helped to grasp the audience's attention" is a grammatically correct sentence.