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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak quote

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak

CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com

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grasping attention

Grammar usage guide and real-world examples

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "grasping attention" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct expression is "grabbing attention," which is commonly used to describe the act of attracting someone's focus or interest. Example: "The advertisement was designed to grab attention with its bold colors and catchy slogan."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Experimental Psychology

Wiki

International Journal of Project Management

Huffington Post

BMC Pediatrics

The Guardian - Music

The New York Times - Sports

The Guardian

Wikipedia

Vice

BMC International Health and Human Rights

BMC Nursing

Huffington Post

Wiki

BMC Pediatrics

The New York Times - Arts

Plosone

The New York Times

The New Yorker

TechCrunch

International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics

Huffington Post

Vice

The New York Times - Arts

The New York Times

The Economist

The New Yorker

The New Yorker

TechCrunch

Vice

Los Angeles Times

The New York Times

Vice

The Guardian

Huffington Post

The Guardian

Journal of the Brazilian Computer Society

Huffington Post

Huffington Post

The New York Times - Arts

BMC Pediatrics

Huffington Post

The New York Times

The Economist

The New Yorker

TechCrunch

International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics

Huffington Post

Vice

The New York Times - Arts

The New York Times

The Economist

The New Yorker

TechCrunch

Vice

Los Angeles Times

The New York Times

Vice

The Guardian

Huffington Post

The Guardian

Journal of the Brazilian Computer Society

Huffington Post

Huffington Post

The New York Times - Arts

BMC Pediatrics

Huffington Post

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Notebaert et al. (2009) have proposed an alternative account for the post-error slowing where the slowing is caused by the error being a rare outcome and therefore grasping attention.

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 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.

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

Enterprise information systems, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), manufacturing executive systems (MES), customer relation management (CRM) and so on, are grasping increasing attention, due to their ability to improve production and business performance, and raise competitive advantage for enterprises.

(And in thirty years, when we're all desperately grasping for attention on BuddyTube or GoogleFriend or LookAPictureOfMeAtARestaurantBook or whatever stupid new website we're using to stalk our ex-girlfriends, you'll still refer to those on-line friends as your Facebook friends).

News & Media

Huffington Post

The infant may in this way be promoted to actively perform specific goal-directed activities (e.g. for postural control, reaching, grasping, visual attention and orientation).

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.

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.

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.

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.

News & Media

The Guardian

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

Show more...

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Instead of using "grasping attention", opt for the more grammatically sound and widely accepted phrase "grabbing attention" to effectively convey the act of attracting someone's focus.

Common error

Avoid using "grasping" as it is not the correct verb form in this context. Use "grabbing", "capturing", or "attracting" instead to ensure grammatical accuracy and clarity.

Antonio Rotolo, PhD - Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Antonio Rotolo, PhD

Digital Humanist | Computational Linguist | CEO @Ludwig.guru

Source & Trust

76%

Authority and reliability

2.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Linguistic Context

The phrase primarily functions as a gerund phrase, where "grasping" acts as a verb form functioning as a noun, combined with the noun "attention". However, as Ludwig AI points out, the phrase is not considered correct in standard written English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

27%

Science

27%

Wiki

13%

Less common in

Formal & Business

7%

Experimental Psychology

3%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "grasping attention" appears in various sources, Ludwig AI indicates that it is not considered grammatically correct in standard written English. More appropriate and widely accepted alternatives include "grabbing attention", "capturing attention", or "attracting attention". The phrase's function is to describe the act of gaining someone's focus, but its incorrectness impacts its overall usability. To ensure clarity and grammatical accuracy, it's best to opt for the suggested alternatives. The contexts in which it appears range from news to scientific articles, but its limited frequency and grammatical issues suggest avoiding it in formal writing.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "grasping attention"?

The correct way to express the idea of attracting someone's focus is to use phrases like "grabbing attention", "capturing attention", or "attracting attention".

Is "grasping attention" grammatically correct?

No, "grasping attention" is not considered grammatically correct in standard English. The more appropriate options are "grabbing attention" or "capturing attention".

What alternatives can I use for "grasping attention"?

You can use alternatives such as "grabbing attention", "drawing attention", or "attracting attention" to convey the same meaning effectively.

What's the difference between "grasping attention" and "grabbing attention"?

"Grasping attention" is not standard English. "Grabbing attention" is the correct and commonly used phrase to describe the act of attracting someone's focus or interest.

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Source & Trust

76%

Authority and reliability

2.8/5

Expert rating

Real-world application tested

Most frequent sentences: