it imperative to question

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "it imperative to question" is not correct.
Did you mean "it is imperative to question"? You can use this phrase when emphasizing the necessity of questioning something, often in a context of critical thinking or analysis. Example: "In order to foster a culture of innovation, it is imperative to question established practices and seek new solutions."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

But most of all, he believed it imperative to question authority, and those who failed that lesson did so at their peril.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Therefore, it is imperative to question our biases.

Huffington Post

However, in order to extrapolate in vitro findings to in vivo conditions, it is imperative to question how well the recombinant wild-type model mimics the native protein.

F1000Research

"One comprised the suspicious circles, which had once been small, but now were exceptionally broad, who considered the self-evident lesson of the 1960s and the low, dishonest war that defined the decade to be the imperative to question authority, unsettle ossified norms, and expose dissembling leaders—a new, higher patriotism for the 1970s".

The New Yorker

"One comprised the suspicious circles, which had once been small, but now were exceptionally broad, who considered the self-evident lesson of the 1960s and the low, dishonest war that defined the decade to be the imperative to question authority, unsettle ossified norms, and expose dissembling leaders — a new, higher patriotism for the 1970s".

The New Yorker

"I found it imperative to express myself," she said.

The New York Times

Some would respond by construing questions as a form of imperative (e.g., "Tell me who is at the door!"), and then ascribing the direction of fit characteristic of imperatives to questions.

SEP

For law enforcers trying to contain the problem by sharing descriptions of known recidivists, it became imperative to answer one question: what is it that identifies someone as a particular person?This question has long troubled humanity, of course, and it is explored in all its facets in a new exhibition at the Wellcome Collection in London.

The Economist

But it's imperative to ask another question: What am I running toward?

Huffington Post

And I ultimately decided that if it's so dangerous to question the role of hope in our society, then it's imperative to do it.

Huffington Post

There is probably no director more obsessed with the complexity of patriotism than Mr. Zwick, who is driven to question the imperatives of an America that his protagonists both love and detest.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When emphasizing the necessity of questioning, ensure your sentence is grammatically correct by using "it is imperative to question".

Common error

Avoid omitting the "is" in the phrase "it is imperative to question". The correct form emphasizes clarity and avoids grammatical errors.

Linguistic Context

The phrase functions as a statement emphasizing the necessity of questioning. While grammatically incorrect as is, the corrected form "it is imperative to question" is used to highlight the importance of critical inquiry. Ludwig indicates the ungrammatical form.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Encyclopedias

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "it imperative to question" is grammatically incorrect. The correct phrasing is "it is imperative to question". This expression is used to strongly emphasize the necessity of questioning or critically examining something. Ludwig flags the initial query as incorrect, suggesting the inclusion of "is" for grammatical accuracy. While relatively rare, its usage spans across News & Media, Science, and Formal & Business contexts. When employing this phrase, ensure proper grammatical structure to maintain clarity and credibility.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

it is crucial to question

Replaces "imperative" with "crucial", emphasizing the importance of questioning.

it is essential to question

Uses "essential" instead of "imperative", highlighting the fundamental need to question.

it is vital to question

Substitutes "imperative" with "vital", underscoring the critical nature of questioning.

questioning is imperative

Rearranges the sentence structure, placing "questioning" as the subject and retaining "imperative".

it is necessary to question

Employs "necessary" in place of "imperative", denoting a requirement for questioning.

it's important to question

Replaces "imperative" with the more common "important", making it less formal.

the need to question is paramount

Emphasizes the importance by stating the "need to question" is "paramount".

one must question

Adopts a more formal and impersonal tone, using "one must" instead of "it is imperative".

it is critical to inquire

Replaces "question" with "inquire" and "imperative" with "critical", changing the emphasis slightly.

challenging assumptions is crucial

Focuses on "challenging assumptions" rather than general questioning, adding a specific context.

FAQs

How to correctly use "it is imperative to question" in a sentence?

Use "it is imperative to question" when you want to strongly emphasize the need for critical examination or inquiry. For example: "In a democratic society, "it is imperative to question" authority".

What is a more formal way to say "it is imperative to question"?

A more formal alternative would be "one must question" or "it is crucial to question", which convey a similar sense of necessity with a heightened level of formality.

What are some synonyms for "imperative" in the phrase "it is imperative to question"?

Synonyms for "imperative" in this context include "essential", "vital", "critical", and "necessary". Therefore, you could say "it is essential to question" or "it is vital to question".

What is the difference between "it is important to question" and "it is imperative to question"?

"It is important to question" suggests that questioning is valuable or beneficial, while ""it is imperative to question"" indicates that questioning is absolutely necessary or crucial. "Imperative" carries a stronger sense of urgency and importance.