take a moment to imagine

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "take a moment to imagine" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when encouraging someone to pause and visualize a scenario or concept, often to enhance understanding or empathy. Example: "Before we dive into the details, take a moment to imagine what it would be like to live in a world without technology."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

17 human-written examples

"Take a moment to imagine," he added, "a world led by China or Russia.

The New York Times

Do take a moment to imagine College Green this time round.

The Guardian - Opinion

Take a moment to imagine your own living room; a detailed description of everything in sight is effortless.

The New York Times - Books

Take a moment to imagine how donor offspring might feel.

Huffington Post

Take a moment to imagine that alternative to cosmic silence.

Vice

Take a moment to imagine yourself in the lowest mental state you could possibly be.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

43 human-written examples

Then Ms. Bamford takes a moment to imagine what's it like to believe in God, spinning out a carefully wrought metaphor: "You know when you are in a third-world shantytown at midnight, and you're terrified, but then off in the distance you see the glowing logo of an international conglomerate, and you just feel like: Everything's going to be O.K".

The New York Times - Arts

I took a moment to imagine what a conference of Thing Theorists and String Theorists might look like.

Huffington Post

Take a moment to think.

WikiHow

Take a minute to imagine it.

Vice

Alvarez hopes that, in the face of such blind hatred, people simply take a moment to suspend their disbelief, to imagine what life is like for people like Adrian from Columbia, Julio from Brazil, or Brahima from the Ivory Coast.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "take a moment to imagine" to encourage your audience to actively engage with your content by creating vivid mental images, which can enhance understanding and retention. When writing about abstract concepts or future scenarios, use this phrase to make your writing more relatable and engaging.

Common error

Avoid starting too many sentences or paragraphs with "take a moment to imagine". Overuse can make your writing sound repetitive and predictable. Vary your sentence structure by using synonyms like "pause and envision" or "picture if you will" to maintain reader interest.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "take a moment to imagine" serves as an imperative, directly instructing the audience to perform an action. Ludwig AI indicates this phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

70%

Wiki

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "take a moment to imagine" is a common and grammatically correct way to encourage visualization in writing and speech. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is widely used across various contexts, particularly in news and media. The phrase serves as an imperative, prompting the audience to create mental images to enhance understanding or emotional engagement. While versatile, it's important to avoid overuse and consider alternatives like "pause and envision" to maintain reader interest. It has neutral register and serves primarily as an instruction to visualize or consider something, based on several examples.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

take a second to picture

Replace "moment" with "second" and "imagine" with "picture", suggesting informality.

pause and envision

Replaces "take a moment" with a shorter instruction and "imagine" with "envision", suggesting a more detailed visualization.

just imagine for a second

Adds informality, suggesting that creating a picture is very easy.

envision in your mind

Emphasizes the mental aspect of creating a picture.

spend a second visualizing

Focuses on the brief time investment required for the imaginative act, replacing "moment" with "second" and "imagine" with "visualizing".

let's visualize for a moment

Switches to a collaborative tone by using "let's" and uses the term "visualize".

consider for a second

Shifts the focus from detailed visualization to brief consideration of a topic or situation.

take a breath and visualize

Emphasizes the importance of pausing and using visual imagery to understand something.

picture if you will

Introduces a slightly more literary tone, inviting the audience to form a mental image.

try to conceive

Encourages an attempt to understand or grasp an idea, which might be abstract.

FAQs

How can I use "take a moment to imagine" in a sentence?

You can use "take a moment to imagine" to encourage your audience to visualize a scenario. For example, "Take a moment to imagine what life would be like without the internet."

What are some alternatives to "take a moment to imagine"?

Alternatives include "pause and envision", "spend a second visualizing", or "picture if you will" depending on the context.

Is "take a moment to imagine" formal or informal?

The phrase "take a moment to imagine" is generally considered neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. However, it is more common in descriptive or persuasive writing than in highly technical or academic writing.

What is the purpose of using "take a moment to imagine" in writing?

The purpose of using "take a moment to imagine" is to engage the reader's imagination and make abstract concepts more concrete and relatable. It can also be used to evoke empathy or create a sense of anticipation.