collocations of "attention"

[vil]

Dear teachers,

I know the following collocations of “attention”:

To attract somebody’s attention
To capture somebody’s attention
To catch somebody’s attention
To command somebody’s attention
To draw somebody’s attention
To get somebody’s attention
To hold somebody’s attention
To retain somebody’s attention
To rivet somebody’s attention
To distract somebody’s attention
To divert somebody’s attention
To escape one’s attention
To devote one’s attention to
To focus one’s attention to
To pay attention to
To bring something to somebody’s attention.
close attention
meticulous attention
rapt attention
undivided attention
This matter will require your undivided attention.
Meticulous attention to details.
The sergeant called his platoon to attention.
To come to attention
To snap to attention
To stand at the position of attention
To stand to attention
The squadron stood to attention when we arrived.
To give attention to
To lavish attention on
To receive medical attention
The manager gave me her personal attention.
I lavished my individual attention on him.

Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I have to say “span of attention” or “attention span”?

Thank you for your efforts.

Regards,

V.

[svartnik]

Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I have to say “span of attention” or “attention span”?

This is how I see it:

Attention span is is the amount of time a person can concentrate on a task without becoming distracted.
We do not say: The span of attention is the amount of time...

span of attention, however, is used when we want to emphasise the amount of time you can concentrate.