advance the question

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "advance the question" is correct and can be used in written English.
It is used to describe when a group of people discuss and debate a certain idea or concept in order to understand it better. For example, "The experts gathered to advance the question of how to improve soil fertility."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

And two more things: first, discuss what else we would have to know before we can advance the question further; and second, be clear about how we would know if a hypothesis were wrong.

Evolution: Education and Outreach

The microarray could be used as a highly sophisticated fingerprinting method to significantly advance the question of whether there are specific genome organizations or certain genetic elements in clinical strains that are more frequently associated with chronic disease and with adverse clinical outcome.

BMC Genomics

That being said, based on this analysis, and in order to advance the question of transferability in health education, we can already formulate the following propositions: First, this summary helps to clarify the following conceptual definitions: the term transferability should be used when assessing the results of an intervention in relation to its original experimental trial.

BMC Public Health

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

57 human-written examples

The judge required him to disclose in advance the questions he planned to ask prosecution witnesses in cross-examination.

The Guardian

To gain the most from field studies, it is critical to plan in advance the questions to be asked, what and how data will be collected, and how a comfortable exchange between analysts and work participants will be ensured.

Usability Engineering Scenario-Based Development of Human-Computer Interaction

To ensure that sufficient time was given to process information about all of the alternatives, participants in both testing conditions were not allowed to advance the questions on their own, but instead had to spend the 25-s period with each question, as had been done in the previous research of Little et al. (2012).

Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications

Hurricane Sandy is now roughly 300 miles south-southeast of New York City and is expected to take dead aim at the coastline of New Jersey before barreling north-northwestward. [The New York Times] As the storm advances, the question once again presents itself: can scientists move toward linking specific weather events to climate change, or is it still foolhardy?

The New York Times

Florida's (and Michigan's) votes in January's rogue primaries were indeed counted, and everyone understood well in advance that the question of how they would be translated into delegates was, at best, problematic.

The New Yorker

It's unlikely you'll know in advance the exact question you'll be asked, unless your interviewer has no imagination and goes for the "if you were an animal, what animal would you be?" approach.

The Guardian

That tells me economists should invest more effort in figuring out how to minimise the impact of these devastating episodes in advance.The question is whether real prevention is possible, given Mr Minsky's insight about human behaviour.

The Economist

The Union appears not to have advanced on the question since late 2004, when the filmmaker Theo van Gogh was murdered in Amsterdam by a Muslim extremist; the Dutch government, chairing an E.U. summit meeting in Brussels, considered it inopportune to bring the issue of Muslim integration before its partners.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "advance the question", ensure the context involves active discussion, research, or investigation aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of the topic at hand.

Common error

Avoid using "advance the question" when referring to simply stating a question or when no further exploration or debate is intended. Use it when implying active engagement with the topic.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "advance the question" functions as a verb phrase, indicating an action of promoting or furthering discussion and understanding of a specific inquiry. This is supported by Ludwig, which confirms the phrase's grammatical correctness and provides examples of its use in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "advance the question" is a grammatically correct and meaningful expression used to describe the process of furthering the discussion or understanding of a particular inquiry. Ludwig confirms this, highlighting its usage in reputable sources, particularly within scientific and academic domains. Although not exceptionally common, its consistent usage indicates its suitability for formal, research-oriented contexts. When using "advance the question", ensure that the surrounding context reflects an active engagement and investigation of the topic at hand. More common alternatives include phrases like "explore the question further" or "investigate the question further".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

further the question

Replaces "advance" with "further", emphasizing the continuation of exploring the question.

promote the question

Substitutes "advance" with "promote", suggesting an active effort to bring the question to the forefront.

progress the question

Replaces "advance" with "progress", highlighting forward movement in understanding the question.

develop the question

Changes "advance" to "develop", focusing on the unfolding or evolution of the question.

explore the question further

Adds "further" to "explore the question", emphasizing a more in-depth examination.

investigate the question further

Similar to "explore the question further", but with a connotation of more formal, systematic inquiry.

deepen the inquiry

Shifts from "question" to "inquiry", suggesting a more profound and extensive investigation.

elaborate on the question

Focuses on adding details and explanations to the question, enriching its scope.

expand upon the question

Similar to "elaborate on the question", but emphasizes broadening the question's perspective.

build upon the question

Suggests adding layers of understanding or complexity to the question.

FAQs

How can I use "advance the question" in a sentence?

Use "advance the question" when you want to express that something helps to promote a discussion or develop an understanding of a specific subject matter. For example, "The new research will "further the question" of climate change's impact on coastal communities".

What is a more common alternative to "advance the question"?

While "advance the question" is grammatically correct, you might consider more common alternatives such as "explore the question further" or "investigate the question further" for broader appeal.

Is "advance the question" formal or informal?

"Advance the question" tends to be more formal and is often used in academic, scientific, or professional contexts. In informal settings, phrases like "look into the question" or "dig deeper into the question" might be more appropriate.

What is the difference between "advance the question" and "answer the question"?

"Advance the question" means to make progress in understanding or discussing a question, while "answer the question" means to provide a solution or explanation that resolves the question. One focuses on progress, and the other on resolution.