begin on something

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "begin on something" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct expression is typically "begin with something" or "begin something." Example: "We will begin with the first topic of discussion in today's meeting."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

But, gosh, to suggest that we shouldn't let the debate begin on something of this importance I think is wrong".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

With more of the medical community taking a harder look at benzodiazepine dependency, it's not surprising that the conversation has begun to take on something of a critical edge.

Huffington Post

"I'm not sure it's ever clear when founders should begin working on something new — that decisions isn't clear, and it's never really a particular point, it's a gradient", he said.

TechCrunch

That Congressional Budget Office score of the Better Care Reconciliation Act doesn't even factor in the effects of the Cruz amendment because the agency hasn't had enough time to analyze it, so the Senate is set to begin debate on something no senators actually understand.

Huffington Post

And begin focusing on something else.

WikiHow

There's at least an outside chance that you can begin working on something new, if for no other reason than to take your mind off your big failure.

WikiHow

But a few years ago, Mr. Grisham said, he began working on something else on the side, his novel "A Painted House," about growing up in Arkansas.

The New York Times - Books

Williams, who appears to have begun work on "Something Cloudy" 60 years ago and returned to it from time to time until 1981, obviously knew it was a stillbirth.

The New York Times

It's been more than a year since video discovery startup Shelby.tv pulled its product off the shelf and began working on something new.

TechCrunch

But what began on November 10 was something altogether different, and somehow I had to revise my manuscript to reflect this brave new world (the eventual title, Beyond Détente, captured some of that flavor).

Huffington Post

Exactly how many choreographic aspirants had works performed at Judson during the six years of performances that began on July 6 , 1962 may be something no one will ever know, given the informality that prevailed and the rate at which participants came and went.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When starting a discussion or activity, prefer "begin with something" or "begin something" for clarity and grammatical correctness. For example, "Let's begin with a review of the project goals" is more standard than "Let's "begin on something"".

Common error

Avoid using "on" after "begin" when referring to the starting point of an action or discussion. It's a common mistake to say "begin on" when the correct phrasing is "begin with" or simply "begin".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "begin on something" functions as a verbal phrase intending to denote the initiation of an action or discussion centered around a particular subject. However, as Ludwig AI indicates, its grammatical correctness is disputed, with "begin with something" being the preferred alternative.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "begin on something" is generally considered grammatically incorrect in standard English, as indicated by Ludwig AI. Although it appears in some sources, including news and media, it is less preferred than alternatives like "begin with something" or simply "begin something". When writing, it is advisable to use these alternatives to ensure clarity and grammatical correctness. The use of "begin on something" is infrequent, so opting for more common and grammatically sound options is recommended.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

begin with something

Replaces "on" with "with", providing a grammatically standard alternative.

start something

Uses "start" instead of "begin", creating a more informal and direct alternative.

commence something

Replaces "begin" with "commence", offering a more formal substitute.

initiate something

Uses "initiate" in place of "begin", providing a more formal and active nuance.

embark on something

Replaces "begin" with "embark", emphasizing the start of a journey or endeavor.

launch something

Uses "launch" instead of "begin", highlighting the start of a project or product.

kick off something

A more casual way to say begin something.

get started on something

Adds "get started", providing a more conversational alternative.

set about something

Replaces "begin" with "set about", suggesting a deliberate and methodical start.

open something

Uses "open" to denote starting something new.

FAQs

What's the correct way to use "begin" in a sentence?

The word "begin" is typically followed by a direct object (e.g., "begin the meeting") or the preposition "with" (e.g., "begin with an introduction"). Using "begin on" is generally considered incorrect.

What can I say instead of "begin on something"?

You can use alternatives like "begin with something", "start something", or "commence something" depending on the context.

Is "begin on something" grammatically correct?

No, "begin on something" is generally not considered grammatically correct in standard English. The preferred phrasing is "begin with something" or simply "begin something".

How do I avoid using "begin on something" in my writing?

Always double-check your sentence structure to ensure you're using the correct preposition or direct object after "begin". Opt for "begin with something" if you want to specify a starting point, or just "begin something" if you're referring to the action itself.