elicit the question

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "elicit the question" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing how a particular statement or situation prompts or brings forth a question. Example: "The unexpected results of the experiment elicit the question of whether our initial hypothesis was flawed."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Few parents relish a conversation that will elicit the question "What is sperm?" – and then go downhill from there.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

An early seminar by Dave on climate and fisheries elicited the question of whether to continue fishing the Namibian sardine at its low stock size.

Science Magazine

A simple predicative assertible like 'Dion is walking' is generated from the predicate 'is walking', which is a deficient assertible since it elicits the question 'who?', together with a nominative case (Dion's individual quality or the correlated sayable), which the assertible presents as falling under the predicate (D. L. 7.63 and 70).

SEP

Now, you may be uncomfortable with the idea of " making choices" for fear of eliciting the question, "Who's that gal?" (Or more directly, "Who's that indulgent, attention-seeking, wedding-crashing, photobomber?") But again, the guests may think this of you no matter what you do; we often accuse people who simply appear to deviate from the norm of "making" us uncomfortable.

Huffington Post

An important consideration for constructed-response questions is their item validity, or the degree to which the students' cognitive processes elicited by the question match those intended by the question writer (Pollitt et al., 2008).

CBE Life Sciences Education

Furthermore, duration of NB behavior was elicited with the question, "How many months has he/she bitten his/her nail(s)?" This was assessed based on retrospective self-report of the patient and the estimation of parents.

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health

In the UK sample, sleep duration was elicited by the question "How many hours of sleep do you have on an average week night?" Response categories were 5 h or less, 6, 7, 8, and 9 h or more.

European Journal of Epidemiology

Sleeping time was elicited with the question: "How many hours on average do you sleep per day?" A sleeping time of 8.5 to 9.2 hours is regarded as optimal in adolescence [ 39, 40].

BMC Public Health

Medication use was elicited by the question: "In the past 30 days, did you take … ?" This was followed by a series of questions, such as "Did you take antidepressants and or anti-stressants?" "Did you take anything for pain?" A 'no' answer to the question "Are you usually free of pain and discomfort?" was taken as indication that the respondent often suffered pain.

BMJ Open

Rather they examine the sequence-sensitive structure of continuous narratives elicited by the question, "Can you tell me the story of your life?" [ 65, 66] or a narrative produced by a participant in response to a request to recall the content of a story that they have just read [ 67].

BMC Psychiatry

The interview was developed in Spanish, translated into Mam and backtranslated, and was designed to collect the following information: A. Self-rated health was elicited by the question: "Generally speaking, how is your health: good, average or poor?" For logistic regression analyses, the answers were combined into two categories: (1) good, and (2) average and poor.

BMC International Health and Human Rights

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "elicit the question", ensure that the context clearly shows what is causing the question to arise. This helps maintain clarity and avoids ambiguity for the reader.

Common error

Avoid confusing "elicit", which means to draw out or evoke, with "illicit", which means illegal or forbidden. Using the wrong word can completely change the meaning of your sentence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "elicit the question" functions as a verb phrase where "elicit" is the verb, and "the question" is the direct object. Ludwig AI confirms it's usable in written English. The phrase indicates that something is causing or prompting a question to arise.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33.33%

News & Media

33.33%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "elicit the question" is a grammatically sound and usable expression that denotes causing a question to arise. While considered rare, according to Ludwig AI, it appears in diverse contexts such as news articles and scientific publications. Close alternatives include "raise the question" and "prompt the question". To ensure effective communication, it's important to avoid confusion with similar-sounding words like "illicit". Ultimately, while this phrase may not be as frequently used as its alternatives, it serves a distinct purpose in highlighting the relationship between a situation and the subsequent inquiry it provokes.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

raise the question

This alternative is more common and directly implies bringing a question to attention.

prompt the question

This alternative suggests initiating or encouraging a question.

invoke the question

This alternative implies calling forth a question, often unintentionally.

give rise to the question

This alternative is more formal and emphasizes the question's origin.

beg the question

This alternative suggests the question is unavoidable or obvious.

spark the question

This alternative conveys a sense of sudden or energetic question.

trigger the question

This alternative suggests the question is a direct consequence of something.

generate the question

This alternative highlights the creation or production of the question.

invite the question

This alternative implies an implicit solicitation of the question.

provoke the question

This alternative suggests that something angers or makes someone feel strongly about the question.

FAQs

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

You can use "elicit the question" to describe how a statement, action, or situation prompts a particular question. For example, "The study's unexpected findings "raise the question" of whether the initial hypothesis was correct."

What's the difference between "elicit the question" and "raise the question"?

While both phrases are similar, "elicit the question" emphasizes the act of drawing out the question, whereas ""raise the question"" focuses on bringing the question to attention. They are often interchangeable, but ""raise the question"" is generally more common.

Which is a better choice, "elicit the question" or "prompt the question"?

"Elicit the question" and "prompt the question" are very similar, but "prompt the question" suggests a more direct or intentional encouragement of the question.

What phrases can I use instead of "elicit the question" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases like "give rise to the question" or "invoke the question". These alternatives convey a more sophisticated and considered approach to the emergence of the question.