elicit what

USAGE SUMMARY

"elicit what" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is typically used when asking someone to reveal or provide information or a response. For example: - The detective tried to elicit what the witness saw at the crime scene. - Please elicit what your intentions are with this project. - The teacher asked the students to elicit what they learned from the lesson.

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

20 human-written examples

The multicolored switches, knobs and levers have long been set to elicit what might be called national pastime swing.

The New York Times

The horror writer Thomas Ligotti believes that even tales of virus-created zombies and other essentially comprehensible creatures can elicit what we might call, quoting the theologian Rudolf Otto, "the wholly other," but it requires a deft hand.

The New Yorker

The horror writer Thomas Ligotti believes that even tales of virus-created zombies — and other essentially comprehensible creatures — can elicit what we might call, quoting the theologian Rudolf Otto, "the wholly other," but it requires a deft hand.

The New Yorker

One approach to understanding these challenges is to survey IS managers to elicit what they consider are key issues.

International Journal of Information Management

The purpose was to elicit what knowledge they had of biogas, their perceptions concerning it, and how safe they thought it was.

Energy, Sustainability and Society

Biologically inspired neural models require massively parallel computation and an understanding of how each cortical and subcortical region work together to elicit what we call consciousness.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

40 human-written examples

And he's good at eliciting what you're trying to say.

The Guardian - Books

Chesapeake created Shale.TV after earlier public relations efforts elicited what Ms. Wilson called "natural skepticism".

The New York Times

The machine has elicited what scientists call gaze-following, an essential first step of social exchange.

The New York Times - Science

With his final question to his final witness, Commonwealth's Attorney Paul B. Ebert elicited what might be the prosecution's simplest yet most compelling piece of evidence.

The New York Times

"Were you just talking about me?" he asked one group of guests, eliciting what had to be the biggest laugh of the night.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "elicit what", ensure the context clearly indicates the source from which you are seeking to draw out information. For example, "The interviewer used open-ended questions to elicit what the candidate truly felt about the company."

Common error

Avoid confusing "elicit", which means to draw out or evoke, with "illicit", which means illegal or forbidden. Using "illicit what" would be grammatically incorrect and semantically nonsensical.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "elicit what" functions as a verb phrase, where "elicit" is a transitive verb requiring a direct object. This phrase is used to describe the process of drawing out or obtaining information, feelings, or responses.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

40%

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "elicit what" is a versatile phrase employed to describe the action of drawing out specific information or responses from a source. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, the phrase is grammatically correct and finds frequent use in diverse contexts, including scientific, journalistic, and formal settings. While alternatives like "extract what" or "obtain what" exist, each carries a slightly different nuance. When using this phrase, pay attention to the context to ensure clarity and appropriateness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Extract what

This alternative suggests a more forceful or direct retrieval of information.

Obtain what

This alternative suggests acquiring information, possibly through effort or request.

Draw out what

This alternative emphasizes a gradual revealing of information that may be hidden.

Derive what

This alternative suggests deducing or inferring information from something.

Gather what

This alternative implies collecting information from various sources.

Determine what

This alternative focuses on finding out or establishing something definitively.

Ascertain what

This alternative emphasizes discovering something with certainty through investigation.

Find out what

This is a more informal alternative, meaning to discover or learn something.

Uncover what

This alternative suggests revealing something that was previously hidden or unknown.

Tease out what

This alternative conveys the sense of carefully extracting something with persistence.

FAQs

How can I use "elicit what" in a sentence?

You can use "elicit what" to describe the act of drawing out information or a response from someone. For instance, "The therapist used specific techniques to elicit what was troubling the patient."

What are some alternatives to "elicit what"?

Alternatives include "extract what", "obtain what", or "draw out what" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "illicit what" instead of "elicit what"?

No, "illicit" means illegal or forbidden, while "elicit" means to draw out or evoke. They have completely different meanings, so using "illicit what" would be incorrect.

In what contexts is it appropriate to use "elicit what"?

It's appropriate in contexts where you are describing the process of obtaining information, feelings, or responses from someone or something, especially when it requires skill or effort. It works in formal, scientific, and journalistic contexts as seen in examples from Ludwig.