OT - "It begs the question"
I know that there are a great many students of all levels on the MGoBoard, in addition to many post-graduates who are interested in writing. There are STEM students who, despite their technical orientation, wish to learn better writing and communication skills. God bless them all. There are liberal arts students whose future careers in education, journalism, the law, etc., depend upon being skilled communicators.
One of several basic grammatical mistakes that I see in comment writing at MGoBlog is the misuse of the syllogism, "It begs the question." People -- young students, I presume -- frequently write, "it begs the question," when they really mean "it raises the question."
This issue of misuse comes up so frequently, that a web site was devoted to the annoying error. And then, linking to that site, Roy Peter Clark of The Poynter Institute took the time to write this post at Poynter.com.
So don't be a jerk, and misuse the phrase, "it begs the question." Underclass students in English composition ought to know this. No self-respecting professional should commit this mistake in usage. The only explanation for the error seems to be people who think that they know a little bit about writing, and who want to appear sophisticated, but who are in fact poseurs.
February 1st, 2014 at 3:36 PM ^
This really must have been eating you up.
February 1st, 2014 at 3:49 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 3:57 PM ^
And is turned side-ways.
February 1st, 2014 at 4:05 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 4:11 PM ^
(assumes all contributions are equal and valid)
February 1st, 2014 at 4:28 PM ^
This is my favorite kind of Section 1 post (honestly). There's nothing political or nefarious about it - it's just a fun, stupid topic that will probably provide the most entertaining thread of the weekend.
February 1st, 2014 at 4:30 PM ^
about this.
Just entertainment.
February 8th, 2014 at 9:55 AM ^
Sometimes Section 1 gets on a rant and tries to get political (ie "UMAA of Boliva Refuses to allow Rich Rod or John U Bacon to Speak").
I will say that these harmless posts are actually entertaining and insightful. I am at a 50% upvote/downvote with Section 1. This post is an Upvote.
February 8th, 2014 at 10:06 AM ^
And there's nothing wrong with that.
February 1st, 2014 at 4:40 PM ^
Let's take up a collection for a Bolivian vacation.
February 1st, 2014 at 4:43 PM ^
It feels like in every post I see from you you're (wrongly) accusing somone of being a troll.
February 2nd, 2014 at 7:45 AM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 4:26 PM ^
the place for this shit, man. I thought this was either gonna be something about Gibbons or about what if McDowell does not choose us. I am deeply let down.
February 1st, 2014 at 4:27 PM ^
Okay.
February 1st, 2014 at 4:35 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 7:09 PM ^
There's no positive to looking ignorant to someone who knows the correct useage of a frequently misused phrase.
I'm sorry you're too ignorant to understand that.
February 1st, 2014 at 6:27 PM ^
Captures my sentiment completely. I was like... "oh boy!" which degenerated (only in my thoughts) into FUCK YOU!
There! Because it was really eating me up!
February 1st, 2014 at 6:41 PM ^
This explains the term and its proper usage. We are all off the hook.
http://afterdeadline.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/25/begging-the-question-…
February 1st, 2014 at 7:13 PM ^
This shows that even professional journalists use it wrong 15 out of 17 times. How does this make it ok to use it improperly?
February 1st, 2014 at 7:52 PM ^
which differs from what OP stated how it should be used.
I pointed out that in precise usage, it does not mean “to raise the question” or “to beg that the question be asked” or even “to evade the question.” Rather, it refers to a circular argument; it means “to use an argument that assumes as proved the very thing one is trying to prove.”
February 1st, 2014 at 3:37 PM ^
(Checking recent posts to see if I have said, "It begs the question")
February 1st, 2014 at 4:44 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 3:38 PM ^
Your post begs the question: why are you posting this?
(Sorry, I just couldn't resist.)
February 1st, 2014 at 3:39 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 4:06 PM ^
Wow. Stupid.
February 1st, 2014 at 4:14 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 3:39 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 3:58 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 4:02 PM ^
Oops; sorry. I thought you were saying you "seen" what I did here. Oh well; +1 for you anyway.
February 1st, 2014 at 4:09 PM ^
what they did their. Duh...
February 1st, 2014 at 4:00 PM ^
Irregardless, it's up.
February 1st, 2014 at 4:33 PM ^
For shame.
February 1st, 2014 at 8:12 PM ^
This made me laugh alot.
February 1st, 2014 at 3:47 PM ^
TAKE THAT, POSEURS
February 1st, 2014 at 4:06 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 3:48 PM ^
This is totally reasonable, because not using strictly prescriptive grammar obviously makes a person a jerk.
February 1st, 2014 at 3:51 PM ^
Hitler?
...Can you really deny the possibility?
February 1st, 2014 at 3:57 PM ^
Godwin's law worked quickly on this thread.
February 1st, 2014 at 3:59 PM ^
I can't stand all of you Goodwin's Law evoking, puppy hating posters.
February 1st, 2014 at 4:51 PM ^
And I've got a lot of grievances with you capricious, democracy-hating moderators.
February 1st, 2014 at 4:53 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 4:57 PM ^
"Welcome to the February Festivus Thread. Let your OT rage direct your keyboard as you gripe about things you could easily skip over. Or take a whack at the moderators. justingoblue? More like justingohome. BiSB? Was the vowel not cool enough for you when you squashed your name to fit on one line of the census form?"
February 1st, 2014 at 5:30 PM ^
JGB, you only have anything original to say about hockey or softball and you're everyone's least favorite mod- boom, roasted. LSA, you like ponies and stuff nobody has ever heard of- boom, roasted. BiSB, your name is gibberish and [pretends to throw ball] you fell for that- boom, roasted.
February 1st, 2014 at 3:49 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 3:50 PM ^
I bet you didn't even went to Michigan.
February 1st, 2014 at 3:52 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 4:36 PM ^
I can't take anymore of the grammer errors.. my OCD is killing me
February 1st, 2014 at 3:52 PM ^
February 1st, 2014 at 3:53 PM ^
Its its you, jerk.