Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and I’m here to report that you’re probably misusing a common phrase.

Suppose I tell you I wrote a book. You might say, well, that begs the question – what’s the book’s title? [wrong]. If you really want to know, the title is With Love from the Past. But that’s incorrect usage of the idiom “to beg the question.” This phrase should only be used in response to bad logic, especially circular reasoning. For example, if I say: “I’m a good writer, so therefore I’m good at writing,” you might respond with “that begs the question.” This idiom does not mean that someone has caused you to ask a new question; rather, it means that someone’s argument is logically flawed.

A more subtle example of circular reasoning could be: “Colleges should not include textbook fees in tuition because tuition and textbook fees are separate entities.” Your answer? “That begs the question!”

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