leading question
7
5.2
- noun
- /ˈliːdɪŋ ˈkwɛsʧən/
- Jargon
:
pregunta sugestiva
- In fact, leading questions can have an influence even if they are very subtle.
- asking leading questions
That's not like a leading question I genuinely am curious about.
- That's not like a leading question I genuinely am curious about.
- And that way you don't get leading questions you it goes wherever it goes.
Examples
-
The lawyer objected to leading questions that coaxed her through her story.
Academic text (2000) -
I can ask leading questions.
-
When our paths cross, I ask him leading questions about his work to try to draw him out.
Fiction book (2002) -
I ask him leading questions of all sorts, such as whether he has plans for a holiday.
Fiction book (2002) -
The source of this information can be the media, leading questions asked during an investigation, or conversations with other witnesses.
Academic text (2004) -
Leading questions also threaten the reliability and validity of survey data.
Academic text (2016) -
The lawyer objected to a leading question that suggested the answer he wanted to hear.
-
In many interviews, leading questions can result in biased responses from the interviewee.
-
During the trial, the detective's leading questions influenced the suspect's narrative.
How Leading
- Jargon
7
5.2
1
2.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun phrase is compositionally built: 'leading' (causing or guiding) modifies 'question', so a 'leading question' is understandable as a question that guides or suggests an answer. This adjective+noun combination maps directly onto the stated meaning and is a common, cross-linguistically transparent concept, so a B1 learner who knows both words should grasp it.
Etymology
Leading question comes from the simple image of someone being guided along a path: leading means guiding and question is what points you toward an answer. So a leading question 'suggests the answer' and tries to guide the person to say it.