What Does “Enquire into sth” Mean?
“Enquire into sth” means to investigate or ask questions about something in order to find out more information.
Introduction
The phrase “enquire into sth” is commonly used when someone wants to investigate or look deeper into a matter. It is often used in formal or professional contexts where a person or organization needs to gather facts or details by asking questions or researching. Understanding the “enquire into sth meaning” is important because it helps learners use the phrase correctly in different situations, such as reports, conversations, or emails. This phrase is useful when you want to express a careful and detailed investigation rather than just a simple question.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: enquire into something
- Type: transitive
- Level: B2 (Upper-Intermediate)
- Short meaning: to investigate or examine something carefully
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Enquire into sth” is an inseparable phrasal verb, which means you cannot separate “enquire” and “into” by placing the object in between. The object always follows the phrase as a whole.
- Correct: They enquired into the cause of the problem.
- Incorrect: They enquired the cause into the problem.
General pattern:
- Subject + enquire into + object (something)
How to Use “Enquire into sth”?
You use “enquire into sth” when you want to say that someone is looking into a matter carefully. It is often used in formal situations such as business, law, or official investigations. For example, a company might enquire into a complaint, or the police might enquire into a crime.
The phrase shows that the action involves more than just asking; it implies a deeper investigation or examination of facts.
Examples
When the manager heard about the mistake, she decided to enquire into the issue immediately.
- The committee will enquire into the financial irregularities reported last month.
- The police enquired into the missing documents thoroughly.
- Before making a decision, the board enquired into all possible risks.
- Journalists often enquire into political scandals to uncover the truth.
- It is important to enquire into customer complaints to improve the service.
These examples show how “enquire into sth in a sentence” is used to describe formal investigations or careful examinations.
Common Mistakes
Many learners confuse “enquire into sth” with simple asking verbs like “ask” or “enquire about.” However, “enquire into” implies a deeper investigation.
- Incorrect: She enquired about the problem and left.
- Correct: She enquired into the problem to understand it better.
- Incorrect: They enquired the report into the office.
- Correct: They enquired into the report at the office.
Remember, “enquire into” always needs to be followed by the object directly after “into.”
Differences / Synonyms
“Enquire into sth” is similar to “investigate,” “look into,” or “examine.” However, there are subtle differences:
- Investigate: Usually used in official or legal contexts, often more detailed and formal.
- Look into: More informal, used in everyday English for checking or examining something.
- Examine: Focuses on careful observation or inspection, often physical or detailed.
Compared to these, “enquire into” emphasizes the process of asking questions and seeking information carefully, often in formal situations.
Common Collocations
Some common words that go with “enquire into” include:
- Enquire into the matter: Investigate a specific issue or topic.
- Enquire into the complaint: Look carefully at a customer or employee complaint.
- Enquire into the cause: Find out why something happened.
- Enquire into the incident: Investigate an event or accident.
- Enquire into the allegations: Examine claims or accusations.
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of enquire into sth:
Real-life Dialogue
Here is a short conversation using “enquire into sth”:
Anna: Have you heard about the missing funds in the project?
Ben: Yes, the manager said they will enquire into the matter next week.
Anna: That’s good. We need to find out what really happened.
Ben: Exactly. They will probably ask everyone involved and check the records.
Practice
Fill in the blank with the correct form of “enquire into”:
- The company decided to _________ the reasons behind the delay.
- The police are _________ the robbery that happened last night.
- Before the meeting, we should _________ the customer’s complaint carefully.
Answers: enquire into / enquiring into / enquire into
FAQs
- Q: Is “enquire into” formal or informal?
A: It is generally formal and used in professional or official contexts.
- Q: Can I say “enquire about” instead of “enquire into”?
A: “Enquire about” means to ask a question, while “enquire into” means to investigate in detail.
- Q: Is “enquire into” separable?
A: No, you cannot separate “enquire” and “into” with the object.
- Q: What is the difference between “enquire into” and “investigate”?
A: “Investigate” is often more formal and detailed, while “enquire into” focuses on asking and researching.
- Q: Can I use “enquire into” in everyday conversation?
A: It is possible but more common in formal or professional speech.
