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Prepositions after verbs

Inquire into or inquire about?

Use inquire into for investigations and detailed examination. Use inquire about for asking for information on a topic.

Quick answer

What is the difference between inquire into and inquire about?

Inquire into suggests formal investigation or careful examination. Inquire about means ask for information about something.

The committee will inquire into the complaint.
I called to inquire about ticket prices.
Police are inquiring into the incident.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
inquire into + issue

Investigating something formally

Use into for investigations, problems, or allegations.

Officials began to inquire into the fraud case.
2
inquire about + topic

Asking for information

Use about for ordinary questions or requests.

She wrote to inquire about the course schedule.
3
inquire after + person

Asking about someone's health

After is a traditional expression for asking about a person.

He inquired after his former teacher.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
inquire into
The agency inquired into the complaint.
investigate carefully
inquire about
I inquired about the refund policy.
ask for information
inquire for
She inquired for Mr Lee.
old-fashioned or regional for asking to see someone

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using into for simple questions

For ordinary requests, about is more natural.

✕ I inquired into train times. ✓ I inquired about train times.

Using about for investigations

Into is preferred for formal investigations.

✕ The police inquired about the corruption case. ✓ The police inquired into the corruption case.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The panel will inquire ___ the allegations.
2. She called to inquire ___ room availability.
3. He inquired ___ his elderly neighbour after the storm.

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Frequently asked questions

Is inquire formal?

Yes. Ask is more common in everyday conversation.

What is the difference between inquire and enquire?

Both are correct. Inquire is more common in American English.

Can inquire into be used outside legal contexts?

Yes. It can describe any careful investigation or examination.

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