do an inquiry

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "do an inquiry" is not commonly used in standard written English; the more appropriate expression is "make an inquiry." You can use it when referring to the act of seeking information or asking questions about a particular subject or issue.
Example: "I need to do an inquiry into the recent changes in the policy to understand their implications."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

So, we have all learned how not to do an inquiry into child abuse in 2014: don't grab a grandee, and especially not one who is a "safe pair of hands".

The Guardian - Opinion

When you personally became aware of this, did you or senior leadership do an inquiry to find out who at Facebook had this information, and did they not have a discussion about whether or not the users should be informed, back in December of 2015?" Zuckerberg was faced again with a poor choice, and instead opted for a show of humbleness.

TechCrunch

"Stuart Andrew [MP] has written to the select committee chairman asking for [it] to intervene on this and do an inquiry, or at least bring the key players before us and I, as a member of that committee, absolutely support that," said Mr Percy.

BBC

"The first thing is, when it's not fun anymore, you need to start investigating and do an inquiry into the relationship".

Huffington Post

"Our role is not to do an inquiry about this or organize a trial," Patrick Roy, president of Québec Cinéma, said during a news conference Wednesday afternoon.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

"It [ICC] should start to think about investigating already or doing an inquiry into the killings as crimes against humanity," she said.

The Guardian

"Our government is doing an inquiry into the health impact of wind [turbines], but here we've got this risk with coal.

The Guardian

"Some of doing an inquiry is the thrill of using the research tools to figure out whether a figure has been falsified or if the numbers have been manipulated".

Science Magazine

Thus, the El Dorado Task Force was charged with doing an "inquiry" instead (Gregor and Gross 2004 688).

Human Nature

Remember that when doing an inquiry about people, respect their privacy, sometimes it's best to leave some people alone.

WikiHow

Tom Watson, the deputy chairman of the Labour party, countered: "The only person that does not want an independent assessor to do an independent inquiry is the prime minister.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer using more formal alternatives such as "conduct an inquiry" or "initiate an inquiry" for improved clarity and professionalism in writing.

Common error

While "do an inquiry" might be acceptable in informal speech, it is generally better to use more formal verbs like "conduct", "launch", or "undertake" in written communication to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "do an inquiry" functions as a verb phrase where "do" acts as a light verb, and "inquiry" is the noun. This structure is used to describe the action of performing or initiating an investigation. Ludwig indicates that this phrase is not the most grammatically sound option.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "do an inquiry" is used to describe the action of initiating an investigation or examination. However, according to Ludwig AI, the phrase is not grammatically optimal and more formal alternatives are preferred. Although understandable, the phrase is more frequently found in news and general contexts but is less common in formal business, academic, or encyclopedic sources. For improved clarity and professionalism, consider using alternatives such as "conduct an inquiry", "launch an inquiry", or "undertake an inquiry", which offer a more grammatically sound and widely accepted way to express the same intention.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

conduct an inquiry

Replaces "do" with "conduct", providing a more formal and accepted verb choice.

launch an inquiry

Substitutes "do" with "launch", emphasizing the commencement of an inquiry.

undertake an inquiry

Replaces "do" with "undertake", suggesting a more involved and serious approach.

initiate an inquiry

Uses "initiate" instead of "do", highlighting the starting point of the investigation.

start an inquiry

Employs "start" as a more straightforward substitute for "do".

hold an inquiry

Replaces "do" with "hold", indicating the act of presiding over an inquiry.

carry out an inquiry

Substitutes "do" with "carry out", suggesting a complete and thorough investigation.

perform an inquiry

Uses "perform" instead of "do", implying a structured and systematic approach.

make an inquiry

Replaces "do" with "make", offering a grammatically safer alternative.

open an inquiry

Implies the beginning or initiation of a formal investigation.

FAQs

What's a better way to say "do an inquiry"?

Alternatives include "conduct an inquiry", "initiate an inquiry", or "launch an inquiry". These options are more grammatically sound and commonly used in formal contexts.

Is "do an inquiry" grammatically correct?

While understandable, "do an inquiry" is not the most grammatically correct phrasing. It's preferable to use alternatives like "conduct", "launch", or "undertake" for better grammar.

What's the difference between "do an inquiry" and "conduct an inquiry"?

Conduct an inquiry is a more formal and widely accepted way to express the act of investigating or examining something. "Do an inquiry" is less formal.

How can I use "conduct an inquiry" in a sentence?

You can use "conduct an inquiry" in sentences like: "The committee will conduct an inquiry into the matter", or "The organization decided to conduct an inquiry to assess the situation".