inquiries

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "inquiries" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to questions or requests for information. For example, "We sent out inquiries to our customers to determine their satisfaction level with our services."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Neil Craig, head of operations for HSE in the Midlands, said that a specialist team of inspectors were at the scene in Staffordshire making inquiries.

The Guardian

A third person was last night still helping police with their inquiries.

The Guardian

Kent police said they had been looking into reports of "disturbances" at a number of polling stations but that their initial inquiries suggested no offences had taken place.

The Guardian

In London, 45% more surveyors reported a decline in the number of inquiries.

The Guardian - Money

David Ford said powers for the head of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to oversee NCA inquiries could be put down in legislation to assuage nationalist parties' concerns over the accountability of the agency's operations there.

The Guardian

"That inquiry – conducted by two former judges and a senior accountant – found that Jack Warner had committed fraud and misappropriated the funds – in other words he had stolen the money from Concacaf … We asked Concacaf to give our money back because it wasn't used for the purpose we intended, and were advised by Fifa to wait until the inquiries were complete".

The Guardian - Sport

Chris Patten – who must stay – and Tim Davie should be allowed to respond to the evidence that emerges from the various inquiries and thereafter make what are going to be very difficult judgments.

The Guardian

A spokesman for ExxonMobil said: "ExxonMobil will not respond to Guardian inquiries because of its lack of objectivity on climate change reporting demonstrated by its campaign against companies that provide energy necessary for modern life, including newspapers".

The Guardian

Nice's guidelines and the recent inquiries have been produced in the wake of shocking cases of poor care.

The Guardian

"Officers are at the scene in Mansfield and inquiries are ongoing.

The Guardian

Investigators from Baltimore police's internal affairs division, which looks into allegations against the department's officers, were making inquiries over the 29 March incident shortly before Rice's involvement in Gray's arrest, according to police records.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "inquiries" in formal writing, ensure the context clearly indicates whether you're referring to general questions or a more structured investigation.

Common error

While both spellings are acceptable, "inquiries" is more common in American English, and "enquiries" is preferred in British English. Choose one and maintain consistency.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "inquiries" is as a plural noun. It refers to the act of asking for information or investigating something. As Ludwig AI suggests, it is generally considered correct and usable in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "inquiries" is a grammatically correct and frequently used plural noun that refers to the act of seeking information or investigating a matter. Ludwig AI confirms its usability across various contexts. It is commonly found in news and media, formal business settings, and scientific articles, indicating a neutral to formal register. When using "inquiries", it's important to be aware of potential spelling variations (British vs. American English) and to choose the most appropriate synonym based on the specific context. The most authoritative sources, such as The Guardian and The New York Times, frequently employ this term, highlighting its validity and relevance in contemporary English writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

investigations

Focuses more on a formal or systematic examination or investigation.

questions

Emphasizes the act of asking for information.

queries

Similar to questions, but can also refer to formal requests for information.

investigations

Highlights the systematic and thorough aspect of seeking information.

examining the matter

Refers to the process of scrutinizing a situation or issue.

fact-finding missions

Implies a structured and organized effort to uncover facts.

due diligence

Stresses the thoroughness and care taken in an investigation.

research

Focuses on systematic investigation to establish facts or principles.

inspection

Signifies a formal or official examination.

probing

Suggests a deeper, more penetrating form of inquiry.

FAQs

How to use "inquiries" in a sentence?

You can use "inquiries" to refer to questions or investigations, as in "The police are conducting "ongoing inquiries" into the matter" or "We received numerous "customer inquiries" about the new product".

What's the difference between "inquiries" and "investigations"?

"Inquiries" generally refer to asking questions to gather information, while "investigations" are more formal and systematic examinations to discover and examine the facts of an incident, allegation, etc., to establish the truth.

What can I say instead of "inquiries"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "questions", "queries", "investigations", or "requests".

Is "inquiries" formal or informal?

"Inquiries" is generally considered a neutral to formal term. While suitable for most professional contexts, it might be replaced with simpler terms like "questions" in very informal settings.