investigate about

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'investigate about' is not a correct or usable phrase in written English. You would generally use the phrase 'investigate' or 'investigate into' instead. For example: "The detective was asked to investigate into the suspicious activity at the bank."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Wiki

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

47 human-written examples

Corporate investigators are the professionals who investigate about the civil allegations and criminal activities in regard with company or organization.

WikiHow

Most have been unfounded, they say, but they are continuing to investigate about 60 cases.

The Guardian

A resource-starved HMRC can only investigate about 35 wealthy individuals a year for tax evasion.

The Guardian - Opinion

It makes you wonder what the league did not investigate about Prokhorov.

The New York Times - Sports

114 universities replied to requests from Help Me Investigate about how many students were accessing mental health services.

The Guardian

Mr. Spitzer's office will investigate about a dozen other companies that operate the remaining 2,400 buses.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

11 human-written examples

The divers say they have investigated about half the underground river system.

The New York Times - Science

Since 1995, the New York diocese has investigated about 40 cases a year.

The New York Times

The I.R.S. investigates about a million "nonfiler situations" a year, Mr. Burke said.

The New York Times

In Italy, meanwhile, authorities are investigating about 700 names that also appeared on the HSBC list.

The New York Times

NASD, the regulatory arm of the brokerage industry, is investigating about a dozen insurance companies and brokerage firms.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "investigate" or "investigate into" instead of "investigate about". The preposition "about" is unnecessary and grammatically incorrect in this context.

Common error

Avoid adding "about" after "investigate". It's redundant and creates an ungrammatical phrase. Instead, use "investigate" followed directly by the subject or "investigate into" for a more specific inquiry.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "investigate about" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. The verb "investigate" already implies a thorough inquiry, making the preposition "about" redundant. Ludwig AI reinforces this assessment by noting its infrequent and often incorrect usage.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

33%

News & Media

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "investigate about" is considered grammatically incorrect and should be avoided in formal English. As Ludwig AI points out, the correct alternatives are simply "investigate" or "investigate into", depending on the context. The rare occurrence of "investigate about" across various sources—including science, news, and wiki—underscores its non-standard usage. For clarity and correctness, opting for the standard forms is always advisable. While some occurrences can be found across different domains, its usage is highly discouraged in professional writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

investigate

Omits the preposition "about", resulting in a grammatically correct and more concise phrase.

look into

Replaces "investigate" with a phrasal verb that implies a less formal but thorough examination.

examine

Replaces "investigate" with a more formal synonym suggesting a careful and detailed inspection.

delve into

Implies a more in-depth and detailed exploration than "investigate about".

inquire into

More formal and implies a systematic and official examination.

probe

Suggests a focused and potentially sensitive inquiry.

scrutinize

Implies a critical and thorough examination, often looking for flaws or inconsistencies.

research

Focuses on gathering information and data, suitable for academic or scientific contexts.

check into

Suggests a preliminary investigation or verification.

study

Focuses on a systematic approach to understand a particular subject or issue.

FAQs

How do I properly use the word "investigate" in a sentence?

Use "investigate" directly followed by the subject of the investigation (e.g., "The police will "investigate" the crime") or use "investigate into" (e.g., "They will "investigate into" the matter further").

What's a good substitute for "investigate about"?

Instead of "investigate about", try using just ""investigate"", "look into", or "inquire into" to maintain grammatical correctness and clarity.

Is it correct to say "investigate about"?

No, "investigate about" is not grammatically correct. The correct usage is simply ""investigate"" or ""investigate into"".

What's the difference between "investigate" and "investigate into"?

"Investigate" is more general, while ""investigate into"" specifies that you are examining something closely and in detail. Both are preferable to the incorrect "investigate about".