small inquiry

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "small inquiry" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it when referring to a brief or minor question or investigation. For example, "I have a small inquiry about the meeting schedule." Alternative expressions include "brief inquiry" and "minor inquiry."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Law

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Please see the related posts: "The YPP Action Frame with Inquiry-Based Learning II: "Small Inquiry" and "Big Inquiry"" and "The YPP Action Frame with Inquiry-Based LearnIng I: An Inquiry Cycle" from the YPP Action Frame site.

Harvard University

A briefing note on all candidates, prepared by the nine-person police authority appointment panel, included a cursory mention in one of 12 bullet points to Mr Bettison's role as a member of "a small inquiry team reporting to the Chief Constable [of South Yorkshire Police] on the Hillsborough incident".

Independent

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Every time there was a significant new disclosure, the government, prosecutors or police responded by announcing yet another small-scale inquiry – always behind closed doors.

The Guardian

The Tottenham inquiry is one of scores of small-scale research inquiries taking place across England, as communities affected by the riots examine the violence and looting that blighted parts of Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester.

The Guardian

Investigations are frequent, run the gamut from small inquiries to massive undertakings, and have fueled a lucrative industry among white-collar attorneys and their respective law and consulting firms.

Columbia University

A big part of the problem is that although experts have been studying clouds for decades, their investigations have been limited to relatively small-scale inquiries in only a few areas of the globe.

The New York Times - Science

A long-running row over the sale and closure in 2015 of the city's only police station has been reignited by plans to cut the opening hours of the small police inquiry kiosk that replaced it.

The Times

The original trial was focused on and funded for quantitative evaluation and the small qualitative inquiry was added at a later stage to the methodology.

BMC Public Health

Delving into a network that generates millions of dollars a year, yet often trafficks in small amounts, the inquiry has uncovered at least $238,000 sent to the Sept. 11 hijackers in the United States through a dozen wire transfers from the United Arab Emirates.

The New York Times

"A focus on mental health, to me, is of the construct of Western European psychological thinking which I think will try to hem the matter into a very small area of inquiry when in fact the discussion has to be much more broadly based".

Vice

"A focus on mental health, to me, is of the construct of Western European psychological thinking which I think will try to hem the matter into a very small area of inquiry when in fact the discussion has to be much more broadly based". A 1998 report showed a connection between preserving and rehabilitating culture, self-governance and reduction in Indigenous youth suicide.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In academic writing, use it to describe a pilot study or a qualitative subset of a larger methodology.

Common error

Avoid using "small inquiry" when the matter is actually serious or requires significant legal attention, as it might come across as dismissive or minimizing. In formal investigations, "preliminary investigation" is often more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "small inquiry" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "small" serves as an attributive modifier for the head noun "inquiry". According to Ludwig, this structure is a standard way to quantify or qualify a request for information. It can act as the subject of a sentence or, more commonly, as the direct object of verbs like "make", "conduct", or "handle".

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Science

25%

Academia

20%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Formal & Business

3%

Social Media

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "small inquiry" is a versatile and grammatically correct English phrase used to describe requests or investigations of limited scale. While Ludwig identifies its occurrence as relatively rare compared to more generic terms, it holds a strong presence in high-authority sources like The New York Times and academic journals. It is particularly effective as a polite hedge in professional communication or as a technical descriptor in scientific methodology. Writers should feel confident using it to signal that a query is non-intrusive or that an investigation is modest in scope, though they should be mindful of using British or American spelling variations depending on their audience.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

minor inquiry

Suggests something of little importance or legal weight

brief inquiry

Emphasizes the short duration of the questioning

limited inquiry

Highlights restricted resources or depth

short enquiry

Uses the British spelling and emphasizes brevity

modest inquiry

Implies a humble or limited scope of investigation

small-scale investigation

More technical and structural in its description of scope

narrow inquiry

Focuses on the specific, restricted range of the subject matter

quick question

Much more informal and conversational

slight query

Suggests a very minor doubt or specific question

preliminary inquiry

Focuses on the introductory timing rather than just size

FAQs

What can I say instead of "small inquiry"?

Depending on your context, you can use phrases like "minor inquiry", "brief inquiry", or for more casual situations, "quick question".

How to use "small inquiry" in a sentence?

You might say, "I am writing to make a "small inquiry" regarding the availability of the conference room."

Is it "small inquiry" or "small enquiry"?

Both are correct. "Inquiry" is more common in American English, while "small enquiry" is frequently used in British English.

What is the difference between a "small inquiry" and a "limited inquiry"?

A "small inquiry" usually refers to the size or magnitude of the question, while a "limited inquiry" often suggests that the investigation was constrained by external factors or specific boundaries.