Meaning & use
an investigation
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Meanings
nouncountable
An official or serious attempt to find out the truth about something, especially a crime or problem.
Grammar: Countable: an investigation, investigations. Often followed by 'into' or 'of'.
Patterns
- an investigation into something
- an investigation of something
- launch an investigation
- under investigation
The police have launched an investigation into the theft.
The company is under investigation for tax fraud.
An investigation of the accident showed that the brakes had failed.
nouncountable or uncountableformal
A careful study or examination of a subject to discover facts or solve a problem.
Grammar: Countable when referring to a particular study; uncountable when talking about the activity in general: 'careful investigation is needed'.
Patterns
- carry out an investigation
- scientific investigation
- investigation into something
The report is based on a detailed investigation of the causes of the disease.
Further investigation is needed before we can draw any conclusions.
Her investigation into the history of the town took three years.
Word forms
| plural | investigations |
|---|
Common combinations
- launch an investigation
- The government launched an investigation into the accident.
- under investigation
- The bank is under investigation for money laundering.
- a criminal investigation
- A criminal investigation was opened after the fire.
- an investigation into something
- They called for an investigation into the causes of the riot.
- a thorough investigation
- The committee promised a thorough investigation of the allegations.
Synonyms and how they differ
- inquiry
- Inquiry is very similar but is often used for official questions or a formal request for information; it is common in British English.
- probe
- Probe is more informal and often used in journalism for a deep investigation, sometimes with a sense of criticism.
- study
- Study is usually about learning or research, not about crime or wrongdoing; it is less official than an investigation.
Word family
- investigate verb
- To try to find out the truth about something.
- investigator noun
- A person who carries out an investigation, especially officially.
- investigative adjective
- Relating to investigation, especially by journalists.
Commonly confused: an investigation or investiture?
an investigation vs investiture
Investiture is a formal ceremony where someone receives an official title; investigation is about finding facts.
Practice
The police have started ___ into the disappearance of the money.
Choose one answer.
'An investigation' is correct because 'investigation' begins with a vowel sound and we are introducing a new, specific investigation. 'An investigation' is wrong because 'a' cannot be used before a vowel sound. 'Investigation' without an article is possible in general statements, but here we need a countable singular form. 'The investigation' would suggest a specific investigation already known to the listener, which does not fit this context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “an investigation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.