Meaning & use
made an inquiry
Last updated
“made an inquiry” is a form of “make an inquiry”.
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseformal
Asked for information in a formal or official way.
Grammar: Used as the past tense of 'make an inquiry'. The subject is the person asking.
Patterns
- make an inquiry about something
- make an inquiry into something
- make an inquiry to someone
She made an inquiry at the front desk about the missing package.
The company made an inquiry into the cause of the delay.
I made an inquiry to the city office about the new parking rules.
Word forms
| base form | make an inquiry |
|---|---|
| third person singular | makes an inquiry |
| past tense | made an inquiry |
| past participle | made an inquiry |
| -ing form | making an inquiry |
Common combinations
- make an inquiry about
- He made an inquiry about the job opening.
- make an inquiry into
- The police made an inquiry into the accident.
- make a formal inquiry
- We made a formal inquiry to the embassy.
- make an inquiry to
- She made an inquiry to the manager about the bill.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ask
- More general and less formal; 'ask' is used in everyday conversation, while 'make an inquiry' sounds official.
- inquire
- A single verb that means the same but is also formal; 'inquire' can be used without 'make'.
- query
- Often used for a question about data or a technical matter; 'make an inquiry' is broader.
Word family
Commonly confused: made an inquiry or enquiry?
made an inquiry vs enquiry
British spelling of 'inquiry'; both are correct, but 'inquiry' is more common in American English.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'made an inquiry' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The correct pattern is 'make an inquiry to someone about something'. Option 1 is missing 'to', option 2 uses 'for' incorrectly, and option 3 uses 'at' which does not fit this formal phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “made an inquiry”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.