Inquiry and Enquiry, Query and Question

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Korsav

#115336 Mon, 04 Jul 05 08:12 PM

Inquiry and Enquiry, Query and Question. The difference?

Korsav

Joined on Mon, Apr 4 2005

New Member (11)

benita

#115386 Tue, 05 Jul 05 01:36 AM

Hi Korsav!

Though all these words are meanings of each other, you could use them in different contexts.

enquire - ask

inquiry/enquiry - investigation, examination, exploration, probe, scrutiny

Eg- Consumers frequently enquire about the shelf life of the products sold here.

query - question.

Eg- I have a query to ask my English teacher.

question - query, enquiry, issue, problem, matter, concern, subject, topic

Eg- What was the question?

Eg- The question is, why did you do it?

benita

Joined on Mon, Jan 31 2005

India

Contributing Member (1,667)

But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep - Robert Frost

science_guru

#115763 Wed, 06 Jul 05 06:30 AM

Enquiry is the British English spelling for Inquiry. These words mean investigation and are somewhat different than the words Query and Question. Query and Question mean asking for information, which is a process of an inquiry.

Science_guru

science_guru

Joined on Mon, Jun 27 2005

New Member (51)

British English, Spelling

Osee

#349406 Wed, 11 Apr 07 05:27 AM

Then, if I am writing an email to a gradchool to ask quesitons about its admission rules, which word, inquiry or query, I should use as the subject of this email (you know, when writing emails, we should first take care of those text fields labeled by "from," "to," "cc," and "subject.").

Osee

Joined on Mon, Jan 8 2007

Canada

Regular Member (681)

Truths are hard to prove, rumors are easy to make.

Anonymous

#349487 Wed, 11 Apr 07 10:38 AM

The essential difference is, an inquiry sets out to seek information, whereas a query seeks clarification of some piece or area of information.
Inquiry : eg I am inquiring about Undergraduate Admission into your Science course.
Query - say they sent you a handbook which covers just about all the information anyone would need, but there is something that is still not clear to you. Then you might send off another email/letter with a query, or querying some point. You might write, "I have a query about (some rule, regulation, some answer/information you have to give in an application form etc) and then write what your question is.

Anonymous