Choose the option which correctly fills the blank: "I am writing to enquire the possibility...
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Choose the option which correctly fills the blank:
"I am writing to enquire _________ the possibility of hiring a conference room at the hotel on the 2nd of September."
Show answer & explanation
The verb 'enquire' (or 'inquire') is typically followed by the preposition 'about' when requesting information regarding a specific subject or possibility. 'Into' is used for formal investigations, while 'of' and 'after' are grammatically incorrect in this context.
Step-by-step Derivation:
Step 1: Analyze the sentence structure. The subject is 'I', the verb is 'writing to enquire', and the object of the inquiry is 'the possibility of hiring a conference room'.
Step 2: Evaluate the prepositions based on standard English usage:
- 'Enquire of': Used when asking a person for information (e.g., 'Enquire of the manager'). Incorrect here as the object is a 'possibility'.
- 'Enquire about': Used to request information concerning a topic, event, or possibility. This fits the context perfectly.
- 'Enquire into': Used for formal investigations or deep probes into a matter (e.g., 'The police are enquiring into the cause of the fire'). Too strong for a hotel booking request.
- 'Enquire after': Used to ask about someone's health or well-being (e.g., 'He enquired after my mother'). Irrelevant to the context.
Step 3: Conclusion: 'about' is the only preposition that correctly conveys a request for information regarding a service.