English Reference

Phrasal verb

look into

Definition

phrasal verb. to investigate or examine something carefully.

phrasal verb. to investigate or examine a matter systematically; transitive phrasal verb requiring a direct object.

Examples

“The police will look into the theft.”

“HR is looking into complaints about the new scheduling system.”

“A parliamentary committee has been appointed to look into allegations of misconduct within the ministry.”

Examples

simple

“The police will look into the theft.”

contextual

“HR is looking into complaints about the new scheduling system.”

complex

“A parliamentary committee has been appointed to look into allegations of misconduct within the ministry.”

Usage

followed by a noun phrase referring to the issue or problem being examined.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'find out' (result-oriented) and 'research' (more formal); 'look into' emphasizes the process of investigation.

Pitfall

They are looking into solve the problem.

They are looking into solving the problem.

after 'look into' use a noun or gerund, not an infinitive.

Phrasal verb

Particles

into

Separability

inseparable

Pattern

look + into + object

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related words

Grammar

This entry

Level
B1 · Intermediate
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference