Question

Dimitri is starting the prewriting stage of his research-based informative essay. He begins by gathering information on proposed legislation to add bike lanes to his city’s busiest streets. Dimitri wants to determine whether this legislation is safe for both bikers and drivers. He decides to interview an expert on whether city bike lanes are dangerous.

Is this an example of a formal or informal inquiry?

It is a formal inquiry because he is doing fact-based research.
It is a formal inquiry because he is developing conversational questions.
It is an informal inquiry because he is not creating a purpose for his research.

Answer 1

Answer: It’s a formal inquiry — he’s doing fact‑based, purpose‑driven research by interviewing an expert to gather evidence about safety.

(Option 2 is wrong because “conversational questions” would imply informality; option 3 is wrong because he does have a clear research purpose.)