{"id":9856,"date":"2020-12-19T18:55:14","date_gmt":"2020-12-19T18:55:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/?p=9856"},"modified":"2022-09-18T14:59:53","modified_gmt":"2022-09-18T14:59:53","slug":"i-will-look-into-it-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/i-will-look-into-it-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"The Real Meaning of &#8220;I will look into it&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:150%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}<\/style><p>Plenty of expressions derive their meaning from the context within which they are used. For instance, when you say something as simple as &ldquo;sure,&rdquo; you might be saying more than one thing.<\/p>\n<p>On the one hand, you might be simply agreeing with the person you&rsquo;re talking to, and there&rsquo;s no reason not to take you at face value.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, you might be trying to be congenial in the hopes of getting the other person to stop talking. Another possibility is that you are being sarcastic.<\/p>\n<p>The point is that the only way to know for sure what you are trying to say is to take the context into consideration.<\/p>\n<p>Another similar expression that can have more than one meaning is &ldquo;I will look into it.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>What is the meaning of &ldquo;I will look into it&rdquo;?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>The meaning of &ldquo;I will look into it&rdquo; is that &ldquo;you don&rsquo;t know the answer, but you intend to find out.&rdquo; Alternatively, you can use &ldquo;I will look into it&rdquo; as a way of trying to end the conversation, as a polite way of saying that you either don&rsquo;t know the answer or have no intention of sharing it. A third usage of &ldquo;I will look into it&rdquo; is as a response to a request or a favor.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>A closer look at the meanings of &ldquo;I will look into it&rdquo;<\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>&rdquo;I will look into it&rdquo; to say that you will find the answer<\/h3>\n<p>According to the Macmillan dictionary, &ldquo;to look into something&rdquo; means &ldquo;to try to discover the facts about something.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>This is why &ldquo;I will look into it&rdquo; is the sort of thing you say when you are responding to a question to which you don&rsquo;t know the answer.<\/p>\n<p>Example<\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">\n<p><strong>Person:<\/strong> Excuse me, when is the conference scheduled to take place?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Employee:<\/strong> I&rsquo;m not sure, but I will look into it for you.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Teacher:<\/strong> Does anyone know how long the Hundred Years&rsquo; War took?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Student:<\/strong> A hundred years?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Teacher:<\/strong> That is actually incorrect. But, the first person to look into it and find the correct answer gets a prize.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>&rdquo;I will look into it&rdquo; to end the conversation<\/h3>\n<p>Sometimes conversations can go on a bit longer than we would like, and we try to find polite ways of ending them without hurting the other person&rsquo;s feelings.<\/p>\n<p>For example, customer service agents might find themselves on the phone with a nagging customer who keeps asking irrelevant questions or making asinine comments.<\/p>\n<p>Worse still, some agents might be trapped on the phone with a customer making pedantic comments. And, in all these cases, the agents need to find a courteous way of ending the call.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Example<\/strong><i><br>\n<\/i><\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">\n<p><strong>Customer:<\/strong> Why is my internet speed fluctuating? I want completely stable internet. If I pay for 32 Mbps, I expect 32 Mbps.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Agent:<\/strong> Of course, sir. Let me look into it real quick, and I&rsquo;ll call you back.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Now, even though customer service agents can use &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll look into it&rdquo; as a quick way to get out of an uncomfortable conversation, they are still somewhat obligated to call the customer back. That&rsquo;s good customer service after all.<\/p>\n<p>However, your friends and acquaintances are under no such obligation. So, when they use it, they might not necessarily feel compelled to call back.<\/p>\n<p><i><div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">\n<p><i><strong>Friend #1:<\/strong> Do you know who won the World Cup last night?<\/i><\/p>\n<p><strong>Friend #2:<\/strong> Nah. And, I honestly don&rsquo;t care.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Friend #1:<\/strong> How can you not care? It&rsquo;s only the biggest event of the year. Aren&rsquo;t you the least bit curious?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Friend #2:<\/strong> Nope. Not really.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Friend #1:<\/strong> You have to care. People will be talkeing about this match for months to come. You need to know who won.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Friend #2:<\/strong> Yeah sure. I will look into it.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/i><\/p><p><i><br>\n<\/i>If you&rsquo;ve ever been stuck in a conversation like the one above, then you can probably tell that Friend #2 never &ldquo;looked it up.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>If anything, Friend #2 probably rolled their eyes somewhere in the middle of the conversation, and if you listened closely enough, you could have heard a hint of sarcasm in their voice.<\/p>\n<p><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9867\" src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN.jpg\" alt=\"The Meaning of I will look into it\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN-735x1103.jpg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN-223x335.jpg 223w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN-231x347.jpg 231w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN-347x520.jpg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN-427x640.jpg 427w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN-512x768.jpg 512w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN.jpg\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"eager\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-9867 eager-load\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201000%201500'%3E%3Crect%20width='1000'%20height='1500'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"The Meaning of I will look into it\" width=\"1000\" height=\"1500\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN.jpg\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN.jpg 320w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN-735x1103.jpg 735w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN-223x335.jpg 223w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN-231x347.jpg 231w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN-347x520.jpg 347w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN-427x640.jpg 427w, https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/The-Meaning-of-22I-will-look-into-it22-PIN-512x768.jpg 512w\" data-svg=\"1\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3>&rdquo;I will look into it&rdquo; as a response to favor<\/h3>\n<p>When someone asks of you a favor, very few of us will reply with an immediate yes.<\/p>\n<p>For starters, some favors might be beyond our reach, and no one wants to commit themselves to something they won&rsquo;t be able to do later down the road.<\/p>\n<p><i><div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">\n<p><strong>Matt:<\/strong> Hey, can you do me a favor and talk to the supervisor about lessening my load?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Sarah:<\/strong> Sure thing. I will look into it.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/i><\/p><p>Moreover, unless the person is a close relative or a dear friend, we are likely to ask ourselves what&rsquo;s in it for us?<\/p>\n<p>And, one way to make the other person owe us is to convince them that the favor they are asking for is costly.<\/p>\n<p>But, an easy favor is not a costly one, so even if the favor is easy, making it seem like it is difficult can be one way to jack up its price.<\/p>\n<div class=\"su-note\" style=\"border-color:#e5e54c;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\"><div class=\"su-note-inner su-u-clearfix su-u-trim\" style=\"background-color:#FFFF66;border-color:#ffffff;color:#333333;border-radius:3px;-moz-border-radius:3px;-webkit-border-radius:3px;\">\n<p><strong>Friend #1:<\/strong> Can you do me a favor and put in a good word for me with your boss?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Friend #2:<\/strong> I&rsquo;m not sure now is the best time. We&rsquo;re in the middle of a hiring freeze, and the entire office is stressed out over this big project we have to deliver by the end of the year. But, you know what, just for you, I&rsquo;ll look into it and see what I can do.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>And, you can obviously use &ldquo;I will look into it&rdquo; to politely decline a favor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Plenty of expressions derive their meaning from the context within which they are used. For instance, when you say something as simple as &ldquo;sure,&rdquo; you might be saying more than one thing. On the one hand, you might be simply agreeing with the person you&rsquo;re talking to, and there&rsquo;s no reason not to take you &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9866,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable-in-feed":false,"article-schema-type":"Article","disable-critical-css":false,"_convertkit_action_broadcast_export":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,1117],"tags":[256,257],"class_list":["post-9856","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-english","category-vocabulary","tag-i-will-look-into-it","tag-look-into-it"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9856","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9856"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9856\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15415,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9856\/revisions\/15415"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9866"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9856"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9856"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/linguaholic.com\/linguablog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9856"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}