“Inform of” and “inform about” can both be correct, but they are used slightly differently.
The verb inform usually needs an object: you inform someone of something or inform someone about something.
Inform someone of is often used for a specific fact, decision, event, or change, while inform someone about commonly emphasizes giving information or details about a subject.
For example, “Please inform me of the decision” and “Please inform me about the new policy” are both grammatical.
For English learners, the important point is that “inform of” cannot normally stand alone.
You generally need a person or group after inform: inform me of, inform her of, inform the manager of, and so on. Similarly, inform about normally follows the same pattern: inform someone about something.
Understanding this structure will help you avoid common mistakes such as saying “Please inform of the changes” when you mean “Please inform me of the changes.”
Quick Answer
Inform someone of something means to officially or directly tell someone a particular fact, event, decision, or change. Inform someone about something means to give someone information or details concerning a subject. Both are correct, but inform of often sounds more formal and focuses on a specific piece of information, while inform about often focuses on a topic or subject.
Why Do People Confuse “Inform Of” and “Inform About”?
The confusion comes from the fact that inform can be followed by both of and about.
For example:
Please inform me of the decision.
Please inform me about the new policy.
Both sentences are grammatical, but the emphasis is slightly different.
Another important issue is that learners sometimes leave out the person receiving the information:
❌ Please inform of the changes.
✅ Please inform me of the changes.
The verb inform is normally used transitively when you mean “tell someone.” That means you usually need to identify who receives the information.
The basic patterns are:
inform + someone + of + something
inform + someone + about + something
The First Word: “Inform Of”
The structure inform someone of something means to tell someone about a particular fact, event, decision, or situation.
It is especially common in formal, professional, administrative, and official English.
Basic pattern
inform + person + of + information
Examples:
- Please inform me of any changes.
- We informed the manager of the problem.
- She informed us of her decision.
- The company informed employees of the new rules.
- Please inform the office of your arrival.
When is “inform of” especially natural?
It works well when the information is:
- A decision
- A change
- An event
- A problem
- A result
- A fact
- A development
- A requirement
- A decision or action
For example:
We regret to inform you of the cancellation.
This is a very common formal expression.
Another example:
Please inform us of any changes to your address.
The sentence asks someone to report specific changes.
The Second Word: “Inform About”
The structure inform someone about something means to give someone information about a subject, situation, event, or issue.
It often focuses more on the subject or topic being explained.
Basic pattern
inform + person + about + topic
Examples:
- The teacher informed students about the new schedule.
- Please inform me about the project.
- We need to inform customers about the changes.
- She informed us about the problem.
- The doctor informed him about the treatment.
When is “inform about” especially natural?
It is useful when the information involves a broader subject or when you mean give someone information concerning something.
For example:
The guide informed tourists about local customs.
The focus is on the topic of local customs.
Similarly:
The manager informed employees about the company’s new policy.
The focus is on providing information concerning the policy.
Inform Of vs Inform About: Comparison Table
| Feature | Inform someone of | Inform someone about |
|---|---|---|
| Basic meaning | Tell someone a particular fact or event | Give someone information about a subject |
| Grammar | inform + person + of + something | inform + person + about + something |
| Common in formal English | Very common | Also common |
| Typical focus | Specific information, event, decision, or change | Topic, subject, issue, or situation |
| Example | Inform me of the decision. | Inform me about the project. |
| Can be followed by a broad topic? | Sometimes | Very natural |
| Can be followed by a specific event? | Very natural | Also possible |
| Can “inform” stand alone? | Usually not in this meaning | Usually not in this meaning |
When Should You Use “Inform Of” and “Inform About”?
Use “inform someone of” for specific information
Choose of when you are notifying someone about a particular fact, decision, event, or change.
Please inform me of the result.
We informed the staff of the closure.
She informed us of her decision.
This construction is particularly common in official notices and formal correspondence.
Use “inform someone about” for a topic or subject
Choose about when you are giving information concerning a subject.
The teacher informed students about the examination process.
The website informs visitors about local attractions.
The doctor informed the patient about the possible side effects.
Both can sometimes work
In many situations, either preposition is possible.
Compare:
The manager informed us of the changes.
The manager informed us about the changes.
Both are correct. The first can sound more formal and notification-focused, while the second can sound more explanatory.
The difference is often about emphasis and style, rather than a strict grammatical rule.
10+ Examples of Inform Of vs Inform About
1. A decision
The manager informed us of his decision.
The focus is on a specific decision.
2. A new policy
The manager informed us about the new policy.
The focus is on the subject of the policy.
3. A change
Please inform me of any changes.
This is a common formal way to request notification of specific changes.
4. A project
The team informed us about the project.
The focus is on providing information about the project.
5. A problem
We informed the supervisor of the problem.
This emphasizes notifying the supervisor about a particular problem.
6. A medical treatment
The doctor informed the patient about the treatment.
The focus is on explaining or providing information about the treatment.
7. A cancellation
We regret to inform you of the cancellation.
This is a standard formal expression.
8. Local customs
The guide informed the visitors about local customs.
The sentence focuses on a subject that the visitors learned about.
9. A result
The school informed the parents of the examination results.
The parents are being notified of specific results.
10. A safety procedure
The instructor informed the workers about the new safety procedure.
The sentence emphasizes information concerning a procedure.
11. An appointment
Please inform us of your preferred appointment time.
The requested information is specific.
12. A new service
The company informed customers about its new service.
The focus is on explaining or providing information about the service.
13. A legal requirement
The lawyer informed her client of the legal requirement.
The sentence emphasizes notifying the client of a particular requirement.
14. A health issue
The nurse informed the family about the patient’s condition.
The focus is on information concerning the condition.
Common Mistakes
Mistake 1: Saying “inform of” without an object
❌ Please inform of the changes.
This is incomplete if you mean “tell someone.”
✅ Please inform me of the changes.
✅ Please inform the manager of the changes.
The person receiving the information normally comes after inform.
Mistake 2: Saying “inform about” without an object
❌ The company informed about the changes.
If you mean that the company told someone about the changes, identify the recipient.
✅ The company informed employees about the changes.
However, inform about can occur in other structures where the meaning is different, so context matters.
Mistake 3: Using “inform to”
❌ Please inform me to the changes.
✅ Please inform me of the changes.
✅ Please inform me about the changes.
The usual prepositions after inform someone are of and about.
Mistake 4: Confusing “inform” with “tell”
Inform is generally more formal than tell.
Please inform me of the decision.
More conversational:
Please tell me about the decision.
Both can be correct, but they have different levels of formality.
Mistake 5: Assuming “of” and “about” always have exactly the same effect
They can overlap, but their typical emphasis differs.
Inform me of the result.
This sounds like a notification.
Inform me about the result.
This can suggest giving information or details concerning the result.
Memory Trick
Use this simple distinction:
Inform of = notify of something specific.
Inform about = give information about a topic.
Think:
OF → a specific fact
ABOUT → a subject or topic
For example:
Inform me of the decision.
Inform me about the project.
This is not an absolute rule because English allows some overlap, but it is a useful guide for learners.
American vs British English
The use of inform someone of and inform someone about is broadly the same in American and British English.
Both varieties commonly use:
- inform someone of a decision
- inform someone of a change
- inform someone about a problem
- inform someone about a situation
The main difference is usually style and context, not geography.
In both American and British English, inform is more formal than everyday tell. In casual conversation, native speakers often say:
Tell me about the meeting.
rather than:
Inform me about the meeting.
Inform is particularly natural in professional, official, academic, and written communication.
Similar Words
Tell
Tell is the most common everyday alternative to inform.
Please tell me about the problem.
Notify
Notify means officially tell someone about something.
The company notified customers of the change.
It is especially common in formal and administrative contexts.
Advise
Advise can mean to give information, guidance, or a recommendation.
The doctor advised him about the treatment.
Explain
Explain means to make something clear or understandable.
She explained the new procedure to us.
Update
Update someone means to give them the latest information.
Please update me on the project.
Alert
Alert someone means to warn them about a possible danger or problem.
The system alerted users to the security risk.
These words overlap with inform, but each has its own emphasis and grammar.
Final Verdict
Both inform someone of and inform someone about are correct English expressions.
Use inform someone of something when you are notifying someone of a specific fact, decision, event, result, or change:
Please inform me of the decision.
Use inform someone about something when you are giving information about a topic, subject, issue, or situation:
Please inform me about the project.
The distinction is not always strict. In many sentences, of and about are both possible, with of often sounding more formal and notification-focused and about often sounding more explanatory or topic-focused.
Most importantly, remember that inform someone of/about something normally needs the person who receives the information.
FAQs About “Inform Of” vs “Inform About”
Is “inform of” grammatically correct?
Yes. Inform of is correct when it is followed by the person being informed.
Please inform me of the changes.
The complete pattern is inform + someone + of + something.
Is “inform about” grammatically correct?
Yes. Inform about is also correct when used with an appropriate object.
The teacher informed students about the new rules.
The common pattern is inform + someone + about + something.
Which is more correct: “inform of” or “inform about”?
Neither is universally more correct. Both are grammatical. Inform of often emphasizes notifying someone about a specific fact or event, while inform about often emphasizes providing information concerning a subject.
Should I say “inform me of” or “inform me about”?
Both can be correct.
Please inform me of the decision.
Please inform me about the project.
Use of when you are thinking about a specific notification; use about when you are focusing on a subject or topic.
Is “please inform” polite?
Yes. Please inform me is grammatical and polite, but it sounds relatively formal. In casual conversation, please tell me is often more natural.
What is the difference between “inform” and “tell”?
Tell is common in everyday conversation, while inform is generally more formal and often used in professional, official, or written communication.
Tell me what happened.
Please inform us of any changes.
Can I say “inform someone on”?
Yes, but inform someone on something is much less common and is used in particular contexts. For ordinary English, inform someone of something and inform someone about something are the safer and more common patterns.
Remember This
Inform someone of something = notify someone of a specific fact, event, decision, or change.
Inform someone about something = give someone information about a subject or situation.
And remember:
❌ Please inform of the change.
✅ Please inform me of the change.
✅ Please inform me about the change.
Conclusion
Inform of and inform about are both correct when used in the appropriate grammatical structure. The main pattern is inform someone of something or inform someone about something. Of is particularly common when notifying someone about a specific fact, decision, result, event, or change. About often works well when the focus is a broader subject, topic, or situation that someone needs information about.
For everyday English, you can often choose between the two based on the meaning you want to emphasize. If you are notifying someone of a particular piece of information, inform someone of is a strong choice. If you are providing information about a subject, inform someone about is natural. Above all, do not forget the recipient: say “inform me,” “inform her,” or “inform the manager,” rather than simply “inform of.”
