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Ask and ask for

Ask​

Ask is a verb meaning ‘put a question or seek an answer from someone’:

  • Can I ask you a question?
  • He asked me what age I was.
  • ‘How are you?’ she asked.

Ask + to-infinitive​

We can use ask with the *to-*infinitive to talk about requesting something:

  • She asked to see Professor Fenton. (ask + to-infinitive)
  • We asked the City Council to help us organise a sports day. (ask + object + to-infinitive).

Ask for​

If you ask for something, it means that you want someone to give you something:

  • I always ask for extra tomato sauce on my pizza.
  • They asked their boss for more money, but he refused.
warning

Don’t confuse ask for and demand. Demand means ‘ask for something forcefully’, in a way that shows we are not expecting a refusal:

  • We are writing to ask for your help in finding suitable accommodation in New Haven.
  • Not: We are writing to demand …

Ask and ask for: typical error​

We use for when we request someone to give us something:

  • I called them to ask for more details.
  • Not: I called them to ask more details.