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ask

ask and ask for​

Grammar

ask for: ask somebody to give something

Grammar

ask without for: ask somebody to tell something

Compare:

  • Don’t ask me for money. (not Don’t ask me money.)
    Don’t ask me my name. (More common than Don’t ask me for my name.)
  • Ask for the menu.
    Ask the price.

Ask is sometimes used without for when talking about asking for sums of money, especially in connection with buying, selling and renting.

  • They’re asking £500 a month including tax.
  • ‘How much is the car?’ ‘I’m asking fifteen hundred.’

Note also the expressions ask a lot of somebody, ask too much of somebody, ask a favour of somebody and ask (for) permission.

Infinitive structures​

We can use infinitive structures after ask ( (see here).

Grammar

ask + infinitive

  • I asked to go home. (= I asked permission to go home.)
Grammar

ask + object + infinitive

  • I asked Jack to go home. (= I told Jack I would like him to go home.)
Grammar

ask + for + object + infinitive

  • I asked for the children to have extra milk.
  • I asked for the package to be sent to my home address.

Note the difference between these two sentences:

  • I asked Jack to go home. (I wanted Jack to go home.)
  • I asked Jack if I could go home. (I wanted to go home myself.)