what does these "of" stand for?

[shinji002]

Dear Mr Answer:
look at these "of" please:

1. I ask you.......
2. I ask of you........

1. think it......
2. think of it......

1. dream it.....
2. dream of it......

Questions:

1. I wonder what the differeces between Verb+of, and without of like the above groups.
2. When should I plus "of"? when I should not do that?

I'm waitting for answers online~
Thanks~

I would be pleased if sb can help me.thanks

[shinji002]

I would be pleased if sb can help me.thanks

[Denis Rocha]

Hello, I tried to complete your sentences, so you could have an idea of the difference between them.

1. I ask you (silly questions).
2. A little understanding, it's all I ask of you and the kids.

1. Think a good thought now. Think it!
2. Look at my new dress. What do you think of it. (=What's your opinion about it?)

1. I don't know if it was true or if I dreamed it.
2. I saw a horrible film, and then at night I dreamed of it.

[shinji002]

thx, and does anyone have reference on "of" in above situations?

[BobK]

The "of" stands for another preposition, but more of obviously with "think" and "dream"; the 'of' in those sentences means 'about'.

The case with "ask/ask of" is not so clear, as the "of" does more work - it stands for "for <something-to be-specified> from:

I ask you where the cinema is
I ask you for the whereabouts of the cinema.
I ask of you a little patience.

As Denis suggested, 'ask of' is usually reserved for morally positive abstract nouns - understanding, patience, sympathy, leniency, kindness, goodness.... One wouldn't normally say *'I ask of you the whereabouts of the cinema' or 'I ask of you a cupful of sugar'*. The less common (more extreme) words "beg" and "crave" behave like this too, although 'beg of' doesn't expect a following object:

I beg you for mercy.
I beg mercy of you.
Mercy - I beg of you/I beg you/I beg! [The first of these three sounds better to me - probably because more words gives more scope for a pleading tone! ]

b

*...although sometimes this form does occur with concrete nouns - perhaps with the implication that there was some moral value attached (you're asking for the favour of a cupful of sugar - 'What a skinflint. All I asked of him was one measly cupful of sugar, and he told me to get lost'.)

[shinji002]

"the 'of' in those sentences means 'about'. " that's what i want. thx Denis, Bobk.

[Anglika]

"the 'of' in those sentences means 'about'. " that's what i want. thx Denis, Bobk.

Not necessarily - I ask something of you could mean I ask you to do something or I ask for something from you.

[BobK]

"the 'of' in those sentences means 'about'. " that's what i want. thx Denis, Bobk.

Anglika's right - 'of' means 'about' in your dream and think examples, but not in your ask example.

b