ASK & ASK FOR ?

Hello my teachers......................

I`m confused about ask and ask for.....

In this Example:

Ask for the menu.

Ask the price.

Thank you...............

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ESL-lover

Hello my teachers......................

I`m confused about ask and ask for.....

In this Example:

Ask for the menu.

Ask the price.

Thank you...............

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To "ask" something is to put a question to somebody. To "ask for" something is to make a request. (You might be asking for an object, or you might be asking for a favor.) Also, you can "ask" somebody "to" do something.

8)

What about theses examples:

I asked to go home.

I asked John to go home.

I asked for children to have extra milk.

Thanks.............

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ESL-lover

What about theses examples:

I asked to go home.

I asked John to go home.

I asked for children to have extra milk.

Thanks.............

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The first two sound ok to me (meaning 'to make a request). The third one, though, is a little confusing.

I could find two possibilities:

I asked extra milk for the children.
(You were out of milk and asked some more.)

I asked the children do have (or drink) extra milk.
(You may have thought your children needed to drink extra milk and asked them to do so.)

I may be wrong and would like to see other comments.

Murilo

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ESL-lover

I asked to go home.

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That's an elliptical sentence, thus: "I asked (somebody if I could) go home." (Request.)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ESL-lover

I asked John to go home.

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You made a request of John, asking him to leave (go home).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ESL-lover

I asked for children to have extra milk.

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I asked for extra milk for the children

or

I asked if the children could have extra milk. (Request.)

8)

I think we usually use 'ask' as follows:
you ask someone for something.
I asked Ronbee if he wanted to go for a drink.
I asked for a pint of Guinness.
Your example of 'ask the price' is a bit of an exception to the rule and would (in my humble opinion) also be correct if you said: 'ask for the price'.
Over to you Ronbee....

I asked John = I put a question to John.
I asked for John = I told someone I wanted to speak to John.
;-)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lib

I think we usually use 'ask' as follows:
you ask someone for something.
I asked Ronbee if he wanted to go for a drink.
I asked for a pint of Guinness.
Your example of 'ask the price' is a bit of an exception to the rule and would (in my humble opinion) also be correct if you said: 'ask for the price'.
Over to you Ronbee....

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Those are all good examples. :)

Perhaps "ask the price" is BE. In AE we would probably ask what the price is, but we would be unlikely to use that word (ask).

8)

Ask the price is definitely OK in BE. ;-)