ASK & ASK FOR ?

[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...............

[RonBee]

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

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

In this Example:

Ask for the menu.

Ask the price.

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

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)

[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.............

[Murilo]

What about theses examples:

I asked to go home.

I asked John to go home.

I asked for children to have extra milk.

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

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

[RonBee]

I asked to go home.

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

I asked John to go home.

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

I asked for children to have extra milk.

I asked for extra milk for the children

or

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

8)

[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....

[Tdol]

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

[RonBee]

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....

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)

[Tdol]

Ask the price is definitely OK in BE.