[Vocabulary] ask / ask for

[licinio]

Can you correct please?

You ask someone for directions
They asked me £ 10 for that scrap of metal
The ask a lot of money for that new house

 

[SoothingDave]

Can you correct please?

You ask someone for directions
They asked me £ 10 for that scrap of metal
The ask a lot of money for that new house

1. This is OK, as long as you end the sentence with a period.
2. This is confused. Are you buying or selling the metal?
3. They are asking a lot of money...

 

[CarloSsS]

NOT A TEACHER

They asked me £ 10 for that scrap of metal.
Why is this ambiguous? I understand this statement means "They wanted me to pay 10 pounds for that scrap of metal." Can it really mean something like "They offered me 10 pounds for that scrap of metal."?

 

[Barb_D]

NOT A TEACHER

They asked me £ 10 for that scrap of metal.
Why is this ambiguous? I understand this statement means "They wanted me to pay 10 pounds for that scrap of metal." Can it really mean something like "They offered me 10 pounds for that scrap of metal."?

If it said "They offered me 10 pounds (I can't make the pound symbol)..." it would mean that. It doesn't mean that with "asked."

 

[CarloSsS]

If it said "They offered me 10 pounds (I can't make the pound symbol)..." it would mean that. It doesn't mean that with "asked."

So in what way is the sentence 'confused' as SoothingDave put it?

 

[SoothingDave]

It's confused because "asked" isn't used in that way. Either they "offered" you 10 pounds for the metal (they were buying) or they "were asking" 10 pounds (they were selling). You can't say they "asked me" in this context.

 

[Cerezo]

Is it correct to say They asked me to pay £10 for that scrap of metal?

 

[Tdol]

You can, but it means something a bit different- they were making a request more than giving a price in your version IMO.

 

[licinio]

This seems to contradict the general rule whereby you ask for something in order to have it, and ask something in order to know it.

 

[5jj]

It is not an exception to any rule.

If you request something, you ask for it.
If you state the price your wish to receive for something, you ask that price.

 

[licinio]

What about "This is the person I asked the information to"? Do I need "to" or not, being a DO?

 

[5jj]

licinio, I apologise for accidentally deleting the message in your post #9. I don't know how it happened. Sorry

 

[Barb_D]

What about "This is the person I asked the information to"? Do I need "to" or not, being a DO?

You don't ask "to." Try this: This is the person I asked for the information.

Other options (not as good):
This is the person from whom I asked the information. (Rather awkward)
This is the person I asked the information of. (Not as natural.)