We cannot ask for money from patients.

[tufguy]

We cannot ask for money from patients.

Is this a correct sentence?

 

[GoesStation]

Yes.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

In the US, doctors cannot NOT ask for money from patients!

 

[tufguy]

Yes.

I am confused now. We cannot say "I asked a question from my teacher" but we can say "we cannot ask for something from someone". What is the reason? We can use "from" in the latter but not in the former.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

I am confused now. We cannot say "I asked a question from my teacher" but we can say "we cannot ask for something from someone". What is the reason? We can use "from" in the latter but not in the former.

Prepositions are tricky, aren't they?

The question is not from your teacher. The answer is. So you can say, "I asked for an answer from my teacher."

 

[jutfrank]

I am confused now. We cannot say "I asked a question from my teacher" but we can say "we cannot ask for something from someone". What is the reason? We can use "from" in the latter but not in the former.

In the pattern ask for something, the meaning is that you make a request. That usually means you want someone to give you something. If you follow this pattern with from, the person who gives you the thing you want is what comes after from.

The pattern ask something has a completely different meaning. In this case, you're not making a request but a question. You can follow this pattern with to, where the person who comes after to is the person who answers the question.

ask for something = request
ask something = question

 

[tufguy]

In the pattern ask for something, the meaning is that you make a request. That usually means you want someone to give you something. If you follow this pattern with from, the person who gives you the thing you want is what comes after from.

The pattern ask something has a completely different meaning. In this case, you're not making a request but a question. You can follow this pattern with to, where the person who comes after to is the person who answers the question.

ask for something = request
ask something = question

"Tom is asking a question to his teacher" or "Tom is asking about earth to his father". Are these correct? Don't we have to use "Of" in these kinds of sentences instead of "To"?

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

"Tom is asking his teacher a question" or "Tom is asking his father about the Earth". Are these correct?

That's how to say those sentences.

Don't we have to use "of" in these kinds of sentences instead of "to"?

You don't have to use of or to.

Does that help?

 

[Rover_KE]

We cannot ask for money from patients.

In what real-life situation do you want to use this sentence?

"Tom is asking a question to his teacher" or "Tom is asking about Earth to his father".

If you spent more time reading instead of creating imaginary scenarios, you'd soon discover that native English-speakers don't write sentences like that.

 

[tufguy]

In what real-life situation do you want to use this sentence?

If you spent more time reading instead of creating imaginary scenarios, you'd soon discover that native English-speakers don't write sentences like that.

While talking to an insurance representative. You cannot ask for money from me. This is what I will say.

 

[Rover_KE]

Then why didn't you open with that instead of confusingly introducing some phantom patients?

 

[emsr2d2]

You don't refer to yourself as a "patient" when talking to an insurance company. You are one of their clients or customers. It seems you are simply trying to say "You can't ask me for money".

 

[Tdol]

How about cannot charge?