ask

ask¹ W1S1 [a:sk US æsk] v

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1¦(question)¦

2¦(for help/advice etc)¦

3¦(price)¦

4¦(invite)¦

5¦(demand)¦

6 be asking for trouble

7 ask yourself something

8 if you ask me

9 don't ask me

10 don't ask

11 be asking for it

12 be somebody's for the asking

Phrasal verbs

　ask after somebody

　ask for somebody

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[: Old English; Origin: ascian]

1.) ¦(QUESTION)¦ [I and T]

to speak or write to someone in order to get an answer, information, or a solution

▪ 'What's your name?' she asked.

▪ Don't ask him - he won't know anything about it.

▪ That kid's always asking awkward questions .

ask who/what/where etc

▪ I just asked him where he lived.

ask sb sth

▪ We'll have to ask someone the way to the station.

ask sb if/whether

▪ Go and ask Tom whether he's coming tonight.

ask (sb) about sth

▪ Visitors usually ask about the history of the castle.

ask around

(=ask in a lot of places or ask a lot of people)

▪ I'll ask around, see if I can find you a place to stay.

2.) ¦(FOR HELP/ADVICE ETC)¦ [I and T]

to make a request for help, advice, information etc

▪ If you need anything, you only have to ask.

ask sb to do sth

▪ Ask John to mail those letters tomorrow.

ask to do sth

▪ Karen asked to see the doctor.

ask for

▪ Some people find it difficult to ask for help.

ask sb for sth

▪ He repeatedly asked Bailey for the report.

ask (sb) if/whether you can do sth

▪ Ask your mom if you can come with us.

ask that

▪ Was it too much to ask that he be allowed some privacy?

3.) ¦(PRICE)¦ [T]

to want a particular amount of money for something you are selling

▪ How much is he asking?

ask $50/$1,000 etc for sth

▪ He's asking £2,000 for his car.

▪ They're asking a fortune for that house.

4.) ¦(INVITE)¦ [T usually + adverb/preposition]

to invite someone to your home, to go out with you etc

ask sb to do sth

▪ Let's ask them to have dinner with us some time.

ask sb out

(=ask someone, especially someone of the opposite sex, to go to a film, a restaurant etc with you)

▪ Jerry's too scared to ask her out.

ask sb in

(=invite someone into your house, office etc)

▪ Don't leave them standing on the doorstep - ask them in!

ask sb over/round

(=invite someone to come to your home)

▪ We must ask our new neighbours over for a drink.

5.) ¦(DEMAND)¦ [T]

if you ask something of someone, you want them to do it for you

▪ It would be better if he cooperated, but perhaps I'm asking too much.

ask sth of sb

▪ You have no right to ask anything of me.

▪ Expecting the children to do an hour's homework after school is asking a lot of them.

6.) be asking for trouble

to do something that is very likely to have a bad effect or result

▪ Saying that to a feminist is just asking for trouble.

7.) ask yourself sth

to think carefully and honestly about something

▪ You have to ask yourself where your responsibilities really lie.

8.) spoken if you ask me

used to emphasize your own opinion

▪ He's just plain crazy, if you ask me.

9.) spoken don't ask me

used to say you do not know the answer to something

▪ 'Where's she gone then?' 'Don't ask me!'

10.) spoken don't ask

used to say that something is too embarrassing or strange to explain

▪ 'What was that woman selling?' 'Don't ask.'

11.) spoken be asking for it

used to say that someone deserves something bad that happens to them

▪ It's his own fault he got hit - he was asking for it.

12.) be sb's for the asking informal

if something is yours for the asking, you can have it if you want it

▪ The job was hers for the asking.

ask after [ask after sb] phr v

if you ask after someone, you want to know whether they are well, what they are doing etc

▪ I spoke to James today. He was asking after you.

ask for [ask for sb] phr v

if you ask for someone, you want to speak to them

▪ There's someone at the door asking for Dad.

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WORD FOCUS: words meaning ask

request to officially ask for something

consult to ask someone for advice

demand to ask for something very forcefully

nag/pester to keep asking for something many times, in an annoying way

beg/plead to ask for something in an anxious or urgent way, because you want it very much

question/interrogate to ask someone questions - used especially about the police or the army

grill (informal) to ask someone a lot of difficult questions

cross-examine to ask someone questions in court - used about lawyers

poll to ask a lot of people for their opinion about something

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ask ²

ask² n

a big ask

a situation in a sports competition when someone needs to get a lot of points or do something very difficult in order to win

▪ We need to win the next three games. It's a big ask, but I'm confident we can do it.