ask
Primary: verbCan function as: verb
Functions exclusively as a verb
π Pronunciation
/Γ¦sk/
Syllables: ask
Stress: single syllable
Final /sk/ cluster can be difficult for some L1 speakers
π¨βπ©βπ§βπ¦ Word Family
| Word Class | Forms |
|---|---|
| Verbs | ask, asks, asked, asking |
| Nouns | asker |
| Adjectives | askable |
Limited derivational morphology
π― Verb Forms
| Infinitive: | to ask |
| Base form: | ask |
| 3rd person singular: | asks |
| Past simple: | asked |
| Past participle: | asked |
| Present participle: | asking |
| Gerund: | asking |
Note: regular verb
π Meanings & Definitions
Verb Meanings
1
to put a question to someone to get information
“She asked me about my job.”
“Can I ask you something?”
Synonyms: inquire, query, question
neutralgeneral
2
to request something or make a polite demand
“He asked for help.”
“They asked to leave early.”
Synonyms: request, seek, solicit
neutralgeneral
3
to invite someone to do something
“They asked us to dinner.”
“She asked him to dance.”
Synonyms: invite, bid
neutralsocial
π§ Verb Patterns
ask + somebody + question/something
“She asked me a question.”
Note: direct object + indirect object pattern
ask + somebody + about + something
“They asked her about the meeting.”
Note: common prepositional pattern
ask + somebody + to do something
“He asked me to help him.”
Meaning: request or invitation meaning
ask + for + something
“The children asked for ice cream.”
Meaning: request meaning
Transitivity
Type: transitive
Passive possible: Yes
Passive examples:
“I was asked to join the team.”
“The question was asked by several students.”
π€ Collocations
Verb + Noun
β οΈ Common Errors
β He asked me what time is it.ββ He asked me what time it was.
Incorrect word order in indirect questions
Common for: Common in many language groups
Medium impact
β She asked to me to help.ββ She asked me to help.
Redundant preposition
β Can you ask where is the station?ββ Can you ask where the station is?
Word order in embedded questions
β I want to ask about your name.ββ I want to ask your name.
Unnecessary preposition
β He asked that I help him.ββ He asked me to help him.
Wrong complementation pattern
β She asked me can I help.ββ She asked me if I could help.
Direct question form in indirect speech
π Etymology
Origin: Old English 'ascian', from Proto-Germanic '*aiskΕjan'
Original meaning: “to request, inquire”
Development: Meaning has remained relatively stable since Old English
Related words in other languages: German 'heischen', Dutch 'eisen'
π Register & Frequency
Frequency: top 500 words
Spoken: very common
Written: very common
Academic: common
Business: common
Formality: neutral