Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - ask

(asks, asking, asked) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. If you ask someone something, you say something to them in the form of a question because you want to know the answer. ‘How is Frank?’ he asked... I asked him his name... I wasn’t the only one asking questions... She asked me if I’d enjoyed my dinner... If Daniel asks what happened in court we will tell him... You will have to ask David about that... ‘I’m afraid to ask what it cost.’—‘Then don’t ask.’ VERB: V with quote, V n n, V n, V n wh, V wh, V n about n, V 2. If you ask someone to do something, you tell them that you want them to do it. We had to ask him to leave... VERB: V n to-inf 3. If you ask to do something, you tell someone that you want to do it. I asked to see the Director. VERB: V to-inf 4. If you ask for something, you say that you would like it. I decided to go to the next house and ask for food... VERB: V for n 5. If you ask for someone, you say that you would like to speak to them. There’s a man at the gate asking for you. VERB: V for n 6. If you ask someone’s permission, opinion, or forgiveness, you try to obtain it by putting a request to them. Please ask permission from whoever pays the phone bill before making your call. VERB: V n 7. If you ask someone to an event or place, you invite them to go there. Couldn’t you ask Jon to the party?... She asked me back to her house. VERB: V n to/for n, V n adv 8. If someone is asking a particular price for something, they are selling it for that price. Mr Pantelaras was asking ?6,000 for his collection. VERB: V n for n 9. You reply ‘don’t ask me’ when you do not know the answer to a question, usually when you are annoyed or surprised that you have been asked. ‘She’s got other things on her mind, wouldn’t you think?’ ‘Don’t ask me,’ murmured Chris. ‘I’ve never met her.’ CONVENTION c darkgreen]feelings 10. You can say ‘may I ask’ as a formal way of asking a question, which shows you are annoyed or suspicious about something. May I ask where you’re going, sir? PHRASE c darkgreen]feelings 11. You can say ‘if you ask me’ to emphasize that you are stating your personal opinion. He was nuts, if you ask me. PHRASE: PHR with cl c darkgreen]emphasis 12. If you say that someone is asking for trouble or is asking for it, you mean that they are behaving in a way that makes it very likely that they will get into trouble. To go ahead with the match after such clear advice had been asking for trouble. PHRASE: V inflects