menu couple

Ask (for)

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Indonesian IELTS candidates are sometimes confused about how to translate tanya and minta.

When you're making a request using ask, the following are possible:

  • I'll ask the waiter.
  • ask someone
  • I'll ask the waiter for the menu.
  • ask someone for something
  • I'll ask the waiter about the menu.
  • ask someone about something / someone
  • I'll ask the waiter to bring us the menu.
  • ask someone to do something
  • I'll ask for the menu.
  • ask for something / someone
    (the structure most likely to be used by a native speaker)

Notice that ask something is not in this list. The picture below shows a woman asking something for information.

menu talk

a woman 'asking the menu'