(1) ①一般说来，当宾语是要求给予的具体事物时(如：火、钱、食物等)，用ask for，意为“要求得到/给予”；当宾语是关于某事的信息(抽象事物如：价格、时间、路线) 时，常用ask。
- He asked for a light/a pound of carrots/some money.
他要求给个火/一磅胡萝卜/一些钱。 - She asked the way to the bank/his advice/him for advice/the price of the carrots.
她问去银行的路/征询他的建议/向他征求意见/问胡萝卜的价格。
②但也有时有例外，尤其当谈论钱时。
- They are asking a lot of money for their house.
他们的房子要价很高。 - A: How much is the car?
这车多少钱？
B: I'm asking fifteen thousand.
我要价一万五。
③注意下面的短语：ask a lot/a great deal/too much of sb.(对某人提出很多要求/对某人提出太多要求)，ask a favor of sb.(要某人关照)，ask (for permission) to go。
(2) ①用ask时，通常在被问的人前不用介词；有两个宾语时，人在前。
- If you ask the policeman the time, he will always tell you.
如果问警察时间，他总会告诉你。
②当然也可说ask for a person，意思是“要找某人(如接电话)”。
- I asked for the manager.(I said，“Can I speak to the manager?”)
我要找经理。
(3) ①ask about意为“询问，问……的情况”。
- She asked about your health.
她问了你的身体状况。
②ask sth. of sb.意为“向某人问某事”，与ask sb. about sth.意思相同。
- I ask this chiefly of my own sex, for I wonder whether girls now really know and want the chances and choices that are open to them.
我问这个问题，主要是问与我相同性别的人，因为我不知道女孩子们现在是否真正地知道并想要这些摆在她们面前的机会和选择。
(4) ask可接不定式，也可接宾语+不定式(宾语是其后不定式的逻辑主语)。
- He asked to go home./I asked Ann to wake me (up) at 6 o'clock.
他要求回家。/我要安六点叫醒我。
(5) ask可接if/whether从句。
- I couldn't find my tennis racket, so I asked Mary if/whether I could use hers.
我找不着我的网球拍，因此我问玛丽是否可以用一下她的。
(6) ask也可接that从句表示要求，从句谓语多用虚拟；其他从句(如：if/whether, when) 表示询问，用直陈语气。
- He asked that this message (should) be given to the manager immediately.
他要求把这封电报立刻交给经理。 - My sisters send you greetings and ask when you will be in London.
我的姐妹们向你问候，并问你何时在伦敦。
(7) ask after意为“问好，问候”。
- They all asked after you/your health.
他们都向你问好/问候你的健康。
(8) ask还可表示“邀请，请”，与一个副词或一个介词短语连用。
- Why didn't you ask him in/(to come) out with you for the film?
你为什么没有让他进来/让他和你出去看电影？ - When she asked me to her house, I usually made some excuse.
当她邀我去她家时，我往往找个借口(不去)。
(9) inquire/enquire是“问，打听”，较ask正式。其后可接名词、从句和由where, when, how, what, whether/if等与不定式构成的复合结构。
- He inquired whether/if I'd care to take the position of English teacher in his school.
他问我是否愿意做他学校的英语老师。 - She inquired why I had not thought of that before.
她问为什么我以前没有想到过那个。 - Let's inquire how to get there.
咱们问一下怎样到那里吧。 - They inquired my reason for not finishing the job on time.
他们问我没有按时完成这项工作的原因。
(10) inquire sth. of sb.是“向某人打听、询问某事”。
- She inquired of me the reason for the delay of his arrival.
她向我询问他迟到的原因。 - She inquired the answer of me.
她向我问答案。
(11) inquire 也可不跟宾语或用在插入语中。
- If you want to know the times of the trains you can inquire at the information office.
如果你想要了解火车时刻，你可在问讯处询问。 - “How is your wife?” she inquired .
“你妻子好吗？”她问道。
(12) inquire 常与一些介词组成短语。
①inquire about与ask about意思相同，表示“询问，打听”，只是更正式一些。
- She inquired about you all.
她问候你们大家。 - Would you please inquire about the trains?
请你打听一下火车的情况，好吗？
②inquire after与ask after同义，表示“问候”。
- He was inquiring after you, and sent his kind regards.
他向你问候，并致以良好的祝愿。 - They came to inquire after their teacher.
他们来向他们的老师问好。
③inquire for意思是“要求见到，要……接电话，设法得到/买到”，较ask for更正式。
- A man is inquiring for you at the office.
一名男子在办公室等着要见你。 - While you were out, a young man rang up inquiring for you. He said he would ring again later.
你出去时一个年轻人打电话来找你，他说过一会儿会再打来。 - I inquired for this book in a small book-shop.
我是在一家小书店买到这本书的。
④inquire into意为“调查，了解，追究”。
- The police spent a whole year inquiring into the bribery.
警察花了整整一年时间来调查这桩贿赂案。 - Under the pressure of the public, the mayor pledged to inquire thoroughly into the matter.
在公众的压力下，市长承诺彻底调查此事。
