Meaning & use
asked
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“asked” is a form of “ask”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
Put a question to someone in order to get information.
Grammar: Can take an object: 'She asked a question.' Or no object: 'She asked politely.'
Patterns
- ask someone something
- ask about something
- ask if/whether ...
He asked me where the station was.
She asked about the price before buying the ticket.
They asked whether we needed help.
verbtransitive
Say that you want someone to do something or to give you something.
Grammar: Often followed by 'to' + verb or 'for' + noun: 'He asked me to wait.'
Patterns
- ask someone to do something
- ask for something
- ask someone for something
I asked my brother to lend me his bike.
She asked for a glass of water.
The teacher asked us to be quiet.
verbtransitive
Invite someone to an event or to your home.
Grammar: Usually followed by 'to' + place or event: 'They asked us to dinner.'
Patterns
- ask someone to something
- ask someone out
They asked all the neighbors to the party.
He finally asked her out for coffee.
Word forms
| third person singular | asks |
|---|---|
| past tense | asked |
| past participle | asked |
| -ing form | asking |
Common combinations
- ask a question
- Feel free to ask a question at any time.
- ask for help
- Don't be afraid to ask for help.
- ask someone to do something
- She asked me to close the door.
- ask about something
- He asked about the new schedule.
- ask around
- I asked around, but nobody knew the answer.
Synonyms and how they differ
- inquire
- More formal than 'ask' and used mostly in writing or polite service situations.
- question
- Suggests asking many detailed questions, often in an official or intense way.
- request
- Focuses on politely asking for something specific; it does not usually mean asking for information.
Opposites
Word family
- ask verb
- The base form; 'asked' is its past tense and past participle.
- asking noun
- The act of requesting something: 'That price is yours for the asking.'
Commonly confused: asked or askt?
asked vs askt
Not a real word. The correct past tense is 'asked', pronounced /ɑːskt/ or /æskt/.
Practice
Which sentence uses the correct past form of 'ask'?
Choose one answer.
B is correct because 'asked' is the past tense of 'ask'. An is wrong because 'askt' is not a word. C is wrong because 'asking' needs a helping verb like 'was'. D is wrong because 'asks' is present tense and does not fit 'yesterday'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “asked”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.