ENGLISH
REFERENCE

ask about

phr. v..
A2 Elementary Oxford

phr. v.. to request information or news about someone or something.

phr. v.. to inquire regarding a specific subject, person, or situation; functions as an intransitive verb followed by a prepositional object.


SIMPLE

I called to ask about the job opening.

CONTEXTUAL

When I saw Sarah, she didn't forget to ask about your new apartment.

COMPLEX

The investigators began to ask about his whereabouts on the night the documents went missing from the office.

Particles
about
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
ask (+ person) + about + object
Usage

the object is usually the topic of the inquiry or a person's well-being.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'ask for' (requesting a thing) versus 'ask about' (requesting information); this is a high-frequency combination for basic social interaction.

Pitfall

He asked about to me.He asked me about it.the person being questioned is the direct object, while the topic follows 'about'.

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