Phrasal verb
ask in
Definition
phrasal verb. to invite someone who is at your door to come inside your house or a room.
phrasal verb. to invite a person to enter a building or room, typically upon their arrival at the entrance.
Examples
“The neighbor is at the door, so please ask him in.”
“It was starting to rain, so she quickly asked the delivery driver in while she looked for her wallet.”
“Although they were in the middle of a private discussion, they felt it would be rude not to ask the visitor in for a coffee.”
Examples
simple
“The neighbor is at the door, so please ask him in.”
contextual
“It was starting to rain, so she quickly asked the delivery driver in while she looked for her wallet.”
complex
“Although they were in the middle of a private discussion, they felt it would be rude not to ask the visitor in for a coffee.”
Usage
this is a transitive phrasal verb that requires an object, usually a person.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'invite over', which implies a planned social event, whereas 'ask in' usually happens spontaneously at the doorstep.
Pitfall
I asked in him.
I asked him in.
when the object is a pronoun like 'him' or 'her', it must go between the verb and the particle.
Phrasal verb
Particles
in
Separability
optional
Pattern
ask + object + in
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/ask-in