asks

Asks is the third-person singular present tense of the verb to ask. It means to request information, clarification, or action from someone. As a transitive verb, it typically takes a direct object representing what is being requested and can be followed by infinitives, prepositional phrases, or noun clauses.

Common patterns include asking for something (she asked for directions), asking a question (he asked a question), and asking someone to do something (they asked him to stay). It can introduce direct questions, as in “She asked, ‘Where are you going?’,” or indirect questions, as in “She asked where I was going.” The verb forms with different subjects (I ask, you ask, he asks, they ask) and the participles used in continuous forms (asking) or perfect forms (has asked).

Usage notes: ask for and ask about are common collocations. To ask for something expresses a request for an object, favor, or information; to ask about something seeks information regarding it. The phrase to ask someone to do something denotes a request for action. In negation or questions, forms such as “Did she ask?” or “He did not ask” are standard. In indirect speech, the tense can shift: “She asked if I would come.”

Etymology and related terms: the verb comes from Old English ascian (to ask) with cognates in other Germanic languages. Related terms include inquire, request, question, and interrogation.

See also: inquiry, question, request, interrogation, asking.