Ask & Ask for

1) ask and ask for

Ask for: ask somebody to give something

Ask without for. ask somebody to tell something

Compare:

Don't ask me for money.

(not Don't ask me money.)

Don't ask me my name.
(not Don't ask me for my name.)

Ask for the menu.
Ask the price.

Ask is sometimes used without for when talking about asking for sums of money, especially in connection with buying, selling and renting.

They're asking $500 a month rent.

'How much is the car?' 'I'm asking fifteen hundred.'

Note also the expressions ask a lot of somebody, ask too much of somebody, ask a favor of somebody and ask (for) permission.

2) direct and indirect objects

Ask can be followed by either a direct or an indirect object.

Ask his name. Ask him. When ask is followed by two objects, the indirect object (the person) normally comes first, without a preposition.

I'll ask that man the time, (not I'll ask the time to that man)

Can I ask you a favor?

A structure with direct object + of+ indirect object is also possible, especially in American English.

I want to ask a question of that man over there.

She's never asked a favor of anybody.

3) infinitive structures

We can use infinitive structures after ask:

ask + infinitive / asked to go home. (= I asked permission to go home.)

ask + object + infinitive I asked John to go home. (= I told John I would like him to go home.)

ask + for + object + infinitive

I asked for the children to have extra milk.

I asked for the parcel to be sent to my home address.

Note the difference between these two sentences:

I asked John to go home. (I wanted John to go home.)

I asked John if I could go home. (I wanted to go home myself.)