Usage of verb 'ask'

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Hello, expert?I always get great help from this place. Thank you so much.I came back with another question since I need another help.It's about the verb 'ask' and a preposition that could go along with it.Would you look at the following sentences please?1) I said to myself, "Will we be able to handle the routes?"2) I asked myself whether we would be able to handle the routes.As far as I know, the above two sentences mean basically the same. What I want to know is whether the sentence could mean the same, causing no grammatical problems                                                                      if I use  "to myself" instead of "myself" in sentence No. 2. I know we normally don't say "ask to somebody something".  Instead we should say, "ask sb sth".However, putting 'to myself" in this sentence really confuses me because as a second language learner of English, I learned the usage of "to oneself". Let me repeat my question again here.  Does sentence No.3 below deliver the same meaningas sentence No.2 to you?And would you say you sometimes hear some people say this?3) I asked to myself whether we would be able to handle the routes.I would very much appreciate it if you could help...

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

hohok1) I said to myself, "Will we be able to handle the routes?"

Usually, when we "say" something, it is a statement, not a question.
The preposition "to" follows "say".

e.g.

I said to myself, "I have to remember to pick up some bananas at the store today."
I said to myself, "Don't forget, today is mom's birthday."
I said to Joe, "Please don't forget that today is mom's birthday."

hohok2) I asked myself whether we would be able to handle the routes.

When we ask something, it is a question.

In this case, it is an indirect question form.

It is grammatical and good. If there is another person, there is no preposition. If the person being asked is the same as the subject, the reflexive form is used.

I asked my boss whether we would be able to handle the routes.
He asked himself many times, "Can I get 100% on the exam?"
We asked ourselves if we should take a break, or keep on working.

hohok3) I asked to myself whether we would be able to handle the routes.

That is not correct.

CalifJim · Answer

hohok1) I said to myself, "Will we be able to handle the routes?"
2) I asked myself whether we would be able to handle the routes.

Both are correct, and they have the same meaning.

"said to myself" followed by a question and "asked myself" can also be rendered as "wondered" in English. So here's another sentence that means the same thing as the first two:

I wondered whether we would be able to handle the routes.

hohokif I use "to myself" instead of "myself" in sentence No. 2
3) I asked to myself whether we would be able to handle the routes.

No, no, no. You can't "ask TO someone", not even TO yourself. 'ask' doesn't go with "to (someone)".

hohokI learned the usage of "to oneself"

You can use "to oneself" the same as you use "to myself", "to yourself", and so on. Therefore, you can't say One asks to oneself (something) either. It has to be One asks oneself.

CJ

Usage of verb 'ask'

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