Why "ask someone on something" impossible?
There are similar verbs to "ask" in meaning or structure, such as "question" and "advise". Both verbs can take "on" as in the examples below, but why do native speakers feel "on" very unnatural only when it's used with "ask" unlike "question" and "advise"? I think that "on" can be used instead of "about" with "ask".
1. The students were questioned on the books they had been studying.(O)
2. She advises the government on environmental issues.(O)
3. The interviewer asked me on my future plans.(X)
Is it because "on" sounds too formal to be collocated with "ask"?, or there could be ambiguity in the sentence?
Top answer
fire1 I think that "on" can be used instead of "about" with "ask". You can ask for something, ask about something or ask (something) of someone. It is unnatural to ask on something.
- fire1 I think that "on" can be used instead of "about" with "ask".
- You can ask for something, ask about something or ask (something) of someone.
- It is unnatural to ask on something.
- Ask goes back to Old English; question and advise are from Middle and Old French, respectively.
- The patterns of usage are different.
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fire1I think that "on" can be used instead of "about" with "ask".
You can ask for something, ask about something or ask (something) of someone.
It is unnatural to ask on something.
Ask goes back to Old English; question and advise are from Middle and Old French, respectively. The patterns of
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