在外商公司中，像是詢問資料、提出需求、請同事協助等情境每天都會發生，而英文中最常用的動詞之一就是 ask。
但你知道 ask 搭配不同介系詞時，意思其實完全不同嗎？
像是：
- ask someone（直接詢問某人）
- ask about something（詢問某件事情）
- ask for something（提出需求）
- ask someone to do something（要求某人做某事）
這些都是 TOEIC 職場情境對話與文法題的高頻句型，熟悉後能大幅提升閱讀與聽力理解能力。
🎧Apple Podcast｜Spotify
💬 情境對話
English Dialogue
Emily: Have you asked the logistics team about the updated shipping schedule?
Ryan: Not yet. I was going to ask them after the weekly briefing.
Emily: The client has asked for a revised delivery timeline this morning.
Ryan: In that case, I’ll ask Mark to check the warehouse inventory first.
Emily: Good idea. They might also ask us to submit a progress report.
Ryan: Should I ask for additional documentation from the supplier?
Emily: Yes, please. And ask them to include the customs clearance details.
Ryan: I’ll also ask about the revised invoice.
Emily: Great. Let me know if they ask for any clarification.
Ryan: Will do. I’ll ask them to respond by the end of today.
中文翻譯
Emily：你有向物流部門詢問更新後的出貨時程嗎？
Ryan：還沒有，我原本打算在每週簡報後再問他們。
Emily：客戶今天早上要求提供修正後的交貨時間表。
Ryan：那我會請 Mark 先確認倉庫庫存。
Emily：好主意。他們也可能會要求我們提交進度報告。
Ryan：我需要向供應商索取額外文件嗎？
Emily：需要，並請他們附上報關細節。
Ryan：我也會詢問修正後的發票。
Emily：很好，如果他們需要任何說明請通知我。
Ryan：沒問題，我會請他們在今天結束前回覆。
📚 Vocabulary Boost — TOEIC 關鍵字彙
| Word / Phrase | IPA | Part of Speech | 中文意思 | English Example Sentence | 中文翻譯 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| logistics | /ləˈdʒɪstɪks/ | noun | 物流 | The logistics team will update the shipment status. | 物流團隊會更新出貨狀態 |
| revised | /rɪˈvaɪzd/ | adj | 修正的 | We need a revised delivery plan. | 我們需要修正後的交貨計畫 |
| inventory | /ˈɪnvənˌtɔːri/ | noun | 庫存 | Please check the inventory levels. | 請確認庫存量 |
| supplier | /səˈplaɪər/ | noun | 供應商 | The supplier will send the documents. | 供應商會寄送文件 |
| documentation | /ˌdɑːkjəmenˈteɪʃən/ | noun | 文件資料 | Submit the required documentation. | 提交必要文件 |
| clarification | /ˌklærəfɪˈkeɪʃən/ | noun | 說明 | They asked for further clarification. | 他們要求進一步說明 |
| timeline | /ˈtaɪmlaɪn/ | noun | 時程 | We updated the project timeline. | 我們更新了專案時程 |
| progress report | — | noun | 進度報告 | Submit a weekly progress report. | 提交每週進度報告 |
| invoice | /ˈɪnvɔɪs/ | noun | 發票 | The invoice will be revised. | 發票將會修正 |
| respond | /rɪˈspɑːnd/ | verb | 回覆 | Please respond by Friday. | 請在週五前回覆 |
🔍 Grammar Points — TOEIC 必考句型
| Structure / Pattern | 中文說明 | English Example | 中文翻譯 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ask + 人 | 直接詢問某人 | I will ask the manager. | 我會詢問經理。 |
| ask about + 事物 | 詢問某件事 | She asked about the policy. | 她詢問政策內容。 |
| ask for + 名詞 | 提出需求 | They asked for a refund. | 他們要求退款。 |
| ask + 人 + to V | 要求某人做某事 | He asked me to revise it. | 他請我修改。 |
| ask + if / whether | 詢問是否 | She asked if we agreed. | 她詢問我們是否同意。 |
📖 Transcript 逐字稿
J: You know, I was looking at my inbox today, and it… uh… it just hit me. Like 90% of my job is just trying to get things from other people.
J：你知道嗎，我今天在看我的收件匣時，突然有個感覺……就是我大概有 90% 的工作都在跟別人要東西。
M: You need a file, or… um… you need an approval.
M：你需要某個檔案，或者……嗯……你需要某個核准。
J: or you just need someone to actually read that email you sent like three days ago.
J：或者你只是希望有人真的去看你三天前寄的那封信。
M: It’s the universal struggle, honestly. And usually, the verb doing all that heavy lifting there is “ask”.
M：老實說這是全世界共同的困擾。而通常在這種情況下最常用的動詞就是「ask」。
M: But here is the thing, and I see this constantly in my consulting work. If you swap the preposition, even by accident, you might turn a really polite question into a demand.
M：但重點是，在我的顧問工作中我經常看到，如果你只是把介系詞換掉，就算是不小心，也可能把一個禮貌的問題變成命令。
J: Exactly. One tiny word completely changes the whole vibe. I’m Jason, by the way.
J：沒錯，一個小小的字就會完全改變整體語氣。對了，我是 Jason。
M: And I’m Mary. Welcome to MJ English. We are here to give your business skills and your TOEIC score a serious boost before you’ve even finished your coffee.
M：我是 Mary。歡迎收聽《MJ English》。我們希望在你咖啡還沒喝完前，就幫你的商務能力和多益成績大幅提升。
J: So today, we are looking at a classic high-pressure scenario. Logistics. We have two colleagues trying to coordinate a shipment with a client and a supplier. And, well, the clock is ticking. Let’s hear how it goes.
J：今天我們要來看一個經典的高壓情境——物流。有兩位同事正在和客戶及供應商協調出貨，而時間正在倒數。我們來聽聽看他們怎麼處理。
M: And listen closely to how they use the word “ask” here. It pops up in several different forms, and the meaning shifts every single time.
M：而且請仔細聽他們怎麼使用「ask」這個字。它以不同形式出現，而且每次意思都會改變。
English Dialogue
Emily: Have you asked the logistics team about the updated shipping schedule?
Ryan: Not yet. I was going to ask them after the weekly briefing.
Emily: The client has asked for a revised delivery timeline this morning.
Ryan: In that case, I’ll ask Mark to check the warehouse inventory first.
Emily: Good idea. They might also ask us to submit a progress report.
Ryan: Should I ask for additional documentation from the supplier?
Emily: Yes, please. And ask them to include the customs clearance details.
Ryan: I’ll also ask about the revised invoice.
Emily: Great. Let me know if they ask for any clarification.
Ryan: Will do. I’ll ask them to respond by the end of today.
中文翻譯
Emily：你有向物流部門詢問更新後的出貨時程嗎？
Ryan：還沒有，我原本打算在每週簡報後再問他們。
Emily：客戶今天早上要求提供修正後的交貨時間表。
Ryan：那我會請 Mark 先確認倉庫庫存。
Emily：好主意。他們也可能會要求我們提交進度報告。
Ryan：我需要向供應商索取額外文件嗎？
Emily：需要，並請他們附上報關細節。
Ryan：我也會詢問修正後的發票。
Emily：很好，如果他們需要任何說明請通知我。
Ryan：沒問題，我會請他們在今天結束前回覆。
J: Okay, honestly, just listening to that stresses me out a bit.
J：老實說，光聽就讓我有點壓力。
M: I know, right? But before we unpack the grammar, let’s look at the business vocabulary, because there is some nuance here that you just won’t find in a standard dictionary.
M：我懂。但在我們拆解文法之前，先來看看商務用語，因為這裡有些細微差異是一般字典找不到的。
J: Let’s start with “logistics”. Technically, I mean, it’s managing the flow of goods.
J：先從「logistics」開始。技術上來說，它是指貨物流動的管理。
M: Right. But in the corporate world, if someone says it’s a “logistics issue”, it’s usually code for “we have the product, but we have absolutely no idea where the truck is”.
M：對。但在企業世界裡，如果有人說這是「物流問題」，通常意思是「我們有產品，但完全不知道貨車在哪裡」。
J: It’s the “how” of getting things done. Then we heard the word “revised”. Revised timeline, revised invoice.
J：這就是事情怎麼完成的「過程」。接著我們聽到「revised」，例如修訂後的時程、修訂後的發票。
M: This one is a crucial keyword. “Revised” is the polite, professional way of acknowledging a change, or let’s be honest, a mistake.
M：這是一個關鍵字。「Revised」是禮貌又專業地承認有變更，或老實說，是承認錯誤的方式。
J: Yeah, the first version is rarely the final version in business.
J：對，在商業世界裡第一版很少是最終版。
M: If you see a file named “revised”, it essentially means: delete the old one immediately so you don’t mess up.
M：如果你看到檔名寫著「revised」，基本上就是提醒你立刻刪掉舊版以免出錯。
J: That is just solid life advice. They also mentioned “clarification”.
J：這真的是人生建議。他們還提到了「clarification」。
M: Oh, I love this word. It’s a total power move.
M：我很喜歡這個字，這是一種強勢但禮貌的表達。
J: How so?
J：怎麼說？
M: Well, instead of saying “I don’t understand”, which makes you sound a bit confused, you “ask for clarification”. It politely shifts the burden right back to the other person to explain it better.
M：因為你不用說「我聽不懂」，而是「我需要釐清」，這樣禮貌地把解釋的責任轉回對方身上。
J: Professional confusion. I really like that. Now, let’s get to the core of today’s topic. The word “ask”.
J：專業式困惑，我很喜歡。現在我們來看今天的核心：「ask」。
J: It felt like they used it a dozen times, but the meaning shifted constantly depending on what actually came next.
J：他們好像用了十幾次，但意思會隨著後面接的字而改變。
M: It’s a minefield for learners, but an absolute gold mine for TOEIC questions. The first pattern we heard was “ask about”. Emily asked about the shipping schedule.
M：對學習者來說這是地雷區，但對多益來說是考題寶庫。我們先聽到的是「ask about」。Emily 詢問了出貨時程。
J: So, “ask about” + a noun.
J：也就是「ask about + 名詞」。
M: Yes. This is purely information gathering. You’re just inquiring regarding a topic. If I ask about the quarterly report, I just want to know the status. I’m not telling you to hand it to me right this second.
M：對，這純粹是在蒐集資訊。如果我詢問季度報告，我只是想知道狀況，不是要你立刻交給我。
J: But that changes instantly with the next one, right? “Ask for”. The client asked for a timeline.
J：但下一個就完全不同了。「Ask for」。客戶要求一份時程表。
M: “Ask for” is transactional. It means “give me”. It is a request for transfer.
M：「Ask for」是交易型的意思，就是「給我」。
J: Give us an example.
J：舉個例子。
M: Sure. If you walk into a cafe and ask about the coffee, you’re asking if it’s a dark roast. But if you ask for the coffee, you are actually buying it.
M：例如你進咖啡店詢問咖啡，就是在了解資訊。但如果你點咖啡，就是要拿到它。
J: That is the key takeaway right there. “About” is discussion, while “for” is literally “give me the thing”.
J：重點就在這裡。「About」是討論，「For」就是要拿到東西。
M: But then we have that management layer. Ryan said he would “ask Mark to check” the inventory.
M：接著是管理層用法。Ryan 說他會請 Mark 檢查庫存。
J: This is where the power dynamic comes in.
J：這就牽涉到權力關係。
M: This is the structure “ask + person + to + verb”. You are not asking a question here at all. You are delegating.
M：這是「ask + 人 + to + 動詞」的結構。這不是提問，而是在分派工作。
J: You’re instructing someone to complete a task.
J：你是在指示某人完成任務。
M: Right. “Ask him to call me” or “ask them to sign this”. It’s a firm instruction wrapped up in a polite verb.
M：例如「請他打電話給我」或「請他們簽名」。這是包裝成禮貌形式的指令。
J: So if you use the wrong structure here, you might accidentally just query someone instead of actually assigning them a task.
J：如果用錯結構，你可能只是問問題，而不是分派任務。
M: And finally, there’s just the direct “ask someone”. Like “I’ll ask the manager”. That is just a direct question to a person.
M：最後是直接的「ask someone」，例如「我會去問主管」，這只是單純提問。
J: Okay, so to recap the hierarchy: “Ask about” is for topics. “Ask for” is when you want to receive something. And “ask someone to” is when you need action taken.
J：總結一下，「Ask about」是詢問主題，「Ask for」是索取東西，而「ask someone to」是要求行動。
M: If you nail those distinctions, your emails become crystal clear. You stop getting long explanations when you actually just wanted a file attached.
M：如果掌握這些差異，你的信件就會變得非常清楚，也不會再收到長篇解釋，當你其實只想要附件時。
J: And no more accidental demands when you really just wanted a quick chat.
J：也不會在只是想聊一下時，不小心變成命令。
