want / ask / tell someone to do
want / ask / tell someone to do means “verb + person + to + base verb: want/ask/tell someone to do something”. Verbs like want, ask, tell, would like, and expect can take a person plus a to-infinitive: I want you to come, She asked him to help, They told us to wait. Formation: verb + object + to + base verb · negative: not to + base verb
verb + person + to + base verb: want/ask/tell someone to do something
A2Formation
verb + object + to + base verb · negative: not to + base verb
Explanation
Verbs like want, ask, tell, would like, and expect can take a person plus a to-infinitive: I want you to come, She asked him to help, They told us to wait. The person is the one who does the second action. To make it negative, put not before to: He told me not to wait, I asked her not to worry.
Examples
Note
Not every verb allows this: say does not (say to me, but tell me — see egr059). With tell and ask the person is required; with want compare I want to go (myself) and I want you to go (someone else).
FAQ
want / ask / tell someone to do — what does it mean and how is it used?
verb + person + to + base verb: want/ask/tell someone to do something. Verbs like want, ask, tell, would like, and expect can take a person plus a to-infinitive: I want you to come, She asked him to help, They told us to wait. The person is the one who does the second action. To make it negative, put not before to: He told me not to wait, I asked her not to worry.
want / ask / tell someone to do — how do you form it?
verb + object + to + base verb · negative: not to + base verb
want / ask / tell someone to do — any usage notes?
Not every verb allows this: say does not (say to me, but tell me — see egr059). With tell and ask the person is required; with want compare I want to go (myself) and I want you to go (someone else).