Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence: The manager asked to the clerk to submit the rep…

Question

Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence:

The manager asked to the clerk to submit the report.

1. A. asked the clerk that submit the report
2. B. requested the clerk to submit report
3. C. asked the clerk to submit the report (Correct answer)
4. D. told to the clerk submit report

Correct Answer

Option C — asked the clerk to submit the report

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is asked the clerk to submit the report.

Key Points

• The verb ask takes its personal object directly, with no preposition — you ask *someone*, not ask *to someone*.
• The corrected phrase is therefore asked the clerk to submit the report.
• Option A wrongly uses 'that submit', option B changes the verb to *requested* rather than fixing the error, and option D reverses the fault by inserting *to* before the clerk.

Additional Information

• The pattern is ask + object + to-infinitive: *She asked him to wait.* The same frame governs *tell*, *advise*, *request*, *permit* and *order*.
• Contrast *say* and *suggest*, which do take a preposition before the person — *said to the clerk*, *suggested to the manager* — which is where the confusion originates.
• In replace-the-highlighted-part questions, change only what is grammatically wrong; an option that also swaps a correct word for a synonym is usually a distractor.