Minus "FOR"

[drio_BC04]

Hello there guys! I am new here in Sir Carillo's forum. I hope you could help me.
Is this statement wrong,
"In case the problem persists, inform the Front Desk Officer and ask for assistance"?

And can it be rewritten to,
"In case the problem persists, inform the Front Desk Officer and ask assistance"?

Help me, guys! Please...=)

[Joe Carillo]

The first sentence is grammatically correct: ""In case the problem persists, inform the Front Desk Officer and ask for assistance." The second construction that knocks off the preposition "for" in the phrase "ask for assistance" is awkward and grammatically wrong: "In case the problem persists, inform the Front Desk Officer and ask assistance."

When "ask" functions as an intransitive verb in the sense of making a request, it needs the preposition "for" to link it to an object, in this case "assistance." We must keep in mind that by itself, an intransitive verb can't act on a direct object; it needs a preposition as a go-between. In the particular case of the second sentence you provided, the noun "assistance" becomes what's known as the object of the preposition.

Another way of looking at the problem with the intransitive verb "ask" as used in the second sentence is this: You can't "ask" a concept (in this case "assistance") to do something for you; you ask somebody (an indirect object like, say "Amy") to give you that assistance, as in "Ask Amy for assistance." Keep in mind that because "ask" is an intransitive verb in that sentence, the noun "Amy" isn't its direct object but only an indirect object or intermediary for the verb's action. Neither is the noun "assistance" a direct object in that sentence construction; it is, in fact, only the object of the preposition "for." 

[Sky]

1. Could you give me some advice and tell me how to deal with the dilemma?
2. Some upperclassmen have warned us that no one can expect to get passing grades without efforts.
3. My excellent performances in high school kept me in the headmaster's honor list.

What are the direct and indirect objects of the sentences above?
What is the usage of "that" in sentence 2?
How can we apply the S+V+O1+O2 (Subject+Verb+Object1+Object2)?

[Joe Carillo]

Regarding your questions, Sky:

Sentence 1: “Could you give me some advice and tell me how to deal with the dilemma?”

This is a compound sentence with two coordinate clauses in the interrogative mood, linked by the coordinating conjunction “and”:
(a) Coordinate clause 1: “Could you give me some advice?”—subject: “you”; verb: “give”; indirect object: “me”; direct object: “some advice”
(b) Coordinate clause 2: “(Could you) tell me how to deal with the dilemma?”—subject: “you”; verb: “tell”; indirect object: “me”; direct object: the noun phrase “how to deal with the dilemma.”

Sentence 2: “Some upperclassmen have warned us that no one can expect to get passing grades without efforts.”

This is a complex sentence that consists of a main clause and a subordinate clause linked by the subordinating conjunction “that” :
(a) Main clause: “ Some upperclassmen have warned us”—subject: “upperclassmen”; verb: “have warned”; direct object: “us.”
(b) Subordinate clause: “that no one can expect to get passing grades without efforts”—subject: “no one”; verb: “expect” with modal “can”; direct object: the infinitive phrase “to get passing grades without efforts”

Sentence 3: “My excellent performances in high school kept me in the headmaster's honor list.”

This is a simple sentence consisting of the following:
(a) Subject: the noun phrase “my excellent performances in high school”
(b) Verb: “kept”
(c) Direct object: “me”
(d) Prepositional phrase: “in the headmaster's honor list” (functioning as an adverbial phrase modifying the verb “kept”)

[Sky]

Thanks, sir.