Word of the Day: Pay
Use the word “pay” when talking about money for a purchase or when describing the money that is given to a person for his or her labor (work).
The following sentences use “pay” for work. Notice that the passive voice is often used for this verb:
| simple | past | past participle |
|---|---|---|
|
pay
|
paid
|
paid
|
- Christine gets paid at the end of the week. (passive voice using “get”)
- That company doesn’t pay its workers very well.
- Jose is being paid $10 an hour to work as a roofer.
- You’ll be paid sometime next week.
- Many fast food places pay minimum wage to their entry-level workers.
These sentences use “pay” for a purchase:
- John paid too much for his car.
- Let’s pay our bill and go.
- What did you pay for your jacket?
- How much will you pay them to paint your house?
You can also use “pay” as a noun:
- The pay at that company is very good.
- Tina likes her job but not the pay. She thinks she deserves more pay.
- That sounds like a great job. What’s the pay?
- Are you happy with your pay?
Essential English Dictionary
Visit the Popular English Words Beginning with P page to see the list of all words starting with letter P. For seeing the HiCafe dictionary, visit the Popular English Words with Meaning page.
