Compilation of the 15 most common collocations with Pay

Pay is commonly known as a verb, meaning "to give (someone) money that is due for work done, goods received, or a debt incurred". However, when combined with other words, it forms collocations with Pay. Let's discover the most common collocations with Pay below with PREP!

I. What is Pay?

In English, Pay is pronounced /peɪ/ and functions as both a verb and a noun.

• Pay acts as a noun, meaning: the money paid to someone for regular work.. For example:
  • It's a nice job but the pay is bad. 
  • Workers threatened to strike over the low pay of the support staff. 
• Pay acts as a verb, meaning: to give (someone) money that is due for work done, goods received, or a debt incurred. For example:
  • How much did you pay for the tickets? 
  • I'll pay you the fiver back tomorrow. 

II. Compilation of common collocations with Pay

To help you learn collocations effectively and easily, PREP has compiled the most common collocations with Pay along with their meanings and specific examples. Take a look!

For more collocations with Pay, you can visit the link below!

EXPLORE MORE COLLOCATIONS WITH PAY ON CAMBRIDGE DICTIONARY!

III. Exercises on collocations with Pay

To further understand collocations with Pay, let's complete the exercise below with PREP!

1. Exercise: Choose the correct answer

1. Employees receive their _______ in the form of a salary or wages, typically dispersed in monthly or biweekly installments.
   1. Annual pay
   2. Gross pay
   3. High pay
2. The CEO's _______ package includes a base salary, bonuses, stock options, and other incentives.
   1. Low pay
   2. Executive pay
   3. Military pay
3. Despite efforts to address it, the _______ persists, with women earning, on average, less than men for the same work.
   1. Pay discrimination
   2. Pay equity
   3. Gender pay gap
4. Before deductions such as taxes and insurance, employees' _______ represents their total earnings for a given period.
   1. Gross pay
   2. Pay parity
   3. Reduced pay
5. Certain professions, like top-tier executives and professional athletes, are known for their _______, often reaching millions of dollars annually.
   1. Unequal pay
   2. High pay
   3. Voluntary pay
6. People who have ________ always have to struggle with covering basic expenses.
   1. Annual pay
   2. Gross pay
   3. Low pay
7. Soaring inflation has overwhelmed ________.
   1. Pay discrimination
   2. Pay equity
   3. Military pay
8. ________ is sometimes stark and obvious, but it is often much more subtle.
   1. Executive pay
   2. Military pay
   3. Pay discrimination
9. The bill required more frequent ________ reporting from political subdivisions.
   1. Pay equity
   2. Pay equity
   3. Gender pay gap
10. From that date new towns staff will have ________ with local government officers of similar grades.
    1. Voluntary pay
    2. Pay parity
    3. Unequal pay

2. Answer

PREP hopes that after reading this article, you have acquired valuable knowledge of high-quality collocations with Pay and know how to use them in your English learning and exam preparation. Understanding and using collocations correctly is an important factor in helping you speak and write English naturally and accurately. Don't hesitate to apply these collocations in practice and enhance your skills through exercises. Let’s complete the exercise at the end to deepen your understanding of this useful knowledge!