一、辨主语
这四个单词均可表示“花费”,但所用主语不同:cost 的主语通常是事或物(包括形式主语 it),不能是人;pay 的主语只能是人;spend 的主语也只能是人;take 的主语可以是事或物(包括形式主语 it),也可以是人.如:
The computer cost (me) $2000.这台电脑花了(我) 2000 美元.
It costs $1000 a year to run a car.使用一辆车每年要花1000美元.
I have spent all day looking for you.我花了一整天找你.
It took me an hour to write the letter.我写这封信花了一个小时.
The letter took me an hour (to write).(译文同上)
I took an hour to write the letter.(译文同上)
注:若 cost 不是表示“花费”,而是表示客观上地或被动地“耗费”,则也可用人作主语.如:
Smokers cost the government a lot of money every year.抽烟的人每年要耗费政府不少钱.
二、辨宾语
cost 的宾语通常是钱;pay的宾语只能是钱;take 的宾语通常是时间;而 spend 的宾语则可以是时间、钱或精力.如:
How much did it cost to build the bridge?建这座桥花了多少钱?
I paid RMB 100,000 for the car.买这辆车我花了十万块.
It took her two hours to walk to the station.走路去车站花了她两小时.
He spends much time (money) on books.他花了很多时间读(钱买)书.
注:cost 有时也用于时间,但通常只用于笼统时间(一般不用于具体明确的时间).如:
Making experiments like this costs much time and labor.做这样的实验要花很多时间和劳力.
按传统语法,take 的宾语通常是时间,但在现代英语中,用钱作其宾语的现象已很普遍.如:
It takes a lot of money to buy a house.买一座房子要花一大笔钱.
三、辨句型
从句型结构来看.四者的通常句型为:
sth costs (sb) money 某物花某人多少钱
It costs (sb) money to do sth 做某事花某人多少钱
sb pays money for sth 某人付了某物多少钱
sb pays sb money 某人付给某人多少钱
sb spends time (money) on sth 某人在某一方面花多少钱
sb spends time (money) in [on] doing sth 某人在做某事方面花多少钱
It takes sb time (money) to do sth = it takes time (money) for sb to do sth 做某事花某人多少时间或钱
sth takes sb time (money) to do 某事花某人多少时间或钱去做
sb takes time (money) to do 某人花多少时间或钱去做某事
四、辨语态
在表示“花费”时,cost,pay,take 等通常不用于被动语态,而 spend 则可以用于被动语态.如:
误:Thirty dollars was cost by the coat.
误:Two hours was taken to do the work.
正:Two hours was spent on the work.做这工作花了两个小时.
五、辨引申
1.cost 指付出代价(劳力、麻烦、精力、生命等).如:
Careless driving will cost you your life.粗心开车会要你的命.
Just ring him up.It’ll cost you nothing.给他打个电话,这不费什么事.
2.spend 表示“消耗”“用完”.如:
I’ll spend no more breath on him.我不会再和他费唇舌.
He spent great efforts to help me.他费了很大的劲儿来帮我.
3.take 表示需要人力(精力、劳力等).如:
It takes patience.做这工作需要耐心.
It takes two to make a quarrel.一个巴掌拍不响.
It took three men to lift the box.抬这个箱子要 3 个人.
4.pay 表示付出代价,遭受惩罚.例如:
You’ll pay for that remark.你将要为你的话付出代价的.
Many people paid with their lives.许多人付出了生命.
take, spend, cost, pay都是花费,但是它们的区别和用法你会了吗
四个花费