spend,take,cost和pay的用法
这四个词都有花费的意思。cost指花钱、时间、劳力等；take主要指花时间；pay指花钱；spend指花时间、钱等。 cost常以事物做主语，而不以人作主语。初中阶段关于“花钱”，“花费时间”的词常见的有以下五个：buy，cost，pay（for），spend和take。很多学生对这几个词的词义和用法似懂非懂，用起来往往出错。其实这些词都与钱物有关，与时间有关的只有take和spend。下面具体谈一谈其用法：
1．buy，get也可表示此意，给某人买东西、饭、饮料等，主语是人。其常见结构为to buy sb．sth．或to buy sth．for sb．
I bought this book for 15yuan．
Would you please buy me a dictionary？
Let me buy ／get you a drink．
Buy one for me．
2．cost指花钱，表示价值或代价（此代价可以是时间）。主语是事或物或动词不定式短语。
其常见结构是to cost sb．some money。
The book costs 50 fen．
The dictionary cost me 6yuan．
The work costs much time and labour．
3．pay（for），pay表示付给人家钱、帐单等；pay for表示买东西付款，也表示替别人付钱。主语是人。其常见结构是to pay sb．some money，pay money for sth．
You must pay me 100yuan a week for your meals．
I have paid all my debts．
How much did you pay for that book？
Don't worry about money．I'll pay for you．
4．spend指花钱，花费时间。主语是人。其常见结构分别为to spend money on sth．，spend time（in）doing sth．。
I spent six yuan on a new dictionary．
—How do you spend your spare time？
—I spend my spare time writing books．
5．take指花钱（＝cost）
It takes/costs me a lot of money to buy a big house．
= To buy a big house takes/costs me a lot of money.
take用来说明做某事需要多少时间，有三种不同的结构：
1）主语是人
I took half an hour to get home yesterday．
She took the whole day to read the novel．
2）主语是某种活动
The journey took me half an hour．
Reading the novel took her the whole day．
3）用形式主语it
It took me half an hour to get home yesterday．
It takes much time to do the shopping．
试看“我六元钱买了一本词典”的不同译法：
a．I bought the dictionary for six yuan．
b．The dictionary cost me 6yuan．
c．I paid six yuan for the dictionary．
d．I spent six yuan on the dictionary．
e．It took me six yuan to buy the dictionary．
再看“读这本书花了我一整天的时间”的不同译法：
a．I spent the whole day reading the book．
b．I took the whole day to read the book．
c．Reading the book took me the whole day．
d．It took me the whole day to read the book．
例如：
①The composition cost(took)me three hours.
②How much did the radio cost you?
这台无线电花了你多少钱？(不用take)
③The work cost them much labour.这件工作花费他们很大的劳动。
④It took them over two years to build the bridge.
修建这座桥花了他们两年多的时间。
⑤I spend 50 dollars on the camera.买这架照相机，我花了50美元。
⑥He often spent his spare time(in)helping the poor.
他经常利用业余时间帮助穷人。
【注意】如要说“这件上衣我花了20美元”，可用下列几种表达方法
The coat cost me 20 dollars.
=I spent 20 dollars on the coat.
=I paid 20 dollars for the coat.
=I bought the coat for 20 dollars.
=I bought the coat at the price of 20 dollars.
参考资料：上课的笔记