Ⅰ.cost 指某东西“值……钱”; “需要花费……钱/ 精力”等,它的主语一般为表示东西的名词,不能为表示人的名词,作及物动词和名词。可接双宾语,无被动语态。如:
① I’ll bet that dress cost a thousand dollars.我敢说那件衣服得花1000美元。
② The chair cost me thirty yuan.这把椅子花了我30元。
③ The building of the dam cost many lives. 修建这个水坝使许多人丧生。(使花(某种代价);使损失)
④ Bad driving may cost you your life.开车技术不行可能使你丢掉性命。
⑤ 作名词时意为“花费;成本”→The cost of the house was too high for me.这房子的价钱太高,我买不起。
[常用搭配]:
① at all costs 不惜一切代价,—→The officer told the soldiers that they must defend the town at all costs. 军官对士兵们说要不惜一切代价保卫这座城市。
② at the cost of 以……为代价。
→1). He finished the work at the cost of his health. 他完成了这项工作,但失去了健康。
→2). She saved him from fire, but at the cost of her own life. 她从火中把他救出,但她自己却牺牲了。
③ cost of living 生活费用。
—→As the cost of living goes up my standard of living goes down. 生活费用越上涨,我的生活水准越降低。
Ⅱ.spend 的主语经常是人 , 用来表示人花钱买东西或花时间做某事,
常用的句型有: 如:
① I spend 5 yuan on the book.我买这书花五元钱。
② The boy spent 10 minutes drawing a dog.那个男孩花了10分钟画一只狗。
Ⅲ.pay “支付,花费”,主语只能是人 且只用于花费金钱,其结构是: pay + sb + some money + for sth. “为……付给某人多少钱” 其中的人、钱、事,可以根据具体情况取舍。如:
① I paid (him)5 yuan. 我付(给他)5元钱。
② I paid him 5 yuan for the book. 我买那本书付给了他五元钱。
③ I paid him for the book. 我买那本书付给了他钱。
④ I paid for the book. 我付了那本书的钱。
Ⅳ.take 也可表“花费时间和金钱”,(一般只指花费时间)
其常用结构为:It +take(各种时态)+time/money+to do sth. 如
It took me three hours to finish the work.