spend, take, cost, pay 这四个单词都有“花费”的意思,但用法各不相同,彼此之间的差异是初中英语的核心考点,
我们可以将其异同从以下四个方面进行分析.
◇其一：主语.
其中主语为“人”的是spend和pay；主语为“物”的是take和cost.其中,take的主语常常是it.
◇其二：内容.
花“时间”的是spend和take；花“钱”的是spend, cost和pay.
◇其三：搭配.
spend后面的介词是on,若跟动词则用(in) doing,前面的in常常省略,可忽略不计.
take后面的动词形式为to do；
cost后面跟双宾语,或直接跟钱的数目；
pay后面常跟介词for.pay for可分开用也可连用,其意思不一样,参见表二.
◇其四：过去式.
四个动词过去式都不规则,具体变化形式参见表一.
特别要提醒的是cost过去式不变,在句型转换时须注意时态.
另外,cost可作为名词使用,表示“费用”.pay作为名词表示“‘工资”.
The cost (of the trip) is about ￥50 per person. (8A P54)
表一：
动词
主语
花/值……
过去式
spend
人
钱/时间
spent
take
it / 事情
时间
took
cost
物
钱
cost
pay
人
钱
paid
表二：
Verbs
Sentence patterns
Chinese meaning
spend
sb.+spend+ some time/money+(in) doing sth
某人花了……时间/钱做某事
sb. +spend +some time / money + on sth
某人在……上面花了……时间/钱
take
it/ sth + takes + sb. +some time+ to do sth.
某人做某事花了……时间
it/ sth + takes +some time+ to do sth.
做某事花了……时间
cost
sth. + cost + sb. + money
某物花了某人……钱
sth. + cost + money
某物值……钱
pay
sb.+ pay +money + for sth.
某人花了……钱买某物
sb. + pay for sth.
某人为……付钱/赔钱
sb. +pay sb.(+money)/sb. +pay money to sb.
某人付（……）钱给某人
相关例句：
1. I spend about two hours a day doing my homework. (7A P24)
2. Each student can spend ￥10.（7A P31）
3. How much do the cards cost? (7A P76)
4. You pay a little money and they are yours. (7B P25)
5. It takes about twenty minutes to get to the nearest town. (7B P40)
6. We spent three hours walking around the museum. (7B P67)
7. This is great because it takes less time than taking the bus. (8A P24)
8. I spend a lot of time practicing. (8A P24)
9. Sandy spent less money on CDs than Simon. (8A P30)
10. British students spend less time doing their homework than Chinese students. (8A P32)
11. The trip from Kitty’s school to the World Park took about two hours by coach. (8A P40)
12. It takes more than an hour. (8A P44)
13. Who’s going to pay for the drinks?
单项选择：
( ) 1. ----How do you come to school?
----By bike. Taking a bus may _____ much money. And walking ______ too much time.
A. take; pays B. cost; takes C. pay; costs D. pay; takes
( ) 2. She usually ________ much time shopping in the supermarkets.
A spends B costs C takes D pays
( ) 3. American students spend ________ time _________ homework than Chinese students.
A. fewer, doing B. less, to do C. less, doing D. least, doing
江苏13城市中考试题汇编：
( ) 1. This kind of computer _______ too much. I can't afford one. (08泰州）
A.takes B. spends C. pays D. costs
( ) 2. It will ________ us several years to learn a foreign language well. (09无锡)
A. cost B. take C. spend D. use
3. Since June 1st, 2008, when we want plastic bags in the supermarket, we have to ________(付款) them.
(09连云港)
4. He likes English. He spends lots of time __________(read) it every day. (09宿迁)
5. 昨天他花了10分钟乘公共汽车去动物园.(09淮安)
It ____________________________________ yesterday.
Keys：
单项选择：
1~3 B A C
江苏13城市中考试题汇编：
1. D 2. B 3. pay for 4. reading
5. It took him ten minutes to go to the zoo by bus/ to take the bus to the zoo.