pay a fine — pay a penalty
collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcommon
to give money as a punishment for breaking a law or rule.
Say it like a native
Textbook He was required to remit a monetary penalty for the violation.
Native He had to pay a fine for it.
'Remit a monetary penalty' is legalese; 'pay a fine' is plain.
Pattern: pay a fine (for [doing] something)
In use
- He had to pay a fine for driving without a seatbelt.daily life
- If you break the rules in my city, you usually have to pay a fine, for example, if you litter or use public transport without a ticket.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ He payed a fine.
✓ He paid a fine.
Past tense of 'pay' is 'paid', not 'payed'.
Common collocations
pay a fine— pay a fine, a hefty fine, get a fine, a parking fine
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'pay a fee,' which means paying for a service, not as a punishment.