Grammar fix
pay a compliment
give praise
to say something nice to someone to show you admire or appreciate them.
collocationB1occasional
Hear it in context
Notice where the phrase sounds natural.
- She paid me a compliment on my presentation, which made me feel more confident.communication
- In my opinion, it’s important to pay a compliment when someone does a good job because it encourages them.IELTS speaking
Fix the pattern
Pattern: pay a compliment (to someone)
WrongHe paid me a complement.
RightHe paid me a compliment.
'Compliment' (praise) vs 'complement' (something that completes) — different words.
Patternpay a compliment (to someone)
Use it right
Choose the version that sounds natural in speech.
'Bestow a compliment upon' is archaic; 'pay a compliment' is the set phrase.
Build natural chunks
Words that usually travel with it.
pay a complimentpay a complimentpay her a complimenta nice complimenttake it as a compliment
Don't confuse it
Not the same as 'give a compliment,' which is also correct, but 'pay a compliment' is a common collocation.