pay a visit — visit
collocationB1IELTS 5+neutraloccasional
to go and see someone or a place, usually for a short time, often to be polite or friendly.
Say it like a native
Textbook I intend to make a formal call upon my aunt.
Native I'll pay my aunt a visit.
'Make a formal call upon' is Victorian; 'pay a visit' is the natural set phrase.
Pattern: pay a visit (to someone/somewhere)
In use
- I decided to pay a visit to my grandmother after work.daily life
- If I have some free time, I usually pay a visit to my friends to catch up and relax together.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ I paid a visit to see my aunt.
✓ I paid my aunt a visit.
'Pay someone a visit' or 'pay a visit to someone' — don't add 'to see'.
Common collocations
pay a visit— pay a visit, pay someone a visit, pay a visit to, well worth a visit
Don't confuse it
‘Visit’ is more common in everyday speech, but ‘pay a visit’ sounds a bit more formal or deliberate.