Make a payment means to pay money for something such as a bill, a fee or an instalment, or to send money by transfer: make a monthly payment, make a payment online. For a small everyday purchase, people simply use the verb pay: I paid for the coffee.
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make a payment (for/on + something); make a payment to + person/company; make monthly/online payments
- You can make a payment online or at any post office before the 10th.
- We make a monthly payment on the car loan, so money is tight.
- I made the final payment to the builder after he fixed the roof.
What changed
First versionI did the first payment for the course yesterday.
RevisionI made the first payment for the course yesterday.
Do can seem like a natural verb for an action like paying, but the fixed partner of payment is make, as in make a decision. The correction only changes the verb.
Pay as a noun doesn't mean a payment: it's the money you earn for your work. The pay is good, but the hours are long. So the word for a payment is always payment: make a payment, and for a simple purchase the verb is enough: I paid for lunch.
Your turn
Your rent is due on the 1st, so please ___ by then.
Show the answer
make the payment — Payment goes with make, as in make a decision: make the payment. Do the payment is not a combination native speakers use.
Describe a regular payment you make. Say what you pay for and how often.
I make a payment for my gym membership every month through the bank app.
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