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Remember this!

The present tense form of 'pay' is pay or pays. Example: She pays her bills on time. (She pays her bills on time.)

Definition of “pay”

to give money in exchange for goods or services
to settle a debt or obligation by giving money
to suffer a loss or penalty

Tense sentence structure and examples:

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Notes from a Native English Speaker

Here are the general structures of a present and past participle. Remember, some verbs have an irregular form and may not follow this structure: Present Participle: [Verb] -ing Past Participle: [Verb] -ed

Present Simple	pay
Present Continuous	paying
Present Perfect	paid

Present Simple

The simple present tense is used to describe habitual, regular, or general facts.

Subject + Verb + (Object)

Example

We pay for our groceries at the checkout counter.

Example

He pays his employees every month.

Present Continuous

The present continuous tense is used to describe actions happening at the moment of speaking or future plans.

Subject + am/is/are + Present Participle + (Object)

Example

I am paying my credit card bill online.

Example

They are paying for their children's education.

Present Perfect

The present perfect tense is used to indicate actions completed at some point in the past but relevant to the present.

Subject + have/has + Past Participle + (Object)

Example

She has paid her utility bills for this month.

Example

They have paid the deposit for their new apartment.

pay Subject-Verb Agreement

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Notes from a Native English Speaker

Subject-verb agreement means that a subject and its verb match. They’re either both plural or both singular. A singular subject takes a singular verb. - Example: The cat is sleeping. A plural subject takes a plural verb. - Example: The cats are sleeping.

In the present tense, 'pay' follows the typical rule of adding 's' when the subject is third person singular (he, she, it), but it remains the same for all other subjects (first person, second person, and plural subjects).