pay/pay for

pay 可以用作及物动词,但其宾语应为 an amount of money:

1. I paid more than ten pounds for it. (GCE) 我为此付了十几个英镑。

2. We paid him a very large sum. (GCE) 我们付了他大笔的钱。

3. I paid him twenty pounds for the motor-bike. (Cook) 我花 20 英镑买了这台摩托车。

4. He had paid £ 5,000 for the boat. 他买这只船花了 5000 英镑。

5. They will pay a hundred and thirty francs a month in advance. 他们将每月预付130法郎。

当我们说 pay the bill, pay the rent, pay the taxes, pay the debts, pay the price 的时候,实质上还是指 an amount of money。正像有一部辞书上说的:“When you pay a bill or a debt, you pay the amount that is required or owed. (当你说 pay a bill or a debt 的时候,你是指你付出所需数量或所欠数量的钱。)”

1. I went and paid the bill for the room. (Hemingway) 我去付了房钱。

2. I've paid a high enough price of it. 我花了足够高的价钱。

3. I'm paying my rent monthly this year. (CGEL) 今年我按月付租金。

4. Thousands refused to pay their taxes. (Hazen) 好几千人拒绝交税。

5. Have you paid your school fees yet? 你交了学费没有？

但是,当表示花钱买某物时,应当使用 pay for something 句型。因此,你所提到的病句,应改为:

Who paid for the tickets? 谁花钱买的票?

类例：

1. He paid for an ice-cream for me. (Cook at al.) 他花钱给我买了个冰淇淋。

2. He paid for the use of the room. (OSD) 他付了使用房子的费用。

3. How much did you pay for that book? 你花了多少钱买的那本书？

4. Have those articles been paid for? (CIE) 那些东西付钱了吗?

5. That bread is paid for. 面包钱已付。

pay for + a person 则是表示“替某人付款”“请客”：

1. John paid for Mary and Bill paid for himself. 约翰替玛丽付款，而比尔自己付账。

2. She said she would pay for them to go to the cinema. 她说她付钱让他们去看电影。

3. “I bought a radio today.” “How much ____ for it?” A. did you paid B. do you paid C. did you pay D. do you pay (TOEFL)

4. The cost of distribution and sales make up a large part of the prices that ____. A. are paid for all products B. all products are paid for C. for which all products are paid D. for all products paid(TOEFL)

5. It is required by law that a husband has to pay the debts of his wife until formal notice is given that he no longer has to pay her. (全国研考,93-69)