RECEIVE PAYMENT

[EverLivingPoet]

"Mr Suwondo, and the others who had received payment, were eventually tracked down."

I found the sentence from some "The Economist" article. Should "a" be added between "received" and "payment"?

[SoothingDave]

No.

[EverLivingPoet]

what about "make payment"?

[SoothingDave]

No. One makes a payment. One has made a payment. Or "One has made payments."

[EverLivingPoet]

so i must "make a payment", but could either "receive payment" or "receive a payment"? so "make" is not as flexible as "receive"?

[SoothingDave]

I don't think it's a question of the "flexibility" of the verbs. It's the "receive payment" is idiomatic, while "make payment" is not.

[EverLivingPoet]

Then according to your theory, "delay payment" and "withhold payment" are just as idiomatic as "receive payment"? What about "miss payment"?

[SoothingDave]

I could see "miss payment" in some circumstances.

[EverLivingPoet]

it looks like i will never learn good english

[SoothingDave]

The use of articles is one of the most difficult things to learn.