Have paid, or got paid?

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi,
I would like to ask you: Which sentence is true, and why?
#1. In Germany in the early 1920s, they got paid twice a day.
#2. In Germany in the early 1920s, they had paid twice a day.
#3. In Germany in the early 1920s, they have got paid twice a day.

Thank you for your explanation in advance.

-Salivan

2

I think we should use…they got paid or…they were paid as we need a passive here.

3

Hi Salivan

  • The first one is correct, since this sentence means that they were paid by someone.
  • The second one is wrong, since it means that they were actually the ones who’d paid someone else.
  • The third one is grammatically incorrect.

Detlef

4

Hi Detlef,

I wonder what could be wrong with opportunity #2???

I mean, if there is someone who receives money (a salary) there must be anyone who gives (spends) it, mustn´t there? The difference , like you stated, is that the first suggestion seems to refer to those who receives the amount and the second one to those who spend the money.

5

Hi Foah

First of all re-read the sentence in my previous message, please. Secondly, I didn’t state what you stated. Therefore, I’ll clarify it for you.
Since the first sentence states that ‘they got paid by someone’, I think, that the second one was also intended to state the same. If as you say, you think that the second one refers to the fact that they actually spent the money, I would rephrase the sentence with ‘had spent’, but it would sound very odd. Look: ‘In Germany, in the early 1920’s they had spent twice a day.’ I would even say this is very un-English, as it were.

Detlef

6

Hi,
thank you very much.
As you said Foah, the third one is correct, isn’t it? I mean when I extend the sentence like the below, does it still remain correct?

#2. In Germany in the early 1920s, they had paid twice a day, but at the latest 1920s, they got paid once a week. Or something like that…

-Salivan

7

Tell me Salivan, what would you like to say? There is a difference between ‘to pay’ and ‘to get paid’. Please, tell me so we can find a solution.

Detlef.

8

I would like to say that Once they got paid some amount of money, and a few years later, they got paid different amount of money.
It’s about to events for example one of them happened ten years a go, and the second event happened (the events of actions are the same, or related. Somehow!) yesteryear.

Oh, what’s the difference between ‘to pay’ and ‘to get paid’? Would you mind to explain it?

-Salivan

9

Hi Salivan,

I think I may have found two solutions. Here it is:

  • In 1927, the German people got paid twice a week, however, 10 years later they got paid only once a week.

  • In 1927, the German people were paid twice a week, however, 10 years later they were paid only once a week.

I’ll explain the difference between ‘to pay’ and ‘to get paid’ two examples.

-When you buy something, like a car, for instance, you have to pay for it.
-When an employer gives you a job, you get paid for it. or
-When an employer gives you a job, you are paid for it.

Yet, I would like to rephrase the two last sentences as follows:

-When an employer gives you a job you will be paid for it.

10

Thank you, Detlef.
Now it makes sense.

-Salivan