English Idioms

Foot the Bill

Meaning:

• pay for something

Frequency of Use: Medium to High

1. I can’t foot the bill for rent on my income.
2. How long are you going to foot the bill for your brother’s excessive spending?
3. The insurance company is not going to foot my medical bill.
4. If we had more money, we would foot the entire bill for the wedding.

1. Who foots the bill for your education, housing, and medical bills? 
2. Have you ever foot the bill for a friend or family member? If so, what were the circumstances? Did this person pay you back or return a favor?

You are a university student, and your mother had been paying for your schooling, including tuition, food, insurance, and other expenses until she lost her job due to illness. You are now worried that you will have to drop out of school and take care of your mom. What are some possible ways that you can foot the bill for these expenses?

Possible Answer: 

“I think I can ask my rich uncle to foot the bill in exchange for my help at his office.”

Sometimes, learners know the meaning of an idiom, but they don’t know how to use it correctly in conversation or writing. Thus, this activity checks your grammatical accuracy with the idiom so you become more confident in using it.