Vocabulary and sentences

https://www.espressoenglish.net/lesson-1-essential-job-vocabulary/

Where do you work?

Let’s begin by answering the question, “Where do you work?” This seems like a simple question, but there are many ways to answer it:

  • I work at
  • I work in
  • I work for
  • I work with

You’re going to learn when to use each preposition.

I work at/for… (name of company)

For example, “I work at Fiviedu” or “I work for Nike.” You can also use “for” if you work directly for a famous person: “I work for Tom Cruise. I’m his public relations manager.”

I work in…

a place:

  • I work in an office.
  • I work in a school.
  • I work in a factory.

a city/country:

  • I work in Paris.
  • I work in France.

a department:

  • I work in the marketing department.
  • I work in human resources.
  • I work in sales.

a general area/industry:

  • I work in finance.
  • I work in medical research.
  • I work in consulting.
I work with… (things / people that are the objects of your day-to-day work)
  • I work with computers.
  • I’m a teacher. I work with special-needs children.

If you want to add more details about your work, you can say “I’m responsible for…” or “I’m in charge of…” or “My job involves…”

  • I’m responsible for updating the company website.
  • I’m in charge of interviewing candidates for jobs.
  • My job involves giving tours of the museum.

After these phrases, use the -ING form of the verb.


In conversational English, the question “Where do you work?” is commonly phrased as “What do you do?” or “What do you do for a living?”

You can answer with one of the “I work…” phrases we just learned, or you can say “I’m a/an… (your job title).”

  • I’m a teacher.
  • I’m an accountant.

How do you answer this question if you don’t have a job? You can say:

  • I’m unemployed.
  • I’m between jobs at the moment.

Here are some other reasons you might not have a job:

  • I’m a student.
  • I’m a stay-at-home mom/dad.

If you work for yourself, you can say “I’m self-employed.” If you have your own company, you can say, “I own a small business,” or more specifically, “I own a restaurant” or “I own a graphic design company.”

Describing your job

Do you like your job? Here are some different ways to talk about how you feel about your work:

  • My job is interesting / exciting.
  • I find my work very
    (this means it satisfies you and makes you feel good)
  • The work is quite
    (“challenging” can be a way to say it’s difficult, but with a positive connotation; you enjoy the difficulty)
  • My job is tough / tiring / demanding.
  • The work is rather dull / boring / repetitive.
    (“dull” is another way to say “boring,” and “repetitive” means you do the same type of task multiple times; there’s not much variation)