Jobs and work

To talk about jobs, we say what someone is and what they do: ⟦She is a nurse. She looks after patients in a hospital.⟧ We ask ⟦What do you do?⟧ or ⟦What does he do?⟧

Key facts

  • Use ⟦a⟧ or ⟦an⟧ before a job: ⟦He is a teacher.⟧ ⟦She is an engineer.⟧ (⟦an⟧ before a vowel sound).
  • Many jobs end in ⟦-er⟧ or ⟦-or⟧: ⟦teacher⟧, ⟦farmer⟧, ⟦builder⟧, ⟦doctor⟧, ⟦actor⟧. Some end in ⟦-ist⟧ or ⟦-ian⟧: ⟦dentist⟧, ⟦scientist⟧, ⟦librarian⟧, ⟦electrician⟧.
  • Say what people do with the present simple: ⟦A pilot flies planes.⟧ ⟦A mechanic repairs cars.⟧ ⟦A chef cooks meals.⟧
  • Say where people work: ⟦A teacher works in a school.⟧ ⟦A farmer works on a farm.⟧ ⟦A librarian works in a library.⟧
  • Questions: ⟦What do you do?⟧ ⟦I'm a nurse.⟧ ⟦Where do you work?⟧ ⟦I work in a hospital.⟧ ⟦What do you want to be?⟧ ⟦I want to be a vet.⟧

Worked examples

Example 1

Complete: ⟦My aunt is ___ architect.⟧

  1. ⟦architect⟧ starts with a vowel sound.
  2. So we say ⟦an⟧: ⟦My aunt is an architect.⟧

Answer: ⟦an⟧

Example 2

Which job? ⟦This person looks after sick animals.⟧

  1. Sick animals go to the vet.
  2. ⟦A vet looks after sick animals.⟧

Answer: ⟦vet⟧

Example 3

Answer: ⟦What does your father do?⟧ (a bus driver)

  1. The question asks about one person: your father.
  2. ⟦He's a bus driver.⟧ or ⟦He is a bus driver.⟧

Answer: ⟦He's a bus driver.⟧