Typical adjectives and expressions used for describing work
Jobs and people
Study the jobs and say which ones the people below would be suitable for using the expression
He/she would make a good ...
accountant | architect | bricklayer | builder | company director | electrician | firefighter | private detective | programmer | sales representative | secretary | university lecturer
Paul isn’t very outgoing, but he has a very analytical mind and is good at solving problems.
Sara is a very confident and outgoing person. She’s not afraid of talking to strangers.
Marcel doesn’t have much of an education, but he’s very good with his hands.
Andy has very good observation skills and pays extreme attention to detail. He also has a love for adventure and is very brave.
Catherine is fascinated with buildings. She’s quite creative and good at mathematics.
Mike doesn’t have any qualifications, but he likes helping people and is not afraid of danger.
Shelly is very good with numbers. But she is a bit shy and generally prefers to work alone.
Daniel is his own boss. He can’t imagine working for anybody else.
Describing jobs
Match the descriptions 1-9 to their opposites a-i.
It’s very tedious.
It can be very stressful.
It’s well-paid.
You work long hours.
It’s very challenging.
It can be very hectic.
You meet lots of people.
It can be dangerous.
You need very good qualifications.
a. It’s a piece of cake.
b. It’s badly-paid.
c. It’s exciting and interesting.
d. It’s usually very relaxing.
e. It’s very safe.
f. There’s usually nothing to do.
g. You can go home early.
h. You don’t need a degree.
i. You feel very isolated.
In pairs, take turns to describe a job from Exercise 1. Your partner must try to guess which job you are describing. Try to describe each job with at least two or three expressions.
Talking about work
Read the text below.
My job
I work as a zookeeper. I’m responsible for feeding and caring for animals in a zoo. It’s also my job to clean the animals’ cages, report health problems and entertain visitors.
For this job, you need special qualifications, for example, a degree in biology or zoology. Of course, you need to have a love for animals. Each species is different from the others and requires special attention and care. You also need to be good at keeping records because you have to collect a lot of data for each animal. And you must be outgoing because you need to conduct tours for visitors and answer their questions.
I find my job really interesting. I’ve always loved animals, so caring for animals feels more like a hobby
than a job. But it can get a bit dirty and tedious sometimes, for example when you have to clean the
cages. And it can also be a little dangerous, especially when animals get sick -- they can hurt you! But on the whole, I really enjoy my work. I can’t imagine doing anything else.
Would you like to work as a zookeeper? Why? Why not?
Now put the expressions in bold in the correct categories below.
What do you do?
I work as a..._________
What are your responsibilities?
__________________
__________________
What skills or qualifications do you need?
__________________
__________________
__________________
What’s your job like?
__________________
__________________
__________________
Which expressions are followed by an -ing form? Which expression is followed by an infinitive?
Talk about your job
Match the expressions 1-7 on the left with words a-g.
I work as a
I’m responsible for
It’s my job to
For this job, you need
You need to be good at
The work can get a bit
I find my job
a. a degree in chemistry/an MBA/a certificate in teaching Spanish
b. answering the phone/cooking meals/training salesmen/teaching children
c. barman/sales manager/doctor/flight attendant/nurse/teacher
d. really fascinating/very interesting/so exciting/really motivating
e. sell houses/arrange meetings/design websites/repair cars
f. selling/teamwork/talking to people/working with children
g. stressful/hectic/boring/dangerous/exhausting
Work with a partner. Interview each other about your jobs. Use the questions below and your own ideas.
What do you do?
What are your responsibilities?
What skills or qualifications do you need?
What’s your job like?
Do you enjoy your work?
If you do not have a job or if you prefer not to talk about your work, your partner can interview you about somebody you know, for example, a friend or family member.
What does he/she do?
What are his/her responsibilities?
What skills or qualifications do you need?
What’s his/her job like?
Does he/she enjoy his/her work?
Vocabulary development
Learn and review the names of over 30 different jobs and professions
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