EBE 1 ADINA OANA NICOLAE

UNIT 2 JOBS AND OCCUPATIONS

Contents: Page

2.1. Speaking skills 2

2.2. Boost your vocabulary 2
2.3. Reading skills 4
2.4. Grammar practice 6
2.5. Spelling, pronunciation and listening skills 9
2.6. Writing skills 9
2.7. Food for thought 10
2.8. Summary 10
2.9. Key to exercises 11
2.10. Bibliography 11

Objectives:
After you have completed the study of this unit, you should be able to:
• use adequate and wide-ranging vocabulary related to jobs and occupations in a typical
every day or business communicative exchange;
• understand, process and produce job-related discourse in spoken or written form;
• correctly use the English verbs in the present tense simple, the present tense
continuous as well as the wh- question words;
• write a coherent paragraph with addition connectors.

Average unit completion time: 2 hours

Keywords: jobs, qualifications, present tense simple, present tense continuous, wh-words,
addition connectors.

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2.1. Speaking skills

• What jobs did people have in the past?
• Why have jobs changed over the years?
• What modern jobs could be old-fashioned one day?
• Mention some new jobs.

2.2. Boost your vocabulary

Exercise 1. Use the following words and appropriate suffixes to derive names of jobs, trades and
occupations; write them in the appropriate column and add your own suggestions:
electric, act, build, account, serve, office, translate, journal, conduct, sing, magic, edit, art, assist,
violin, report, photograph, reception, design, sail, direct, music, manage, forest, represent.

-ian -er -ant -or -ist -ive

Nota bene!
Questions about someone’s job:
• What is your job/ occupation?
• What do you do (for a living)?
• What line of business are you in?
Sample answers:
• I work as a lawyer.
• I am a fashion designer.
• I'm a student.
• I'm on the market research side.

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• I work in sales.
Questions about someone’s employer: Where do you work?/Who do you work for?
Sample answers:
• I work at the hospital.
• I work as a cleaner at a hospital.
• I work for a computer company.
• I work in management training.

Exercise 2. Compound nouns often denote jobs. Fill in the blanks with a suitable word:
a.-------------------------guards do a job that is similar to a police officer’s.
b. The -------------------------guide told us everything about the history of the castle.
c. Using -------------------------hunters to steal the top staff for other companies is unfair business
practice.
d. In these cases, even the -------------------------operator uses a video monitor to operate the
camera.
e. A -------------------------clerk is the primary point of contact for most bank customers.
f. The firm hired a -------------------------consultant who recommends an increase in production.
g. -------------------------officers are in charge of keeping law and order.

Exercise 3. Make pairs that denote an occupation:

a. flight 1. instructor
b. driving 2. worker
c. shop 3. engineer
d. civil 4. writer
e. assistant 5. trainee
f. freelance 6. attendant
g. social 7. assistant
h. management 8. professor

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2.3. Reading skills

What do you want to be when you grow up? This is an evergreen question which every child
has heard at least once and has had to answer. The answer depends not only on the child’s skills,
preferences, personality and aspirations, but also on the world he or she lives in.
When the first human beings walked upon Earth, there were probably only a couple of jobs:
hunter and gatherer. As human societies began to form and grow, other occupations were required.
People would see a basic need, fulfill it with hard work, ingenuity, or a new invention, and create a
new profession at the same time
Some hundred years ago, most people worked on farms. In a traditional village community
there were farmers, woodcutters, woodworkers, stonemasons, millers, blacksmiths, tailors, a teacher
and a doctor. There were also merchants and people who earned their living from craftwork, such as
coopers, cabinet-makers, jewelers, furriers, glass-blowers, weavers, carpenters, potters, etc.
By the time the Industrial Revolution rolled around in the 1800s, people started to embrace
other different occupations. Adults and children alike worked in mills, factories or stores, as chimney
sweeps, miners, factory workers. Women under 20 made up the majority of all factory workers and
more women were employed as domestic servants and laundry women. Poor children often had to
operate dangerous equipment and work long hours.
In the twentieth century, the evolution of society and the rise of technology has made other
numerous jobs available on the labor market, while so many others went the way of the dinosaur.
The percentage of professional and technical workers increased dramatically, and so did
occupations that produce, repair, or transport goods and are concentrated in the agriculture, mining,
construction, manufacturing, and transportation industries: engineers, builders, assemblers,
inspectors, packers, mechanics. A significant rise is also to be seen in service occupations such as
police officer or firefighter. The number of managers, officials, salespersons, teachers and
instructors, accountants, nurses and physicians, lawyers and judges went up as well.
Today’s most common jobs are a strange mix, including jobs which require different levels of
formal education and training and are paid accordingly. A survey carried out in 2014 revealed that
the topmost common jobs in America were salespersons, cashiers, food preparation workers, office
clerks, registered nurses, waiters/waitresses, customer service representatives, hand labourers,
secretaries and administrative staff, and janitors/cleaners.
What does the future have in store? According to an Oxford University analysis, almost half
of all jobs will be taken over by robots in the next 25 years. However, advancements in machinery
and technology will open up a world of new career opportunities. Today’s children are likely to pursue
a career as commercial space pilot, extinct species revivalist, alternative energy consultant, body
part creator or personal digital curator and some other astonishing possibilities.
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The skill sets required in both old and new occupations will also change in most industries.
Solid qualifications in science, technology, engineering and mathematics are likely to provide a firm
career path in a world where we experience accelerated social, cultural, economic, environmental,
and technological changes. But no matter the domain, skills such as complex problem solving, critical
thinking, creativity, interpersonal intelligence and interdisciplinary knowledge may paint a bright
future for their possessors.
So, get ready to have a job — or several jobs — you never heard of!

Exercise 4. Answer these questions:

A. Which of the following is one of the first jobs in the history of mankind?
a. carpenter
b. politician
c. hunter
d. cooper
B. Which job did the Industrial Revolution help boost?
a. woodcutter
b. farmer
c. miner
d. tailor
C. Which category of workers did not see a rise in the twentieth century?
a. social workers
b. sales persons
c. craftsmen
d. service workers
D. How much of present-day jobs are likely to be lost to automation?
a. 25%
b. 45%
c. 55%
d. 50%
E. Which domain is expected to be successful in the future:
a. genetic engineering
b. arts
c. humanities
d. farming

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Post-reading. Focus on real English in context

Exercise 5. Pair the questions and the answers:

a. What do you do for a living?
b. What line of work are you in?
c. Who do you work for?
d. Where do you work?
1. I work in a call centre.
2. I have my own business.
3. I’m not working at the moment, I’m looking for a job.
4. I work as a programmer.

2.4. Grammar practice

The Present Simple
The Present Simple is the most basic tense in the English language. Most verbs conjugate
like the verb "run" below. Notice how you add an "s" to third-person forms. Third-person negative
forms and third-person questions are made using "does."
Positive Questions Negative
I write do I write? I do not write
you write do you write? you do not write
he writes does he write? he does not write
she writes does she write? she does not write
it writes does it write? it does not write
we write do we write? we do not write
they write do they write? they do not write

The short forms, which appear in informal language, are due to contractions: do not
becomes don’t and does not becomes doesn’t.
In statements, have becomes has, do becomes does and go becomes goes when the
subject is he/she/it.

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Simple Present Uses

• To express the idea that a present action is repeated or usual. Signal words are always,
never, every day, often, frequently, sometimes, from time to time, etc.
e.g. We meet for a cup of coffee every morning.
• To make generalizations about people or things.
e.g. Cats like milk.
• To express fixed arrangements, present or future:
e.g. Your exam starts at 09.00
• To express future time, after some conjunctions: after, when, before, as soon as, until:
e.g. He'll give it to you when you come next Saturday.

Exercise 6. Choose the correct form:

1. John ______________ (play/plays) soccer.
2. They ______________ (don’t/doesn’t) study after school.
3. We _______________ (take/takes) the bus to the office every day.
4. What ___________ (do/does) you want to study?
5. On Tuesdays, I _________ (go/goes) to the mall.
6. Terry ___________ (play/plays) soccer; he ________________ (practice/practices) every
day.
7. ____________ (Do/Does) Lucy ride her bike to school, or ___________ (do/does) she take
the bus?
8. On Sunday, he ____________ (don’t/doesn’t) read the newspaper.
9. Where _____________ (do/does) they work?
10. How ____________ (do/does) you spell your name?

The Present Continuous

The Present Continuous is made up of two components: one of the forms of the present
simple of the verb to be and the -ing form of the lexical verb.

Positive Questions Negative

I am working Am I working? I am not working
You are working Are you working? You are not working
He is working Is he working? He is not working

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She is working Is she working? She is not working

It is working Is it working? It is not working
We are working Are we working? We are not working
You are working Are you working? You are not working
They are working Are they working? They are not working

Nota bene!
Short forms may be used in the negative:
e.g. I’m not working./ He isn’t working.
The short answer is necessary after yes/no:
e.g. Are you working? Yes, I am. No, I’m not.

Use of Present Continuous:

• To express actions happening at the moment of speaking
e.g. He’s working now/ at the moment.
• To express temporary situations, even if the action isn't happening at this moment
e.g. I’m taking driving lessons this month.
• To express definite future arrangements (with a future time word)
e.g. I’m leaving on Monday.
• To express annoying habits:
e.g. You’re always saying such unpleasant things!

Wh-words
WH questions are very common in English. They begin with a wh-word:
Question Answer Example
What Thing What is your name?
Which Thing/ Person Which car/ brother is here?
When Time When is the party?
Who Person (subject) Who is your brother?
Whom Person (object) Whom are you calling?
Where Place Where is the bank?
Why Reason Why do you like pizza?

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Exercise 7. Insert the present continuous:

a. She (stay) with a friend at the weekend.
b. We (not come) back tomorrow.
c. She (sell) her old textbooks.
d. This year our team (manage) a complex project.
e. (share) you this?
f. Why they (leave)?
g. What you (look) at?
h. They (not talk) to each other.

How Directions How do you spell your name?

2.5. Spelling, pronunciation and listening skills

Pay attention to the following spelling rules when adding -s to the verb in the third person
singular:
• Verbs ending in -y : the third person changes the -y to -ies:
e.g. fly --> flies, cry --> cries
Exception: if there is a vowel before the -y:
e.g. play --> plays, pray --> prays
• Add -es to verbs ending in: -ss, -x, -sh, -ch:
e.g. he passes, she catches, he fixes, it pushes
Task 1. Listen to any Internet audio files/video material in which people describe their job. You can
try http://www.elllo.org/english/Mixer001/T011-FirstJob.htm, for instance.

2.6. Writing skills

Linking devices
In a paragraph, linking words and phrases are used to show relationships between ideas. They
signal a result, add information, summarize, give illustrations, emphasize a point, sequence
information, compare or contrast ideas.
To add to what has been previously stated, the following linking words can be used:
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Additionally/ Furthermore/ Also/ Too /As well as that/ Along with/ Besides/ In addition/
Moreover/ In addition to this/ Apart from this
e.g. Additionally, the bus service will run on Sundays, every two hours.
e.g. He said he had not discussed the matter with her. Furthermore, he had not even contacted her.

Exercise 8. Below you will find a list of responsibilities for a Management Trainee position. Read
them carefully and, using the Present simple, turn them into a coherent paragraph which
describes what a Management Trainee typically does.
Begin like this: ‘A Management Trainee helps managers complete daily tasks. …’

Job Responsibilities
Help managers complete daily tasks (e.g. implementing new policies)
Understand each department’s (e.g. Marketing, Sales) daily processes and goals
Provide administrative support (e.g. data entry)
Get familiar with personnel duties
Participate in company’s strategic planning
Help managers in evaluating performance (e.g. writing reports, analyzing data)
Keep track of business revenue
Research ways to increase profitability and lower risk
Create and give presentations

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2.7. Food for thought
• What are some of the best jobs you can think of?
• How long do you want to work?
• Is it better to be a boss or an employee? Why?
• What would be the most satisfying job for you?
• How difficult is it to get a job in your country?
• What company is the best to work for?
• What kind of job do you want to get in the future? What kind of tasks do you like?

2.8. Summary
In this unit, you have practised:
✓ How to form words and use vocabulary related to jobs and occupations;

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✓ How to talk about jobs in a casual conversation;

✓ The forms, functions and spelling rules of the Present Simple;
✓ Reading a section of job responsibilities from a job description;
✓ How to use linking devices which signal addition.

2.9. Key to exercises

1.
-ian -er -ant -or -ist -ive
electrician builder accountant actor journalist representative
magician officer servant translator artist
musician singer assistant conductor violinist
reporter editor receptionist
photographer sailor
designer director
manager

2.a. life; b. tour; c. head; d. camera; e. bank; f. management; g. police.

3.a 6; b 1;c 7;d 3;e 8;f 4;g 2;h 5.
4. Ac, Bc, Cc, Db, Ea
5. a,b: 1,2,3,4; c,d:1,2,3.
6. 1. plays 2.don’t 3. take 4.do 5. go 6. plays, practices 7.does, does 8. Doesn’t 9.do 10.do.
7. a. is staying, b. are not /aren’t coming c. is selling d. is managing e. Are you sharing f. are they leaving g. are you
looking h. are not talking.
8. Sample answer:
A Management Trainee helps managers complete daily tasks. His main responsibilities are to help managers
complete daily tasks (e.g. implementing new policies) and to provide administrative support (e.g. data entry).
Additionally, he/she participates in company’s strategic planning and gets familiar with personnel duties. Furthermore,
he/she is supposed to understand each department’s (e.g. Marketing, Sales) daily processes and goals. Along with
keeping track of business revenue, a management trainee also researches ways to increase profitability and lower
risk. Apart from this, he/she helps managers in evaluating performance (e.g. writing reports, analyzing data) and
creates and gives presentations.

2.10. Bibliography
Hoffmann, Hans G and Hoffmann Marion. Engleza tematică. Bucureşti: Niculescu, 2004.
Robbins, Sue. Collins Cobuild Business Vocabulary in Practice. HarperCollins, 2003.
Turai, Ioana Maria. Gramatica limbii engleze. Bucureşti: Corint, 2008.

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Web resources
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/
http://www.elllo.org/english/Mixer001/T011-FirstJob.htm

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