Jobs — Unit 11, Beginner English
Jobs and professions, workplaces, job verbs, work vocabulary, and a / an with jobs.
Reading: What Do You Do?
My name is Elena. I work in a hospital. I am a nurse. I look after sick people. I help doctors. My job is very busy. I work long hours. I start work at 7am and I finish at 7pm. I work three days a week. I like my job because I help people. My colleague Maria is also a nurse. She works with me. We work together every day. My boss is Dr. Smith. She is the head of our department. She is very kind. My salary is good. I am happy with my job. My brother is a teacher. He works in a school. He teaches English. He likes his job. My sister is a doctor. She works in a big hospital. My father is an engineer. He builds roads and bridges. My mother is a hairdresser. She cuts hair. She works in a salon. She loves her job.
My husband works too. He is a mechanic. He repairs cars in a small garage. He works full-time, from eight to five. He does not earn a big salary, but he likes his job because he likes cars.
My uncle is a farmer. He grows vegetables and he looks after fifty cows. He works hard every day, and he never has a holiday in summer.
My grandfather does not work now. He is retired. He was a police officer for thirty years. He tells us stories about his job.
My cousin Pablo is unemployed at the moment. He was a waiter in a hotel, but the hotel closed in January. Now he looks for a job every day. He wants to work part-time and study at the same time.
In my family everybody works hard. My mother always says, "A good job is a job you like." I think that is true.
Vocabulary from this unit
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What do you do? | I'm a teacher. / I'm a doctor. |
| What's your job? | I work in a hospital. / I work for a bank. |
| Where do you work? | I work in an office. / I work at home. |
| Job | Pronunciation | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| teacher | /ˈtiːtʃə/ | works in a school, teaches students | My sister is a teacher. |
| doctor | /ˈdɒktə/ | works in a hospital, helps sick people | She's a doctor at the city hospital. |
| nurse | /nɜːs/ | works in a hospital, looks after patients | He works as a nurse. |
| dentist | /ˈdentɪst/ | looks after people's teeth | I go to the dentist every six months. |
| vet | /vet/ | looks after sick animals | She's a vet. She loves animals. |
| waiter | /ˈweɪtə/ | works in a restaurant, serves food | He's a waiter in an Italian restaurant. |
| waitress | /ˈweɪtrəs/ | female waiter | She works as a waitress. |
| chef | /ʃef/ | works in a kitchen, cooks food | He's a chef at a hotel. |
| pilot | /ˈpaɪlət/ | flies a plane | My uncle is a pilot. |
| police officer | /pəˈliːs ˈɒfɪsə/ | works for the police | A police officer stopped the car. |
| driver | /ˈdraɪvə/ | drives a vehicle | He's a bus driver. |
| engineer | /ˌendʒɪˈnɪə/ | builds roads, bridges, or machines | She's an engineer. |
| mechanic | /məˈkænɪk/ | repairs cars and machines | The mechanic fixed my car. |
| secretary | /ˈsekrətri/ | works in an office, answers phones | She's a secretary. |
| shop assistant | /ˌʃɒp əˈsɪstənt/ | works in a shop, sells things | He's a shop assistant. |
| hairdresser | /ˈheədresə/ | cuts and styles hair | She works as a hairdresser. |
| farmer | /ˈfɑːmə/ | works on a farm, grows food | He's a farmer. |
| Job | Workplace |
|---|---|
| teacher | school / colleɡe / university |
| doctor / nurse | hospital |
| dentist | dental clinic / hospital |
| vet | animal hospital / veterinary clinic |
| waiter / waitress / chef | restaurant / café / hotel |
| pilot | airport / aeroplane |
| police officer | police station / street |
| driver | bus / taxi / lorry |
| engineer / mechanic | office / building site / garage |
| secretary | office |
| shop assistant | shop / department store |
| hairdresser | salon / hairdresser's |
| farmer | farm |
3 more vocabulary sections in the full unit.
This is the free sample from this unit. The full unit adds 1 more reading passage, comprehension questions with an answer key, the listening exercises, flashcards for the vocabulary above, and a speaking task — with your progress tracked so the next unit unlocks when you are ready for it.
Common questions
What level is this unit?
Beginner — roughly CEFR A0–A1. If you are not sure of your level, the course places you with a short diagnostic before you start rather than making you guess.
Do I need to pay to use this?
The reading passage and vocabulary on this page are free to read. The rest of the unit — the remaining passages, the exercises, the listening, the answer key and the progress tracking — is part of the paid General English course.
Is this British or American English?
British English spelling and vocabulary, which is what most learners in Azerbaijan are taught and what IELTS expects, though both are accepted in the exam.