Today’s story is about the work history of a guy named Teddy. Teddy started working when he was fifteen years old. His first job was a part time job in a small restaurant. He had a few part time jobs while he was in high school and college. After graduating, Teddy got his first full time job in a bank. He was a bank teller. He worked in the bank for a few years and then quit the bank and started working for the telephone company. He held that job until he retired at age 62.
Today I want to go over the vocabulary related to working. In English, we have some specific ways to ask about and talk about work.
When you want to ask someone about their job you can ask, “What do you do?” This is the most common way to ask about someone’s job. We don’t ask, “What is your job? When someone asks What do you do? you’ll need to tell them your exact job or job title. Here are some examples:
Question: What do you do?
Answer: I am a salesman or I am a teacher or I am a doctor or I am a bookkeeper
You can also answer by describing your job, if you job doesn’t have a clear title:
Question: What do you do?
Answer: I work for a real estate company in the accounting office
General answers such as “I am a business man / I am a business woman” “I am an office worker” “I have a part-time job.” etc are not normal in English speaking countries and English conversations. Why? Well, most people work in a business and many people work in an office. Most students have a part-time job. We know that! If someone asks you what you do, they want to know specifically what your job is.
By the way, the words salaryman and office lady are not used in English, so please do not use them!
If you are not working, but staying home caring for your family you are a homemaker.
When you choose to leave a job, you quit the job. You can say
- I quit my job last week. Not, “I
retiredfrom my job last week” (see below) - I quit working for the bank.
If your company decides that they don’t want you to work there you can get fired if you do something wrong or get laid off if the company’s financial situation is not good
- Joe got fired because he came to work late too many times
- Jenny got laid off because the company had a hard time in this bad economy,
When you stop working around age 60 or 65, you retire. The condition is called retirement.
- Brad retired from the bank and now lives in Florida
- My grandfather is enjoying his retirement and new life in Southern California.
Well, that was hard work! Are you working now? What do you do? Leave a comment here!
Comments 13
Thank you very much for your help and advice!
I m very happy that I’ve found this bloc!:)
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Hello, Michael! I work for a tire manufacturing company in the marketing and sales line. About thirteen yeas ago, I enter this company after quitting working for a security firm.
I used tobe a privet teach and I was an office worker too, but I quit my jobe by fore
Thanks Fereshte….good example. perhaps you mean you “quit your job before”?
Hi. I’m kosmos… I just want to say really tanks to you!!!! Because your the job which you are doing for everyone is huge, great and just awesome… I really happy that I’ve found this bloc… And I hope I’m gonna have a lot of interesting staffs in here. Thank you again !!!
Hi Kosmos, Thanks for the kind words. I am glad to hear you like this blog. Feel free to suggest a topic for a one point lesson here any time! 🙂
I’m working in Bangkok,Thailand and I’m a senior programmer.
thanks you for sharing 😀
Hi TIm. Thanks for the kind words. I’ve been to Bangkok several times…great city. Cheers, Michael 🙂
“My grandfather is enjoying is retirement and new life in Southern California.”
you forgot the “h” for his
Thanks for letting me know. All fixed now.
What is the difference between “Homemaker” and “Housewife”?
Ghadeer..A housewife is a woman, and a homemaker could be a man or a woman. Thanks for asking 🙂