English Vocabulary in Use Pre-intermediate and Intermediate » Unit 35: Jobs

Word List
  • accountant
  • air force
  • architect
  • army
  • brick
  • build
  • builder
  • carpenter
  • dentist
  • design
  • electrician
  • emergency services
  • engineer
  • fire brigade
  • fireman/firefighter
  • fix
  • GP
  • install
  • join [become a member]
  • lecturer
  • mend
  • navy [army]
  • nurse
  • operate on sb
  • pilot
  • pipe
  • plan
  • plumber
  • police force
  • police officer
  • profession
  • repair
  • represent
  • sailor
  • soldier
  • surgeon
  • surgery [a place]
  • treat
  • wood
Exercises

35.1 ‣ Match the job on the left with something the person uses on the right.

  1. lecturer
  2. plumber _____
  3. accountant _____
  4. builder _____
  5. soldier _____
  6. carpenter _____
  1. a) a gun
  2. b) wood
  3. c) books
  4. d) pipes
  5. e) bricks
  6. f) numbers

35.2 ‣ Write down one job from the opposite page that would be difficult for the person in 2–6, and three jobs that would be difficult for the person in 7–9.

  1. Someone who didn’t go to university.
  2. Someone who is always sick on a boat. _____
  3. Someone who is not interested in cars. _____
  4. Someone who is afraid of dogs. _____
  5. Someone who is afraid of heights and high places. _____
  6. Someone who is terrible at numbers and maths. _____
  7. Someone who isn’t good at working with their hands. _____
  8. Someone who cannot see very well. _____
  9. Someone who will not work in the evening or at weekends. _____

35.3 ‣ Test your knowledge. Can you write down what these people do without looking at the opposite page?

35.4 ‣ Complete the dialogues.

  1. A: She’s a police officer.
    B:
  2. A: He’s a sailor.
    B: _____
  3. A: He’s a fighter pilot.
    B: _____
  4. A: She’s a soldier.
    B: _____
  5. A: He’s a firefighter.
    B: _____
Answer Key
A ‣ Working with your hands

builder [builds or repairs homes]

carpenter [makes things using wood]

plumber [installs and repairs water pipes, etc.]

electrician [installs and repairs electrical things, e.g. lights]

mechanic [repairs cars when there is a problem]

Language help

When something is damaged or broken, we often use repair or fix.
Dad repaired/fixed the window for me.
I need someone to fix/repair the computer.

With small pieces of equipment we can also use mend; with clothes we often use mend.
Could you fix/repair/mend my watch?
I’ve mended your trousers for you.

B ‣ Professions*

jobwhat he/she does
architectdesigns buildings
lawyerrepresents people with legal problems
engineerplans the building of roads, bridges, machines, etc.
accountantcontrols the financial situation of people and companies
university lecturerteaches in a university, e.g. gives lectures

* jobs that need a lot of training and/or education

C ‣ The medical profession

These people treat people or animals. [give medicine or medical help]

GPs [general practitioners: doctors who don’t work in a hospital], dentists [people who look after your teeth] and vets [animal doctors] all work in a place called a surgery. In hospital there are nurses who look after people, and surgeons who operate on people. [open the body to remove or repair a part that is damaged]

D ‣ The armed forces and the emergency services

My son joined the army when he was 18. [became a member of]

soldier (in the army)

sailor (in the navy)

pilot (in the air force)

police officer (in the police force)

fireman/firefighter (in the fire brigade)

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