Unit 8: The World of Work
Vocabulary Focus: Jobs and Professions
In this unit,we explore specific job titles and the nature of professional life. We move beyond basic terms to discuss roles such as biologist, politician, hairdresser, instructor, accountant, reporter, and researcher. Each of these professions requires a distinct set of skills and operates within specific environments, from laboratories to government offices.
AdvancedInsight: While many job titles end in standard suffixes like -er (reporter, researcher), others indicate their field through context. An accountant deals with financial records and tax; a biologist studies living organisms; and a politician is involved in government and publicpolicy. Understanding the specific nouns associated with these jobs�such as ‘article’ for a reporter or ‘experiment’ for a researcher�helps deepen your lexical resource.
Grammar Theory: Present Perfect vs. Simple Past
TheSimple Past is used to describe actions that started and finished at a specific time in the past (e.g., “I worked there in 2019”). Specific time markers like yesterday, last week, or ago are required.
The Present Perfect connects the past to the present. It is used for experiences in our lives up tonow, without a specific time reference (e.g., “I have worked here for two years”). It typically uses auxiliary verbs have/has + the past participle.
Key Distinction: Use Simple Past for finished time periods. Use Present Perfect for unfinished time periods or when the result is relevant now (e.g., “I have lost my keys” implies I still don’thave them).
Match the job titles (1-8) with their correct descriptions (A-H).
- Accountant
- Biologist
- Hairdresser
- Instructor
- Politician
- Reporter
- Researcher
- Colleague
A. Someone who cuts and styles hair.
B. A person who works in government and public office.
C. A professional who keeps financial accounts.
D. Someone who writes news stories for the media.
E. A person you work with.
F. A scientist who studies living things.
G. A teacher of a practical skill (e.g., driving, swimming).
H. Someone who studies a subject in detail to discover new information.
Complete the table with the correct Past Simple and Past Participle forms.
| Base Form | Past Simple | Past Participle |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Be | _______ | _______ |
| 2. Choose | _______ | _______ |
| 3. Speak | _______ | _______ |
| 4. Drive | _______ | _______ |
| 5. Know | _______ | _______ |
| 6. Fall | _______ | _______ |
| 7. Forget | _______ | _______ |
| 8. Write | _______ | _______ |
Circle the correct verb form to complete the sentence.
1. I (have never traveled / did not travel) by plane in my life.2. She (started / has started) her new job yesterday.
3. We (didn’t meet / haven’t met) the new boss yet.
4. (Did you see / Have you seen) the news report last night?
5. He (worked / has worked) as a reporter for ten years and he loves it.
6. They (went / have gone) to the conference last month.
7. I (never try / have never tried) sushi before.
8. (Have you finished / Did you finish) the report already?
Match the job with the noun commonly associated with it.
1. Reporter → _______2. Biologist → _______
3. Accountant → _______
4. Politician → _______
5. Instructor → _______
6. Hairdresser → _______
7. Researcher → _______
8. Editor → _______
(Options: Tax, Article, Laboratory, Lesson, Election, Salon, Experiment, Magazine)
Fill in the blanks with the correct job title from the unit vocabulary.
1. The _______ studied the plant samples in the lab.2. My swimming _______ taught me how to dive.
3. We need an _______ to help us with our tax return.
4. The _______ interviewed the mayor for the evening news.
5. I am going to the _______ to get a haircut before the interview.
6. A good _______ needs to listen to the people who voted for them.
7. The _______ spent months in the library gathering data.
8. She works as a _______ at a large pharmaceutical company.
Decideif the sentence should use Simple Past (SP) or Present Perfect (PP).
1. Action happened at a specific time in the past. [ ]2. Action happened at an indefinite time in the past. [ ]
3. Uses words like ‘yesterday’ or ‘in 1999’. [ ]
4. Uses words like ‘ever’, ‘never’, ‘yet’. [ ]
5. Focus ison the experience, not the time. [ ]
6. Action started in the past and continues now. [ ]
7. Action is completed and time period is finished. [ ]
8. Connection with the present moment. [ ]
