Step 28: Jobs and Work
Working life — Work vocabulary; present simple vs continuous
📖 Read — A Working Day in Austin
In Austin, people start work early. Mr. Johnson is a doctor. He works at a big hospital, and he usually starts at seven. But today is different: he is working at a small clinic near the river.
His neighbor Lisa is an engineer. She usually works in an office downtown, but this week she is working from home. Her children are at school now, but at the moment her little son is sleeping on the couch. “Shh!” Lisa laughs. “On Fridays, we finish at three. But today, everyone is working hard!”
🧩 Grammar — Present Simple vs Present Continuous
Use the present simple for routines and facts: He works at a hospital. She usually starts at seven. Use the present continuous for actions happening now or this week (temporary): Today he is working at a clinic. At the moment, the baby is sleeping. Signal words: usually, every day → simple · now, today, this week → continuous.
- He works at a big hospital.
- Today, he is working at a small clinic.
- She usually takes the bus.
- Look! She is running for the bus now!
🏗️ Key structures
- He usually ___ at/on ___ — He usually starts work at seven.
- Today, she is ___-ing — Today, she is working from home.
- At the moment, ___ is ___-ing — At the moment, the baby is sleeping.
⭐ Idiom & natural phrases
My sister has a nine-to-five job in Chicago.
🔤 New words
a room or building where people work at desks
Her office is downtown.
a person who designs and builds machines, roads, or apps
Lisa is an engineer.
a person who helps the doctor and takes care of sick people
The nurse is very kind.
a person who drives a bus, taxi, or truck
The bus driver is friendly.
a person who grows food and keeps animals
The farmer works in the fields.
a big building where people make things with machines
The factory makes cars.
the person who is the boss of a team or a shop
Our manager is fair and funny.
a small place where a doctor sees sick people
There is a clinic near my house.
🎧 Say it with me
He works at a hospital, and he usually starts at seven. But today, he is working at a small clinic.
🎤 Your turn to speak
Talk about a person in your family: their job with the present simple (usually…), and what they are doing today with the continuous.
Say it out loud three times. Even better: record it on your phone and listen — your ear is your best teacher.
✍️ Your turn to write
Write 4 sentences about two jobs: one routine sentence and one 'today' sentence for each person.
See a model answer
My uncle is a bus driver. He usually starts work at six. Today, he is driving to Houston. My aunt is a nurse. She works at a clinic, but today she is resting at home.
Self-check: capital letters? Full stops? Did you use the grammar of this step?
📝 Quick check
Go deeper
This step is a doorway — the full lesson goes much further:
Present Continuous: Now & Future Plans — full lesson + 50-question quiz
🎉 Saved in your progress!