Writing an Essay About Someone’s Job - A2 English Writing — Explanation

In an A2 essay about someone’s job, you describe what a person does, where they work, when they work and how they feel about their job. A good text uses specific work vocabulary, clear paragraphs and simple examples. You can write about a relative, friend or another person you know.

Plan before you write

Make short notes under these questions:

• What is the person’s job?
• Where do they work, and who do they work for?
• Do they work full-time or part-time?
• What hours do they work?
• What are their main duties?
• What skills do they need?
• What do they like or dislike about the job?

Choose the most useful details and put related information together. You do not need to include private information such as an exact salary. General phrases like She earns a good salary or He does not earn very much are enough.

Useful vocabulary for jobs

Job title and workplace

• My uncle works as a chef.
• Rosa is a laboratory assistant.
• She works in a small clinic.
• He works for an international company.

Use work as before a job: work as an engineer. Use work in before a workplace, field or department: work in a factory, work in education. Use work for before an employer or organisation: work for a local newspaper.

Working hours

• She has a full-time job.
• He works part-time at weekends.
• She works 35 hours a week.
• His working day is from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• She sometimes works long hours.

Full-time usually describes a job with the normal number of weekly hours. Part-time means fewer hours. Use from ... to ... for the beginning and end of a shift.

Pay and responsibilities

Earn is a verb: He earns enough money to live comfortably. Salary is a noun: She receives a monthly salary. We use be responsible for + noun/-ing and be in charge of + noun/-ing:

• He is responsible for checking the equipment.
• She is in charge of the evening team.

Organise the essay into paragraphs

A clear A2 job essay can have three paragraphs:

1. Introduction: introduce the person and say what their job is.
2. Job details: describe the workplace, schedule and duties.
3. Opinion: explain what the person likes or finds difficult and give your own view.

Original model essay: My cousin’s job

My cousin Leila works as a bicycle mechanic. She works for an independent bike shop near the university, and she has worked there for two years. It is a small business with six employees.

Leila works full-time from Tuesday to Saturday. She usually starts at nine in the morning and finishes at half past five. She repairs brakes and gears, changes tyres and checks that bicycles are safe. She is also responsible for explaining repairs to customers. Her job requires patience, practical skills and careful attention.

She likes meeting different people and solving mechanical problems. However, the shop is extremely busy in spring, so she sometimes works long hours. The work can also be tiring because she stands for most of the day. Leila enjoys her job because every bicycle presents a different problem. I think it suits her because she has always liked making and fixing things.

Grammar for describing a job

Use the present simple for routines and facts: He starts at eight. She works in a hotel. Add -s or -es after he and she: She teaches children. He finishes at six.

Use frequency words to add detail: usually, often, sometimes, rarely and never. They normally go before the main verb but after be: He often travels. She is usually busy.

Connect your ideas

Use and to add information, but or however to show a contrast, because to give a reason and so to show a result:

• She answers emails and organises meetings.
• The work is difficult, but she enjoys it.
• He likes the job because he helps people.
• Her shift starts early, so she goes to bed before ten.

Common mistakes

• Write She works as a nurse, not She works like a nurse.
• Write He works in an office, not He works at an office job as a place.
• Write She is responsible for helping customers, not responsible to help.
• Write He earns a good salary or He earns a lot of money, not he wins money.
• Remember third-person endings: She works, he teaches, she has.

A2 writing checklist

Check that your essay has a clear introduction, specific job vocabulary, accurate present simple verbs, at least two or three paragraphs, and a final opinion. Read it once more for spelling, capital letters and punctuation.