fbpx

Author: ct1ttb

Posted on

Confusing words: Work vs Job


“Work” is a general term that refers to all activities that one does while “Job” is more specific.


📌 JOB: an activity that an individual performs in exchange for a specific fee or payment. Also called a profession or an occupation.

We use “job” to talk about the specific position someone has at a company.

  • My job is too stressful, so I’m looking for another one.

The word Job is a Countable Noun:

  • I worked two jobs so that I could pay off my student loans faster.
  • Mark has had seven jobsin the past five years.


📌 WORK: is defined as “a physical or mental activity that is performed in order to accomplish or produce something.

“Work” refers to general efforts and activities done to accomplish a goal.

We use “work” with the following expressions: go to work, get to work, arrive at work, get off work, leave work, finish work, and take off work. We cannot use “job” with these expressions.

Example:

  • I have a lot of work to do tomorrow 
  • You can say you work at/for (a company): “I work at General Motors.”
  • You can say you’re working on (a project/task): “I’m working on a market analysis”
  • You can say you work with (people/objects): “I work with special needs children”

The word Work is an Uncountable Noun, so it is not used in the plural:

I have some work to do (some tasks/activities)

What’s your job? Where do you work?

Can you give us an example sentence using Job/Work in the comments? ⬇️

Posted on

I’m hooked on Podcasts…

…and I cannot lie! 

I listen to at least one podcast episode a day.

Look for the topic you’re more interested in and go for it. I recommend you to practice SHADOWING. That’s an imitation technique. You listen to a sentence, pause, and not only repeat it, but you imitate it! Imitate the person’s pronunciation, intonation, and rhythm!

Do it, please… at least for a week. You’ll notice how helpful they are and then come back here and let me know!

 

How to listen to Podcasts?

Listen to each episode 3 times. Try listening to them with full concentration.

  1. First, just listen. Try to understand what the contexts and topics are.
  2. Listen and read. If possible check the transcription. Most ESL podcasts include the transcription. This is one of MY FAV exercises! It helps you practice pronunciation and improve your vocabulary.
  3. Listen again without the subtitles! 

If you ask me, I’d recommend you to listen to each episode until you understand each and every word!

If you are too busy… that’s ok, having a podcast playing in the background will help you get familiar with the sounds, rhythm, and English intonation.

 

What podcast to listen to?

Start with podcasts that focus on learning 

📌 The Past & The Curious

http://thepastandthecurious.com/

📌 The English We Speak-BBC

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/features/the-english-we-speak

📌 Elementary Podcasts BBC

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/podcasts

📌 Podcasts in English

https://www.podcastsinenglish.com/

📌 EnglishClass101

https://www.englishclass101.com/

📌 Voice of America Learning English

https://learningenglish.voanews.com/programs/radio

📌 Go Natural English Podcast

https://play.acast.com/s/gonaturalenglishpodcasthowtospeakfluentenglish

📌 The Realife English Podcast

https://reallifeglobal.com/radio-podcast

📌 Conversation and Pronunciation: Learn English with the Rachel’s English Podcast

https://rachelsenglish.com/podcast/

 

 

Then, listen to more conversational podcasts:

 

📌 All Ears English Podcast

https://www.allearsenglish.com/episodes/

📌 This American Life

https://www.thisamericanlife.org/

📌 TED Talks daily

https://www.ted.com/about/programs-initiatives/ted-talks/ted-talks-daily

📌 Curiosity Daily 

https://www.curiositydaily.com/

📌 Entrepreneur on Firerepreneur on Fire

https://www.eofire.com/podcast/

📌 Stuff You Should Know

http://www.stuffyoushouldknow.com/podcasts/

📌 The Nerdist

http://www.nerdist.com/

 

Again!

 

Choose one, give it a try and…

Please, do it! at least for a week. 

You’ll notice how helpful they are and then come back here and let me know!

 

 

Yours truly,

Gabby.

Posted on

Writing Emails part 3

 

WRITING EMAILS (PART 3)

 

DETAILS

 

📌 GIVING GOOD NEWS
-We are pleased to announce that… 
-I am delighted to inform you that… 
-You will be pleased to learn that…

 

📌 GIVING BAD NEWS
-I regret to inform you that…
-I’m afraid…
-Unfortunately we are unable to…
-After careful consideration, we have decided…

 

📌REQUESTS
-I would like to know…
-I would appreciate it if you could…

 

📌 OFFERS
Would you like us to…?
I would be happy to…
We are quite willing to…

 

📌 TO ADD INFORMATION
-Please refer to / see/ review the enclosed information. (in physical letters)
-Please refer to / see / review the attached information. (in e-mails)

 

Some info taken from: espressoenglish.net

Posted on

Writing Emails part 2


Last week we talked about the general structure of emails.


Now let’s check the first.

 

INTRODUCTION:

 

📌 SALUTATION
To open the email write “Dear” followed by:

Mr. (for a man)
Mrs. (for a married woman)
Miss (for a single woman)
Ms. (for a woman when you don’t know if she’s married or single)

-Dear Mr. Smith,
-Dear Ms. Jones,
-Dear Dr. Meyers, (Dr. is short for Doctor)
-Dear Professor Davis,
-Dear Rev. Finch, (Rev. is short for Reverend)
-Dear Pastor Anderson,

 

📌 REASON FOR WRITING
The final part of the introduction is the reason for writing.
You can say:

I am writing…

-to inform you that… [your order was shipped on July 27.]
-to tell you about… [a new product that may be beneficial to your company.]
-to confirm… [your attendance at the international training conference.]
-to request… [information about your services.]
-to inquire about… [opportunities for partnership between our companies.]
-to express my dissatisfaction with… [the delay in receiving the material I purchased.]

Some info taken from: esspresoenglish.net

 

📌 How often do you write emails in English?

📌What are the most common phrases you use to open the email?

 

 

Posted on

Writing Emails part 1

Let’s talk about #WRITING!

 

Business letters and e-mails are…

 

📌 Polite: This means they use slightly more formal/professional English. Do not use slang.
Phrasal verbs and idioms are OK only in e-mails to business associates who you know well and have a friendly relationship with.

📌Concise: This means they focus on the essential information and they don’t include lots of extra details or long explanations that are not very relevant.

If you need to write a letter or e-mail, you can follow this structure:

 

📧 INTRODUCTION
– Salutation to open the letter
– Reference to any recent contact
– Expresses your reason for writing

 

📧 DETAILS– more information that is relevant to the letter’s purpose.
– Good/bad news
– Requests/offers
– Complaints
– Brief explanations

 

📧 CONCLUSION
– Next action
– Deadlines or time limits
– Contact information (if necessary)
– Closing

 

Some info taken from: espressoenglish.net

 

What about you?

⁉️ How often do you check your inbox?

⁉️ How many emails do you send a day?

⁉️ How do you structure your emails?

 

 

Posted on

Working from home? Be PRODUCTIVE!

“Working from my home is worth a hundred thousand dollars because of the freedom and because of the time saving.”

~ A team member of Chess.com

Do you feel overwhelmed, stressed out, tired, scared?

Here I share some important tips to help you be productive!

 

1. Take a shower and Dress up! Yeah! Believe it or not, we need to train our brains to understand that we are working, not just staying home.

 

2. Plan your day, set hours, and stick to that plan.  Organization is a must. Start with the hardest tasks first. There is no way to concentrate and do the tasks if you don’t have an order to follow. It just makes things easier and faster. 

 

3. Set Boundaries. You are at home, not at the office. Turn off your phone if necessary. Do not worry about home duties.

 

4. Have a good chair. But do not stay sit all day long. Try to switch, sit for an hour, walk a little, work standing for another hour.

 

5. Give yourself breaks. We need time to relax. 5 minutes every 30 or 40 minutes would be ok. Just don’t procrastinate.

 

6. Know when to stop. Again you are at home. So, it would be easy to say, -Ok ten more minutes and I’m done. Respect your working hours.

 

Vocabulary:

Productive: The rate or efficiency of work. (productividad)

Whether: used to talk about a choicebetween two or more possibilities (Si condicional)

Overwhelmed: To feel sudden strong emotions. (abrumado)

Facing / To face: to have a problem. (enfrentar)

Hard time: trouble, problem, difficulty (problema, dificultad)

Dress up: to wear formal clothes for a special occasion (vestirse formal)

Stick to: continue, not to abandon. (Continuar, seguir con)

Boundaries: limits. (Limits)

Tasks: a piece of specially hard work. (actividades, tareas)

 

 

Posted on

5 tips to communicate effectively with customers

The effectiveness of communication is not defined by the communication, but by the response. ~ Milton Erickson.

Communication methods vary from business to business. Now, whether you are on the phone or face to face, there are some tips that can help us communicate more effectively and improve customer service.

 

1.  First, First impression. Creating a comfortable atmosphere is extremely important when you meet with a customer for the first time. If you are polite and listen to his/her demands patiently and show them interest, no doubts they will feel confident and comfortable to go on a second or third meeting with you. You will not need to convince him/her on how good your product or service is. If you pay attention to them, for sure, they will pay attention to you too.

 

2.  Show them you care. Automatic responses are easier and faster, but, you should keep in mind that, on the other side, there’s another human being and showing them you care. Ask them about their business problems, doubts, and expectations. Be empathetic, let them know you understand what they are trying to say. Give them advice, options, solutions when necessary.

 

3.  Beware of interrupting. Let them express themselves and make the most out of that information. You need to know what their problems and necessities are, so let them speak freely.

 

4.  Provide answers to technical questions. Be empathetic, let them know you understand what they are trying to say. Give them advice, options, and solutions when necessary.

 

5.  Conclude the conversation nicely. Try to close the conversation well as you started it, with a good atmosphere. Make them feel happy and that the time they invested in the conversation was worth it. Let them know you’ll be working on their demands and that you’ll be back to them as soon as possible. 

 

Vocabulary:

Whether:used to talk about a choice between two or more possibilities (Si condicional)

Polite: having or showing good manners and respect for the feelings of others. (educado, atento, correcto)

Demands: a strong request or need for something. (exigencia, reivindicación)

Confident: certain about your ability to do things well (seguro de sí mismo)

Keep in mind: to remember and take into considertaion later (tener en mente, recordar)

Doubt: a state of being uncertain about something. (Duda)

Advice: suggestion about what you think someone should do. (Consejo/s)

Beware: used in order to warm someone to be careful. (tener cuidado con)

Themselves: used to show that the people who do the action are also the people who are affected by it. (Así mismos)

Freely: without being controlled or limited. (Libremente)

Provide: to give something to someone. (Suministrar, proveer)

Nicely: in a pleasant way. (Bien)

Worth it: to have a particular value, especially in moeny. (Valer algo)