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Lesson planB295 minsNew. New: checked automatically for level, grammar, facts and originality; a teacher's review is still to come. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
B2 First Unit 3: Work and Study
Students build vocabulary for work and study, including phrasal verbs and word families, and practise B2 First Reading and Use of English Parts 3, 4 and 6 and a Part 2 email.
Work · Study · Phrasal verbs
B2 First preparationTopic unit
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Plan at a glance
Aims
- Learn and use phrasal verbs for work and study (take on, put off, turn down…)
- Learn and use 40 words and phrases in 4 sets: Applying for a job, At work: words people often mix up, Phrasal verbs for work and study, Word families: people, things and qualities
- Practise B2 First Reading and Use of English Parts 3, 4 and 6
- Writing task (Part 2): an email to a friend
Stages · 95 min
- 5 minLead-in: Pairs talk about part-time jobs and studying: would they work while studying? Why or why not?
- 10 minVocabulary: Ex. 1
- 5 minLanguage focus: Go through the grammar notes together: phrasal verbs with objects and word families.
- 15 minControlled practice: Ex. 2–3
- 5 minAccuracy practice: Ex. 4
- 20 minExam practice: Use of English: Ex. 5–6
- 15 minReading: Ex. 7
- 20 minWriting: Ex. 8
Printables
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Download all (ZIP, 2 PDFs)Grammar notes
Phrasal verbs with an object
- Two-part verbs: the object can go after the verb or between the verb and the particle: turn down the offer / turn the offer down.
- With a pronoun, it must go in the middle: turn it down, hand it in, set it up (not set up it).
- Three-part verbs keep the object at the end: catch up on, come up with, get on with, sign up for.
Word families
- People: -er and -ee (employer, employee), -ant (applicant).
- Things and activities: -ment (employment), -tion (application), -ity (productivity, flexibility).
- Qualities: -ive (productive), -able (reliable), -ful (successful). Use un- for the opposite: unemployed, unexciting.
Easily confused
- work is uncountable (a lot of work); a job is one position (a new job).
- A task is one small piece of work; a project is a bigger plan with a clear aim.
- A schedule is your own plan; a timetable shows when buses, trains or classes run.
Complete the exercises, then check your answers.
1
Words that are easy to mix up
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence.
- a
I'm looking for a new ___ in marketing, ideally something part-time.
- b
There's so much ___ to do before Friday that I'll have to stay late.
- c
Checking the figures is a small ___ that takes about ten minutes.
- d
Our team has just started a two-year ___ to build a new hospital app.
- e
According to the bus ___, the next one leaves at 9.40.
- f
My ___ is completely full this week, so can we meet on Monday?
- g
I sent my ___ last week, and they've just invited me to meet the manager.
2
Phrasal verbs for work and study
Complete each sentence with a phrasal verb from the box. There is one extra phrasal verb.
Word box
Tap a gap, then a word, or type the answer.
- a
The company is growing fast and plans to twenty new staff this year.
- b
Don't your revision until the night before the exam.
- c
I missed two lectures, so I need to on my reading this weekend.
- d
Last month I an online course, and I start next Monday.
- e
The IT team is the problem and will email us when it's fixed.
- f
We need to a better name for the product before the launch.
- g
Stop chatting and your work, please!
- h
The scientists will more tests before the new medicine is approved.
3
Word families
Is each word a person, an activity or thing, or a quality (an adjective)? Put each one in the right group.
- a
employer
- b
successful
- c
application
- d
productivity
- e
applicant
- f
flexible
- g
employment
- h
employee
- i
productive
4
Find and correct the mistake
Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correction.
- a
I have a work.
- b
I have a new work.
- c
I am working in a new project this week.
- d
It's difficult to concentrate to your work in a noisy office.
- e
Let's make a break.
- f
The printer is ready — can you set up it?
5
Exam task: Your first job
Use the word in capitals to form a word that fits each gap.
Exam task: Reading and Use of English, Part 3
Tip: Read the whole sentence: decide if you need a noun, an adjective or an adverb, and check whether the meaning is negative.
Every year, thousands of graduates start looking for their first job, and 1COMPETE for good positions is fierce. Employers look for 2FLEXIBLE as well as good qualifications: they want people who can adapt quickly to change. Being 3RELY also matters, since nobody wants a colleague who misses deadlines.
Many young people worry that they will remain 4EMPLOY for months after university, but 5DETERMINE usually pays off in the end. Volunteering can also be a valuable 6ADD to your CV.
Finally, do not expect too much at first: even an 7EXCITE first job, with routine tasks and little responsibility, can still teach you a great deal, and 8PROMOTE often comes to people who are patient and keen to learn.
6
Exam task: Key word transformations
Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first, using the word given. Do not change the word given. Use between two and five words, including the word given.
Exam task: Reading and Use of English, Part 4
Tip: Many Part 4 answers test a phrasal verb. Check that you have changed every part of the sentence that needs to change, such as the tense.
- a
The manager refused her request for a day off.
DOWN
The manager for a day off.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- b
Because I was ill, I haven't kept up with my work.
FALLEN
Because I was ill, I with my work.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- c
Two students started the company in 2015.
SET
The company by two students in 2015.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- d
You must give your application to us before Friday.
HAND
You must before Friday.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- e
It isn't necessary to wear a suit in our office.
HAVE
You a suit in our office.
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
- f
Paul is in charge of training new staff.
RESPONSIBILITY
Training new staff is .
Use 2–5 words, including the word given.
7
Exam task: My first year at work
Six sentences have been removed from the text. Choose from the sentences A–G the one which fits each gap (1–6). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
Exam task: Reading and Use of English, Part 6
Tip: Look at the sentences before and after each gap. Words like as a result, however, instead and pronouns such as it or them show you how the ideas connect.
When I finished my degree in economics, I assumed the hard part was over. I had good marks, a useful qualification in data analysis and plenty of confidence. [1] It took me four months, eleven job applications and three job interviews before a small marketing agency finally offered me a contract. The interviews taught me more than any lecture had. At the first one, I was one of six candidates, and I talked for ten minutes about my dissertation without once mentioning the company. [2] By the third interview, I had learnt to research each employer carefully and to explain how my skills matched what they needed. My first weeks at the agency were exhausting. Nobody told me exactly what to do, and I was too nervous to ask. [3] My manager, Priya, noticed that I was struggling and sat down with me to go through my tasks. She showed me how to prioritise: urgent jobs first, then the ones with the nearest deadline. That conversation changed the way I worked. I began to keep a simple schedule on my phone, and I stopped saying yes to every request. [4] Within a few months, Priya trusted me to work on a project of my own: a social media campaign for a local bakery. The project was not a complete success. The bakery's owner changed her mind twice about the design, and we missed one deadline. [5] However, the campaign brought the bakery hundreds of new customers, and the owner later recommended us to two other businesses. A year later, I have just been offered a promotion. I still make mistakes, but I no longer see them as a disaster. [6] If I could give one piece of advice to students who are about to start work, it would be this: write down what went wrong each week, and read your notes before your next review.
Tap an item…
…then its match
8
Exam task: Write an email
Write your email in 140–190 words.
Exam task: Writing, Part 2
Tip: Answer every question in the email you receive, and use a friendly, informal style for a friend.
You have received this email from your English-speaking friend, Sam. 'I'm thinking of getting a part-time job while I'm studying next year, but I'm worried it will be too much. You had a job while you were at college. What was it like? Do you think I should do it?' Write your email to Sam. Word box: schedule · prioritise · fall behind · flexible · career
Suggested minimum: 140 words
Before you hand it in
- I start and finish in a friendly way (Hi Sam… / Good luck…).
- I describe my own experience of working while I studied.
- I answer Sam's question and give a clear opinion.
- I give Sam one or two practical tips.
- I use informal language and contractions, but no slang.
0 words · aim for at least 140
Show a model answer
Hi Sam, Thanks for your email. It's great that you're thinking about a part-time job! When I was at college, I worked in a café on Saturdays and two evenings a week. At first, I found it hard to fit everything in, and I fell behind with my coursework for a few weeks. However, once I started to plan my week and prioritise, things got much easier. The job also gave me useful experience and a reference that helped me get my first proper job. In my opinion, you should go for it, but be careful about the hours. I'd say ten to twelve hours a week is enough while you're studying. Before you accept anything, ask whether the schedule is flexible during exam periods, because that made a big difference for me. Why don't you look for something connected to what you're studying? That way, the job will help your career as well as your bank account. Good luck, and let me know what you decide! Alex
Spotted a mistake in this lesson?· tell us the exercise and item
Revise with a game
This lesson's own words and questions. Play on your own, or in teams on the classroom screen.
- Step UpAnswer the lesson's questions to climb to the top.
- Pair UpMatch the lesson's words to their meanings against the clock.
- SnapA word and a meaning: do they go together? Answer fast.
- Fix ItFind the mistake in each sentence, then correct it.
- Quiz BoardTeams choose questions worth 100 to 500 points.
- Retro arcadeWord Invaders, Word Snake, Word Maze and Word Crossing: classic arcade games with the lesson's words.
Glossary
The 40 words and phrases this lesson teaches, in 4 sets.
Applying for a job
- job application
- a formal request for a job, usually with a CV or a form
- job interview
- a meeting where an employer asks you questions to decide whether to give you a job
- candidate
- a person who is being considered for a job
- qualification
- an exam you have passed or a course you have finished that shows you can do something
- contract
- a written agreement between a worker and a company
- salary
- the money you earn every month or year from your job
- promotion
- a move to a more important job in the same company
At work: words people often mix up
- work
- the activity of doing a job; uncountable: I have a lot of work
- job
- one position that you are paid for: a new job
- task
- one piece of work that you have to do, often small
- project
- a planned piece of work with a particular aim, often over a long time
- schedule
- a plan of what you will do and when
- timetable
- a list of the times when buses, trains or classes happen
- deadline
- the time or day by which you must finish something
- prioritise
- to decide which tasks are most important and do them first
- responsibility
- a duty or task that is part of your job
- break
- a short rest from work or study: take a break
- concentrate on
- to give all your attention to something
- work on a project
- to spend time doing the work for a project
Phrasal verbs for work and study
- take on
- to give someone a job; to accept work or responsibility
- put off
- to decide to do something later
- catch up
- to do work you have missed, so that you are no longer behind
- sign up for
- to put your name on a list to do a course or activity
- look into
- to try to find out about a problem or question
- come up with
- to think of an idea, plan or answer
- get on with
- to continue doing something, especially work
- carry out
- to do a planned task, test or piece of research
- turn down
- to say no to an offer or request
- fall behind
- to fail to do work as quickly as you should
- set up
- to start a business or organisation; to prepare something for use
- hand in
- to give your work to a teacher or the person in charge
Word families: people, things and qualities
- employer
- a person or company that pays people to work for them
- employee
- a person who is paid to work for a company
- employment
- the state of having a paid job
- applicant
- a person who applies for a job or a place on a course
- application
- a formal request, for example for a job or a course
- productivity
- how much work someone does in a period of time
- productive
- doing or producing a lot
- flexible
- able to change easily to suit new situations
- successful
- achieving what you wanted to achieve
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