Getting to know colleagues

Talking about your past work experience is a good way o0 New language Past simple and past continuous
to get to know your colleagues. Past simple and past Aa Vocabulary Sharing past experiences
continuous tenses are often used to do this. ft. New skill Talking about past experiences

KEY LANGUAGE THE PAST SIMPLE AND THE PAST CONTINUOUS

Use the past simple to talk about a single, completed action in
the past, past habits, or a state that was true for a time in the past.
Many commo n verbs have
irregular past simple form .
Add "-ed" to most verbs to
,....___ _ _ _~ form the past simpl e.
What did you I worked I ran my own
do before you I fixed for TCE construction I was a legal
came here? computers. consultants. company. assistant.

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fl

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II
Use the past continuous to talk about ongoing actions
that were in progress at a certain time in the past.

Awful! I was working 60 hours

What was your last job like? a week before I came here.

F HOW TO FORM THE PAST SIMPLE AND THE PAST CONTINUOUS

The past simple is usually formed by adding "-ed " to the base form of the verb. The past continuous
I is formed by adding "was" or "were" in front of the verb, and "- ing" to the end of the verb.

SUBJECT PAST CONTINUOUS REST OF CLAUSE PAST SIMPLE

was working 60 hours a week before I came here.

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 2 ,j CROSS OUT THE INCORRECT WORDS IN EACH SENTENCE

I started I W«S sta1 ting my own printing company more than 10 years ago. )
0 They began I were beginning to sell more when the shop suddenly closed last year.

8 I lost I was losing my job when the factory closed last December.

8 I was delighted when I got I was getting promoted to senior manager in 2015.

8 We moved here when my wife was finding I found a new job two years ago.

0 I was training I trained to be a chef when I was given this award.

0 When I worked 90 hours a week, I felt I was feeling exhausted all the time.

0 When I was a photographer, I was meeting I met a lot of famous people through my work.

r- KEY LANGUAGE THE PAST TENSE

FOR POLITENESS
2 MARK THE SENTENCES
THAT ARE CORRECT
You may hear people ask questions about a present
situation in the past tense. This makes the question Did you want some more coffee? 0
more polite.
"Do" becomes "Did " to make
the question in past tense.
Do you wanting some more coffee?
0
0 I was to look for another job.
Did you want a tour of the office? r
I was looking for another job. l '

8 I was wondering if you could help. I

I was wondered if you could help. I ,

8 Were you working as a waiter? r,

The past tense is also sometimes Were you work as a waiter? [
used to make a polite request.
8 They weren't employing young people. [l
I wanted to ask about the They not employing young people. [l
company's history.
0 I didn't enjoy my last job. [l
I didn't enjoying my last job. [l
0 Did you work in a hotel? [l
Did you working in a hotel? C-J

l ~>))

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 ~ KEY LANGUAGE THE PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE
The present perfect simple is used to talk about events in the
recent past that still have an effect on the present moment.
A specific date is
No date is specified , so the
given , so the past
present perfect is used.
simple is used.

So, have you worked No, I haven't

I have worked in a
in a team before? worked in a I worked in a small
few different teams.
team before . team in 2005.

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•

7 HOW TO FORM THE PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

The present perfect simple is formed
with "have" and a past participle.

SUBJECT "HAVE I HAS" + PAST PARTICIPLE REST OF SENTENCE

have worked in a few teams.

2.8 FILL IN THE GAPS BY PUTTING THE VERBS IN THE PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE

Susan --'-hef--"s'--'-'-w-'-or'"'keJ
" ~--- (work) here since she graduated from college five years ago. ~
0 He (take) 15 days off sick this year already and it is only May!

8 Julia has a lot of experience. She (manage) this department for years.

f) They (employ) more than 300 people over the years.

0 John (train) lots of young employees across a few different teams.

0 I'm so happy! I (finish) my apprenticeship at last.

0 My manager (approve) my vacation days. I'm going to Italy in July.

'4>))

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 2.9 LISTEN TO THE AUDIO AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS

Two colleagues are 8 Suzi has always worked in HR.

discussing their past
True False Not given
experience.

t) Jack has worked for CIE for six years.

True False Not given

This is Suzi's first day at the company. 0 Jack has never worked for another company.
True False v( Not given True False Not given

0 Suzi's previous company was smaller. 0 Jack and Suzi always work the same days.
True C False Not given True False Not given

2.10 CROSS OUT THE INCORRECT WORDS IN EACH SENTENCE, THEN SAY THE
SENTENCES OUT LOUD

I worl<ed-/ wasr.uOI king I have worked in marketing since 1995.

!'- - - - -

0 l I drove I was driving I have driven taxis when I saw this job advertised.

I managed I was managing I have managed accounts for this company for seven years.

I bought I was buying I have bought my first business in 2009.

I was studying in college when I saw I was seeing I have seen this job.

They invested I were investing I have invested in this company since 2010.

0 In 2014, I sold I was selling I has sold the company to an investor.

CHECKLIST
o0 Past simple and past continuous D Aa Sharing past experiences D 1'le Talking about past experiences D
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 Vocabulary
DEPARTMENTS

Administration Production
[deals with organization and internal [ensures all manufacturing
and external communication] stages run smoothly]

Research and Development (R&D} . ., , Purchasing

[deals with researching and developing ~--· [deals with buying goods and
future products for a company] raw materials]

Human Resources (HR} Sales

[deals with employee relations [deals with selling a finished
and matters such as hiring staff] product to outside markets]

Accounts I Finance Facilities I Office Services

[deals with money matters, from [ensures the smooth day-to-day running
paying bills to projecting sales] of the practical aspects of a company]

Legal
Marketing
[ensures that all contracts and
[deals with promoting products] company activities are legal]

Public Relations (PR} Information Technology (IT}

[deals with maintaining a positive [ensures that all technological systems
public image for a company] are working and maintained]

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3. ROLES

Chief Executive
employer Officer (CEO) manager

Chief Financial Officer

employee (CFO) assistant

.. o)

3. DESCRIBING ROLES

We all work for a large He looks after our

department store. salaries and wages.
to work for to look after
[to be employed by a company] [to ensure something runs smoothly)

I work in event They are responsible for

management. office maintenance.
to work in to be responsible for
[to be employed in a [to have the duty of ensuring
department or area of an industry] something is done effectively]

I'm in charge of
She works as a administration.
fashion designer.
to be in charge of
to work as [to have control and
[to have a particular job or role] authority over something]

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