Difference between Job and Work

Post author:Harry
Post last modified:12/03/2021
Post category:Real English
Reading time:4 mins read

Here you will learn about the difference between Job and Work and how you can use these confusing English words in a sentence.

Watch this short video lesson or scroll down and read the transcript.

Difference between profession, career, job, work, occupation

Harry

Harry is a native English teacher with over 10 years of experience both online and in face-to-face lessons. With his extensive experience in business, he specialises in Business English lessons but happily teaches ESL students with any English learning needs.

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Difference between Job and Work

Hi there,

I’m Harry and welcome to English in a Minute brought to you by englishlessonviaskype.com

Today we want to talk to you about the words job and work. And how they are the same but also how they are different. And how we use them so we look at them in terms of their synonymous features.

They can be both used as nouns.

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Job as a noun and work as a noun.

✔️ I love my job.

✔️ I love my work.

Exactly the same.

✔️ I am looking for work.

✔️ I’m looking for a job.

Exactly the same.

✔️ The work is done.

✔️ The job is done.

Exactly the same.

✔️ The work is finished.

✔️ The job is finished.

Exactly the same.

So we can see here as a noun they are exactly the same.

Job

We use to describe a specific activity, or when we refer to a particular employment role or position (lawyer, accountant or teacher)

Peter started his new job last week.

The research could create new jobs in biotechnology and renewable energy.

In my summer holidays, I had a part-time job.

Work

We use it for more general comments about the activities that you do. When we use ‘work’ we’re not focusing on the specific type. It can also refer to the place of work.

✔️ I take the bus to work every morning.

❌ I take the bus to job every morning.

✔️ I finish work at 5 pm.

❌ I finish job at 5 pm.

‘Work’ is an uncountable noun and we cannot use it in the plural.

✔️ I’ve got a few jobs to finish before Friday.

❌ I’ve a got a few works to finish before Friday.

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Difference between Job and Work

However, when we want to use work as a verb, which is to work.

We can’t use ‘job’ as a verb.

We can’t say ~~to job~~

Ok. So we can only say:

✔️ I have to work today.

✔️ I have to work tomorrow.

✔️ I have to work next week.

But we can’t say:

❌ I have to job today.

❌ I have to job tomorrow.

❌ I have to job next week.

Job is only a noun.

So they are similar when we use them as nouns.

But when we’re using as a verb, we can only use to work.

Ok.

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