Advanced English Collocations in Use | Unit 12

Working Life

Complete the text with collocations from the list: go freelance, lay off staff, make a living, do a job-share.

Fiona "In my mid-twenties I joined the staff of a language school. The pay wasn’t brilliant but I could __¹ and there were many aspects of the job that I enjoyed. The other members of staff were nice and I enjoyed teaching the students. A few years later, after returning from maternity leave, I decided to go part-time. Luckily I was able to __² with another woman who had a small child. Then the school began to go through a difficult period and had to __³. I decided to __⁴. I had managed to build up a network of contacts and this gave me a good start. I soon had a substantial volume of work – private students and marking exams – and was able to earn a good living."

Fiona "In my mid-twenties I joined the staff of a language school. The pay wasn’t brilliant but I could make a living¹ and there were many aspects of the job that I enjoyed. The other members of staff were nice and I enjoyed teaching the students. A few years later, after returning from maternity leave, I decided to go part-time. Luckily I was able to do a job-share² with another woman who had a small child. Then the school began to go through a difficult period and had to lay off staff³. I decided to go freelance⁴. I had managed to build up a network of contacts and this gave me a good start. I soon had a substantial volume of work – private students and marking exams – and was able to earn a good living."

1. make a living: earn enough to live (can also be used just to refer to one’s job and how one earns one’s money: She makes a living as a hairdresser).

2. a job-share: situation where two people share equal parts of the same job.

3. lay off staff: dismiss staff because there is no work for them to do.

4. go freelance: work for several different organisations rather than working full-time for one organisation.

Complete the text with the appropriate form of the collocations from the list: opposite number, practise medicine, take up the post, carve a niche for oneself.

Ben "After graduating, I …¹ for a number of years in London. I managed to …² as a specialist in dermatology. Then I realised I needed some fresh challenges and so I did a job swap for a year with my …³ in a clinic in Vancouver. When I returned, I went back to my old job and also …⁴ of editor of a leading medical journal. I held that position for a number of years. I’m now hoping to go abroad again and so am letting everyone know that I am open to offers.“

Ben "After graduating, I practised medicine¹ for a number of years in London. I managed to carve a niche for myself² as a specialist in dermatology. Then I realised I needed some fresh challenges and so I did a job swap for a year with my opposite number³ in a clinic in Vancouver. When I returned, I went back to my old job and also took up the post⁴ of editor of a leading medical journal. I held that position for a number of years. I’m now hoping to go abroad again and so am letting everyone know that I am open to offers.“

1. practised medicine: worked as a doctor.

2. carve a niche for myself: make a special position for myself.

3. opposite number: someone doing the same job in a different location.

4. took up the post: started work.

Complete the text with the appropriate form of the collocations from the list: take priority over, get somebody’s priorities right, tempting offer, move up the ladder, have a change of heart, a fast-track scheme.

Julia "After graduating in economics, I did the usual thing of putting together my CV and applying for jobs. I got a very …¹ from an investment bank and accepted it. It was a high pressure environment but I felt motivated and I did very well. I was put on …² and was …³ fast. However, one day I …⁴. I realised I’d stopped enjoying the excitement. I felt I needed to …⁵. I decided that other aspects of my life should …⁶ my work. I handed in my resignation and moved to the country."

Julia "After graduating in economics, I did the usual thing of putting together my CV and applying for jobs. I got a very tempting offer¹ from an investment bank and accepted it. It was a high pressure environment but I felt motivated and I did very well. I was put on a fast-track scheme² and was moving up the ladder³ fast. However, one day I had a change of heart⁴. I realised I’d stopped enjoying the excitement. I felt I needed to get my priorities right⁵. I decided that other aspects of my life should take priority over⁶ my work. I handed in my resignation and moved to the country."

1. tempting offer: If offer is tempting, you want to do or have it.

2. fast-track scheme: system for rapid training and promotion of talented staff.

3. moving up the ladder: being promoted.

4. change of heart: my attitude or mood changed.

5. get my priorities right: give importance to the right aspects of life.

6. take priority over: be more important to me than.

Rewrite the sentence using the word in brackets.

The recession meant that the company had to make some workers redundant. (LAY)

The recession meant that the company had to lay off some workers/staff or lay some workers/staff off.

Rewrite the sentence using the word in brackets.

Your family should really be more important to you than your work. (PRIORITY)

Your family should really take priority over your work.

Rewrite the sentence using the word in brackets.

Nita soon gained several promotions at work. (LADDER)

Nita soon moved up the ladder at work.

Rewrite the sentence using the word in brackets.

Bill hates his new boss so much that I think he’ll soon leave. (RESIGNATION)

Bill hates his new boss so much that I think he'll soon hand in his resignation.

Rewrite the sentence using the word in brackets.

Vic earns good money as a freelance journalist. (LIVING)

Vic earns a good living as a freelance journalist.

Rewrite the sentence using the word in brackets.

I need to write down all my qualifications and experience before I apply for jobs. (CV)

I need to put together my CV before I apply for jobs.

Rewrite the sentence using the word in brackets.

My father always wanted to work as a doctor in a rural community. (PRACTISE)

My father always wanted to practise medicine in a rural community.

Correct the seven collocation errors in this paragraph.

George makes a life as a sports reporter on a local newspaper but he is under high pressure at work at the moment. He’s had far too much work to make recently. He’s been put on a fast-train scheme for promotion and they’re really pushing him. It’s so hard that he’s thinking of handing over his resignation and going freelancing. It wouldn’t be easy but I’m sure he’d soon work a niche for himself as a sports journalist.

George makes a living as a sports reporter on a local newspaper but he is under considerable / a lot of pressure at work at the moment. He's had far too much work to do recently. He's been put on a fast-track scheme for promotion and they're really pushing him. It's so hard that he's thinking of handing in his resignation and going freelance. It wouldn't be easy but I'm sure he'd soon carve a niche for himself as a sports journalist.

Complete the dialogue with a word from the list: change, holds, take, number, offer, over, right, take up.

Meg: Did you know my son’s in Australia at the moment? He’s doing a job swap with his opposite (1) ....................... , the person who (2) ....................... a similar position to his in the company’s Sydney office.
José: Wow, that’s good! But I thought he wanted to go to the States this year?
Meg: Well, yes. He did have a very tempting (3) ....................... from a company in New York and was about to accept, but then he had a (4) ....................... of heart.
José: So, have you met the exchange person from Sydney?
Meg: Yes, he’s been to dinner a couple of times. He’d like to settle here in fact and has asked us to tell everyone he’s (5) ....................... to offers from any companies that might be interested.
José: Perhaps. We could do with someone with good Australian contacts. But we could really do with someone who could (6) ....................... a post before the end of the year.
Meg: That could work out perhaps. He certainly seems very nice. And he’d be motivated to do well for you because he’s so keen to stay here.
José: And do you think your son will stay in Australia?
Meg: I hope not. I’ve told him to get his priorities (7) ....................... . Being near his mum should (8) ....................... priority over Australian beaches and sunshine!

´Meg: Did you know my son’s in Australia at the moment? He’s doing a job swap with his opposite (1) number, the person who (2) holds a similar position to his in the company’s Sydney office.
José: Wow, that’s good! But I thought he wanted to go to the States this year?
Meg: Well, yes. He did have a very tempting (3) offer from a company in New York and was about to accept, but then he had a (4) change of heart.
José: So, have you met the exchange person from Sydney?
Meg: Yes, he’s been to dinner a couple of times. He’d like to settle here in fact and has asked us to tell everyone he’s (5) open to offers from any companies that might be interested.
José: Perhaps. We could do with someone with good Australian contacts. But we could really do with someone who could (6) take up a post before the end of the year.
Meg: That could work out perhaps. He certainly seems very nice. And he’d be motivated to do well for you because he’s so keen to stay here.
José: And do you think your son will stay in Australia?
Meg: I hope not. I’ve told him to get his priorities (7) right. Being near his mum should (8) take priority over Australian beaches and sunshine!