Present Simple and Continuous for Describing Your Company and Job

Present Simple and Continuous for describing your company and job

Take turns asking each other suitable questions from the list below.

• Do you do a lot of overtime?
• Do you often travel abroad on business?
• Do you work near here?
• Are you still working on…?
• How are you getting on with your project?/ How are you getting on with…?/ Are you making much progress with…?
• How’s business?
• How’s work?
• How’s your project going?/ How’s… going?
• What are you working on (at the moment)?
• What do you do?/ What’s your job?
• What does your company/ division/ department/ section/ team/… do?
• What exactly do you do?/ What are your duties?/ What are your responsibilities?
• Who do you work for?/ What’s your company’s name?

Ask about any questions you don’t understand or aren’t sure how to answer.

What are the differences in meaning between these pairs of questions?

• What do you do?/ What are you working on?

 

Brainstorming Present Simple and Continuous answers

Add as many possible answers as you can to the columns below, using different verbs.

Answers to “What (exactly) do you do?”/ “What are your duties?”/ “What are your responsibilities?”	Answers to “What are you working on?”

Try to add (more) time expressions to the answers above.

Which time expressions are often used with those two tenses? What are the differences between Present Simple and Present Continuous?

In each pair of sentences below one should be Present Simple (e.g. verb+s, like “has”) and one should be Present Continuous (“am/ is/ are + verb+ing”). Put the verbs into the correct tenses each time. The other choice should be incorrect or at least very strange, so if you are not sure try putting in both and eliminate the one that doesn’t sound right.

Questions about your company and job Present Simple and Continuous

Your job

“What’s your job?” “I ______________________________________________ (work) in the marketing department of a large insurance company.”

“How’s work?” “Pretty busy. I _____________________________________________ (get) ready to move to our New York office.”

 

“What ________________________________ (you do)?” “I’m an accountant.”

“What _______________________________________________________ (you do) here?” “I’m giving a presentation on our new product range.”

 

“What exactly ____________________ (you do)?” “I negotiate deals with new suppliers.”

“What _______________________________________________________________ (you work on)?” “I’m hiring staff for a new branch in Kobe.”

 

“How’s your project going?” “Not very well. We __________________________________ (still work) on the initial plan.”

“Do you often go abroad on business?” “No, very rarely, unfortunately. I mainly __________________________________ (travel) around Japan.”

 

Your company

“What does your company do?” “We ______________________ (sell) traditional Japanese clothes, most of the time in Central and Eastern Europe.”

“How’s business?” “Pretty good. Sales of our new product _______________________________________________________ (really grow).”

 

“_________________________ (your company hire) at the moment?” “Not right now. New staff usually start in April, or sometimes in September.”

“________________________________ (your company employ) many people?” “Quite a lot. We have 23,000 full-time employees in 12 countries.”

 

Present Simple and Continuous statements about your company and job

Your job

I __________________________________________ (work) for the finance department.

I _______________________________________________________________ (work) with the planning department on next year’s financial plan.

 

I _________________________________ (work) in a branch office just north of Tokyo.

I’m a consultant so I work in different clients’ offices. I ____________________________ (presently work) in this building, on the 13^th floor.

 

 

I _____________________ (attend) this year’s conference in order to find new suppliers.

I __________________________________ (attend) trade fairs three or four times a year.

 

I often _____________________________________ (visit) clients in cities around Japan.

I’m in Tokyo today because I __________________________(visit) our head office here.

 

Your company

We _________________________________________________________________ (help) companies design improved workspaces such as offices.

Right now we ________________________________ (design) the new IBM Japan HQ.

 

We ___________________________________________ (do) business in 23 countries.

We __________________________________ (do) much better this year than last year.

 

We _________________________________________ (look) for premises in this area.

We mainly ___________________________ (deal with) local governments and NPOs.

 

We _____________________________ (offer) a 20% discount until the end of this month.

We __________________ (operate) franchise coffee shops, usually in shopping centres.

 

We ___________________________________ (currently set up) a subsidiary in Belgium.

We ___________________________ (service) office equipment such as photocopiers.

 

We _____________________________________ (deliver) all orders within three days.

We _______________________________________ (organize) the next Tokyo Car Show.

 

We _____________________________________________________ (try) to cut costs compared to last year by moving more production abroad.

We __________________________________________ (provide) language training to big and small companies in 34 countries around the world.

 

We __________________________ (make) electronics for athletes such as pedometers.

We _________________________________________________ (make) plans to launch health insurance for people working abroad for up to a year.

 

We _____________________________________ (manufacture) electric sports cars.

We _____________________________________________ (manufacture) a special edition to celebrate our 50^th anniversary this year.

 

Starting the conversation

______________________________________________________ (anyone sit) here?

__________________________________________________ (we know) each other?

 

Ending the conversation

Great. I’ll email you about that soon. __________________ (you have) a business card?

Can I introduce you to my boss? She _______________________ (stand) just over there.

Suggested answers

Your job

“What’s your job?” “I work in the marketing department of a large insurance company.”

“How’s work?” “Pretty busy. I’m getting ready to move to our New York office.”

 

“What do you do?” “I’m an accountant.”

“What are you doing here?” “I’m giving a presentation on our new product range.”

 

“What exactly do you do?” “I negotiate deals with new suppliers.”

“What are you working on?” “I’m hiring staff for a new branch in Kobe.

 

“How’s your project going?” “Not very well. We are still working on the initial plan.”

“Do you often go abroad on business?” “No, very rarely, unfortunately. I mainly travel around Japan.”

 

Your company

“What does your company do?” “We sell traditional Japanese clothes, most of the time in Central and Eastern Europe.”

“How’s business?” “Pretty good. Sales of our new product are really growing.”

 

“Is your company hiring at the moment?” “Not right now. New staff usually start in April, or sometimes in September.”

“Does your company employ many people?” “Quite a lot. We have 23,000 full-time employees in 12 countries.”

 

Present Simple and Continuous statements about your company and job

Your job

I work for the finance department.

I’m working with the planning department on next year’s financial plan.

 

I work in a branch office just north of Tokyo.

I’m a consultant so I work in different clients’ offices. I’m presently working in this building, on the 13^th floor.

 

I’m attending this year’s conference in order to find new suppliers.

I attend trade fairs three or four times a year.

 

I often visit clients in cities around Japan.

I’m in Tokyo today because I’m visiting our head office here.

 

Your company

We help companies design improved workspaces such as offices.

Right now we are designing the new IBM Japan HQ.

 

We do business in 23 countries.

We are doing much better this year than last year.

 

We are looking for premises in this area.

We mainly deal with local governments and NPOs.

 

We are offering a 20% discount until the end of this month.

We operate franchise coffee shops, usually in shopping centres.

 

We are currently setting up a subsidiary in Belgium.

We service office equipment such as photocopiers.

 

We deliver all orders within three days.

We are organizing the next Tokyo Car Show.

 

We are trying to cut costs compared to last year by moving more production abroad.

We provide language training to big and small companies in 34 countries around the world.

 

We make electronics for athletes such as pedometers.

We’re making plans to launch health insurance for people working abroad for up to a year.

 

We manufacture electric sports cars.

We are manufacturing a special edition to celebrate our 50^th anniversary this year.

 

Starting the conversation

Is anyone sitting here?

Do we know each other?

 

Ending the conversation

Great. I’ll email you about that soon. Do you have a business card?

Can I introduce you to my boss? She’s standing just over there.

 

Roleplay two conversations with people you don’t know at conferences/ trade fairs, the second time without looking at the worksheet above.

 

Present Simple and Continuous key words

Without looking above for now, write suitable words and expressions in each of the spaces below. Things which are correct but weren’t above are also fine. There are examples in the top two boxes.  

Words which often go with Present Simple	Words which often go with Present Continuous
Time expressions which often go with Present Simple never	Time expressions which often go with Present Continuous now
Other expressions which often go with Present Simple	Other expressions which often go with Present Continuous

Look at the previous worksheets to help you and/ or put the mixed-up answers on the next page into the right places below.

Mixed answers

• How’s… (going)?
• a (special/ new)…
• all
• almost always
• at the moment
• currently
• four times a year
• growing
• have (meaning “have got”)
• know
• mainly
• most of the time
• never
• now
• often
• presently
• project
• rarely
• right now
• the new…
• this month
• this year
• three times a year
• today
• usually
• working on (the new/ the next)…
• …s

Look back at the previous exercises to check any which you aren’t sure of. All the words above are there.

Use those examples to help you think of more suitable answers.

Add the mixed-up extra answers below to the places above.

• almost never
• at this very moment
• every month
• generally
• hardly ever
• mostly
• occasionally
• once a week
• once every two weeks
• seldom
• sometimes
• very often

Suggested answers

Ones which are not on the first worksheets are written in italics.

Words which often go with Present Simple	Words which often go with Present Continuous
Time expressions which often go with Present Simple never often rarely most of the time almost always three times a year four times a year usually hardly ever almost never seldom generally once a week once every two weeks very often occasionally every month sometimes	Time expressions which often go with Present Continuous now at the moment right now presently this year today this month currently at this very moment
Other expressions which often go with Present Simple mainly have (meaning “have got”) all …s know mostly	Other expressions which often go with Present Continuous working on (the new/ the next)… project How’s… (going)? growing the new… a (special/ new)…

 

Present Simple and Continuous key words bluffing game

Choose one of the expressions for your partner to make a statement with. If they can’t think of anything true, they can just use their imaginations. After asking extra questions, guess if their first statement was true or false.