Asking about personal things like jobs

You can ask about a person’s occupation in several different ways. Here are some questions you can ask:

• What do you do?
• Have you got a job?
• Do you work?
• What do you do to make a living?

Here is a sample conversation.

Peter: What do you do?

Alan: I am a salesman.

Peter: Where do you work?

Alan: I work at a marketing company in New York.

Peter: Do you like your job?

Alan: Of course, I do.

Peter: What do you like about your job?

Alan: Well, I get to interact with lots of interesting people.

Peter: Do you think that salesmen are well-paid?

Alan: That depends. Some salesmen are well-paid, some aren’t. If you can meet your targets, you’ll make good money.

Notes

The expression it depends / that depends is used when you cannot give a definite yes or no answer to a question. Look at the sentences given below.

‘Would you like to go for a walk in the evening?’‘It depends. If it is sunny, I’d like to. If it is rainy, I’d rather stay inside.’

‘Do you study hard?’‘It depends on the subject I’m studying. If I like the subject, I study hard. If I don’t like the subject, I don’t really study hard.’

‘Do you want to sell your car?’ That depends on the price you’re willing to offer. If you offer a good price, I wouldn’t mind selling the car.’