D20547 · Section D: The World of Work 工作的世界

Careers, jobs and employment 职业与工作

Key learnings

Name a job with 是; ask with 做什么工作？
State a job with 是 (shì -- to be): 我爸爸是医生。(Wǒ bàba shì yīshēng.) — My dad is a doctor. Ask with 做什么工作 (zuò shénme gōngzuò -- what job): 你妈妈做什么工作？(Nǐ māma zuò shénme gōngzuò?) — What job does your mum do? Add where the person works with 在 + workplace + 工作: 她是老师，在一所中学工作。(Tā shì lǎoshī, zài yì suǒ zhōngxué gōngzuò.) — She is a teacher, she works at a secondary school.
Describe a job: adjective + 因为 reason
Describe the workplace: 我姐姐在一家公司工作，她每天都要上下班。(Wǒ jiějie zài yì jiā gōngsī gōngzuò, tā měitiān dōu yào shàngxiàbān.) — My sister works at a company, commuting daily. Add an adjective with a reason: 她的工作压力很大，因为她常常要加班。(Tā de gōngzuò yālì hěn dà, yīnwèi tā chángcháng yào jiābān.) — Her job is stressful, because she often works overtime. Useful adjectives: 忙 (máng -- busy), 辛苦 (xīnkǔ -- hard), 稳定 (wěndìng -- stable), 有意思 (yǒu yìsi -- interesting), 压力大 (yālì dà -- stressful).
Career plans with 想/希望/打算当
State a career ambition with 当 (dāng -- to become) before an occupation noun: 我以后想当医生。(Wǒ yǐhòu xiǎng dāng yīshēng.) — I want to be a doctor in future. Justify it: 我希望当护士，因为我喜欢照顾别人，所以这份工作很适合我。(Wǒ xīwàng dāng hùshi, yīnwèi wǒ xǐhuan zhàogù biérén, suǒyǐ zhè fèn gōngzuò hěn shìhé wǒ.) — I hope to be a nurse, because I like caring for others, so this job suits me well. 想/希望/打算 all precede 当 + occupation.

Common mistakes

Drawn from real examiner reports.

性格 vs 性别 on a job form

性格 and 性别 share the character 性 but ask for different information on a job-application form. ✗ Writing 性格 in a "gender" gap, or 性别 in a "personality" gap. ✓ 我的性格很开朗，也很有耐心。(Wǒ de xìnggé hěn kāilǎng, yě hěn yǒu nàixīn.) — My character is cheerful and patient (personality gap). ✓ 性别：女。(Xìngbié: nǚ.) — Gender: female. Learn 性格 (personality) and 性别 (gender) as a distinct pair.

Job-application gap-fill words misread for a near-homophone -- a personality gap and a gender gap (s23 P41/P42 Q1)

Vague wording for voluntary work (义工/志愿者)

义工 (yìgōng) or 志愿者 (zhìyuànzhě -- volunteer) is the precise term examiners look for; a vaguer paraphrase fails Task Completion even if grammatically correct. ✗ 我做了很多好事 (vague "I did lots of good things"). ✓ 去年暑假我做了义工，在一家老人院帮忙。(Qùnián shǔjià wǒ zuòle yìgōng, zài yì jiā lǎorényuàn bāngmáng.) — Last summer I did voluntary work, helping at a care home for the elderly.

Volunteering vocabulary imprecision fails Task Completion (s22 Card 6 task 4; s22/s23 Q3 options)

了 on a habitual routine vs a completed event

了 marks a single completed event, not a repeated habit. ✗ 我每天都上了班。(了 wrongly added -- 每天 signals a daily habit.) ✓ 我每天都上班。(Wǒ měitiān dōu shàngbān.) — I go to work every day (habitual, no 了). But keep 了 on a completed past event: 去年暑假我做了义工，帮助了很多老人。(Qùnián shǔjià wǒ zuòle yìgōng, bāngzhùle hěn duō lǎorén.) — Last summer I did voluntary work and helped many elderly people.

了 aspect-marker misuse is the most-documented 0547 grammar error, both sittings (s22, s23)

很 inside a 比 comparison

A 比-comparison never takes 很 before the adjective -- drop it, or add a degree phrase after the adjective. ✗ 当医生比当老师很辛苦。(很 cannot follow 比) ✓ 当医生比当老师辛苦。(Dāng yīshēng bǐ dāng lǎoshī xīnkǔ.) — Being a doctor is harder than being a teacher. To add degree: 辛苦得多 (much harder) or 辛苦一点 (a little harder).

Comparison-with-比 misuse is on the 0547 grammar checklist, no worked example given (general FL trap)

了 does not always mean "past tense"

了 marks COMPLETION or a CHANGE OF STATE, not grammatical tense. ✗ 我以前每天都上了班 (wrong -- 每天 signals a repeated habit). ✓ 我以前每天都上班。(Wǒ yǐqián měitiān dōu shàngbān.) — I used to go to work every day (habitual, no 了). Contrast a completed event: 上个星期我去面试了。(Shàng ge xīngqī wǒ qù miànshì le.) — Last week I went for an interview (了 correct). Check completed event vs repeated routine.

Dropping 当 before the occupation

A future-role statement needs 当 (dāng) before the occupation noun -- 想/希望/打算 alone cannot govern it directly. ✗ 我以后想老师。(missing 当) ✓ 我以后想当老师。(Wǒ yǐhòu xiǎng dāng lǎoshī.) — I want to be a teacher in future. The pattern is 以后/将来 + 想/希望/打算 + 当 + occupation. Contrast 是 for a current job (我爸爸是老师) with 当 for becoming one.

Omitting 当 before the occupation noun is a structural FL trap, not separately cited (general FL trap)

Exam tips

Check the time frame the question cues
Check whether the question cues a past work experience or a future plan. For a completed past event use 了 (我做了义工); for a habitual routine use no 了 (我每天上班); for a future ambition use 想/希望/打算 + 当 (我将来想当护士). Answering in the wrong time frame is a common Speaking error.
Name the job precisely, not a paraphrase
Use the precise occupation noun (医生/护士/工程师), not a vague description, and the exact term for voluntary work (义工/志愿者), not a paraphrase like 做好事. Watch the near-homophone trap 性格 (personality) vs 性别 (gender) on gap-fill forms -- they share 性 but answer different questions.
Justify every claim with 因为
Never leave a claim about a job bare. 这份工作很好 on its own earns little -- add a specific reason with 因为: 这份工作很好，因为工资稳定，也能帮助别人。(This job is good, because the pay is stable and it helps others.) The same applies to a career choice: state the ambition, then a genuine reason.

Revision notes