Collocations Related to Work

Collocations Related to Work

Hello English learners! Are you preparing for the B2 First (FCE) or C1 Advanced (CAE) exam? Then this lesson is for you! Today, we’ll focus on some useful collocations related to work — expressions that native speakers use naturally when talking about jobs, working hours, pay, and professional life. These collocations will help you sound more fluent and accurate in both your Speaking and Writing papers, especially when describing your job, talking about your future career, or discussing work–life balance.

Let’s get started and explore the most common work-related collocations that can boost your vocabulary and help you impress the examiner!

1. Apply for a job
2. Be a workaholic
3. Dead-end job
4. Flexible working hours
5. Hold down a job
6. Holiday pay
7. Job security
8. Make a living
9. Meet a deadline
10. Pay increase
11. Sick leave
12. Take time off work
13. Take work home
14. Work long hours
15. Work overtime

Apply for a job

Meaning: to fill in a form in order to ask for a job.

• If you want to apply for a job, I know an excellent website with many good opportunities.
• Lisa applied for a job at her alma mater. She wants to teach Biology there.

Collocations Related to Work

Be a workaholic

Meaning: a person who works a lot and can’t stop working.

• The doctor told her that she is a workaholic and should take time off work.
• Brian was a workaholic who worked for 18 hours a day.

Dead-end job

Meaning: a job at which you can’t make any progress regarding your career.

• Although you are well paid, you should consider changing your dead-end job as a waiter.
• My dad had a dead-end job in a coal mine.

Flexible working hours

Meaning: a working timetable that lets you start and finish your work when you want.

• Patrick can help his wife with the children because of his flexible working hours.
• The new law introduces the right to flexible working hours for employees.

Hold down a job

Meaning: to be successful at keeping the job for a long time.

• Abby is trying to prove to her parents that she can hold down a job.
• Michael could never hold down a job for long. 

Collocations Related to Work

Holiday pay

Meaning: the salary you get when you are on holiday.

• Liam didn’t want a job without flexible working hours and holiday pay.
• She’s working for a multinational company. She’s got 15 days of holiday pay, bonuses, and much more.

Job security

Meaning: to have a permanent job.

• The employees are interested in greater job security.
• Although it isn’t well paid, workers are attracted to it for its job security.

Make a living

Meaning: to earn enough money to pay for food, bills, etc.

• Ruth made a living working as a chef’s assistant in a hotel.
• Julia left her office job to try to make a living as a blogger.

Meet a deadline

Meaning: to finish your work on time.

• He got promoted because he showed the ability to meet deadlines.
• It is not always easy to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

Collocations Related to Work

Pay increase

Meaning: an increase in the amount of money you get as your salary.

• We always get a pay increase at the end of the year.
• Our employees got a 2% pay increase this month.

Sick leave

Meaning: absence from work because of an illness.

• Paul is on sick leave this week. He’s got a bad cold.
• He was granted sick leave when he showed a medical certificate to his boss.

Take time off work

Meaning: to take a break from work.

• Joel is planning to take some time off work because he is tired.
• Ryan is such a workaholic. He never takes time off work.

Take work home

Meaning: to work from home rather than at your workplace.

• As a teacher, I have to take work home from time to time.
• 20% of employees in the UK have to take work home at weekends.

Work long hours

Meaning: work longer than it is usual.

• Doctors and nurses often work long hours.
• I used to work long hours as a newspaper reporter, but now I have a 9-5 job.

Collocations Related to Work

Work overtime

Meaning: stay at work longer than it is normal.

• We are having some VIPs for dinner. Could you stay and work overtime tonight?
• As a single mother, Diana sometimes has to work overtime to feed her family.

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