Hi guys and welcome to series English! Today I want to touch upon
a very pressing and confusing issue:
using different prepositions
with the verb to work.
There are quite many of them, and they can cloud your judgment and confuse you a lot.
So let's clear the air at last and find out when we are supposed to use which one.
First of all to work for and work at are more or less equal.
They have very similar meanings, but there are some variations some peculiarities here.
Let's clear the air!
To work for - you can work for a company,
you can work for McDonald's, you can work for Microsoft, for BBC and so on - for a company.
You can work for someone,
a person if he or she is your manager, or your boss.
In this meaning you can also use the preposition under so you can work under someone -
a manager or a boss.
I work under Sarah. She's my boss. I work for Sarah. She's my boss.
I work for John. He's my manager.
Work under John. He's my manager.
Now, to work at can also mean to work at a company
where you are an employee.
So here this preposition is more or less connected with the place
where this company is situated.
However you can work for a company, but not be there geographically.
An example.
I work for Sydney University at their China campus.
So geographically I'm in China, not in Australia not in Sydney.
So that's why I say I work for Sydney University,
but I'm at their China campus.
However some teachers might tell you that these are absolutely equal.
Not quite so.
However notice that native speakers from the United States might use for a lot,
to work, for they might prefer this combination - work for.
And as for native speakers from the United Kingdom
they will use work at more.
Now let's move on to work in.
Hopefully you do remember that this preposition is used when we talk about the place,
geographical location.
So that's why we use work in when we talk about the location.
To work in some place - in the city, in the country.
I work in the United States,
I work in France.
I work in a bank - in the building. I work in a hospital.
Here you might presuppose that you work for example in a hospital, but you are not a doctor.
I work in a hospital, but I am a janitor.
I work in a hospital in the building, but I'm not a doctor.
So there are some hidden meanings sometimes so be careful.
The professional field.
I work in advertising.
I work in teaching. Where do you work?
So when you talk about your professional field use the preposition in.
You can also work in a department, in a division, in a unit, in a team and so on.
I work in the IT department of
Yay for me!
Okay, now to work with.
Most commonly this combination is used when you talk about people, so you usually work with someone
Here you can talk about your customers.
You work with people, you sell something, you are a sales manager.
You are a sales rep - representative.
Or you can cooperate with someone in getting some job done.
For example I work with Microsoft.
We work with Microsoft on their advertising program.
Now notice the difference between working for a company and working with the company.
If you work for a company you are either an employee or you do some job for them.
You do it alone, so you are not cooperating with the company. They are doing nothing.
They are waiting for you to get this job done.
But if you work with the company you are working as a team together.
You are cooperating with them
You are equals.
Now the professional field is also possible here.
I work with lasers.
The preposition alongside can be used in the meaning of
cooperating with someone.
I work with Sarah on this project.
I work alongside Sarah on this project.
However this preposition is not very common I should say.
Better use with, to work with.
Do not forget that you can work with the person or with the company.
Work with John on this project.
Now to work as can be used with a job.
You can work as an accountant, or as a teacher.
But better formulate it in a shorter way and simply say - I am a teacher.
I'm an accountant.
Finally work on.
You work on something on a project, on a report
and things like that.
I'm currently working on a report about studying Russian as a foreign language.
Okay, that's it.
I hope that now you are able to find your way around all these prepositions with the verb to work.
if you have any questions as usual feel free to write to me.
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Happy English and Russian practice! Bye!