Job vs work
Job and work can both mean what you do to earn money, but you can count jobs. Say a job or two jobs, but say work or a lot of work, not a work.
job noun
Regular paid work, or one task that needs doing. You can count it, so you say a job or two jobs.
- My sister has two jobs, one at a café and one at a hospital.
- Fixing the roof was a big job, so we called for help.
work noun
What you do to earn money, or the effort a task needs. In these senses, say work or more work, not a work.
- He is looking for work in the city.
- Digging the garden was more work than we expected.
Watch out
- Work is also a verb. It means to do a job or tasks using your body or mind.She works at the hospital on weekends.
- Work can also mean the place where you do your job. In this sense it needs no a, the or my: go to work, at work. You cannot say go to job, but with my you can say at my job.She drives to work every morning.
- Work can also mean a book, painting or piece of music that someone creates. In this sense you can count it: a work, two works, a work of art.Her last work was a novel about the sea.
Test yourself
After months of looking, Sam finally found a blank at the bank.
Show answer
job. After a, use job. For paid work, you can say a job, but not a work.
Most people blank five days a week.
Show answer
work. The blank needs a verb meaning to do your job, and work is also a verb.
Painting the fence turned out to be a harder blank than expected.
Show answer
job. One task that needs doing is a job. After a harder, work does not fit.
My dad takes the bus to blank at seven every morning.
Show answer
work. Here work means the place where you do your job.