Business English: Prepositions with WORK

Put your knowledge to the test with the exercises at the end.
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Last updated on 14 May, 2025.

In this lesson, we will focus on six essential prepositions commonly paired with the verb "work". 

You'll discover the subtle differences between them and learn how to use them effectively in various contexts. 

Don't forget to do the exercises at the end to check your knowledge and practice further. 

​
AS

Formula: work as + occupation or role 
Questions: What do you do? | What do you work? | What is your job? 

Examples: 

• I work as a sales assistant. 
• James works as a software engineer for a tech startup. 
• He works as a research analyst at a global investment bank. 
• She works as a legal consultant, providing expert advice on corporate regulations. 

Note: When introducing yourself professionally, you can certainly use expressions like "I'm a photographer" or "I'm an architect." 


IN 

Formula: work in + place of work or area (industry, field, department, sector, environment) 
Questions: Which industry do you work in? | Which department do you work in? 

Examples: 

• She works part-time in a library. 
• My mother has always worked in education. 
• Most of my friends work in customer service. 
• I worked in a Chinese restaurant a few years ago. 
• I prefer working in a multicultural environment. 
• I work in the sales department of a small software company. 
• He has been working in the renewable energy sector since 2010. 

Note: Use "work in" with words like "school," "bank," "hospital," "hotel," "factory," and "shop" to describe the industry or type of place where someone works. It is more commonly used to refer to the environment or sector rather than the specific physical location. For specific locations, "work at" is often more appropriate, as in "work at a school" or "work at a bank." 

Remember: Don't use "work in" with the name of a company or organization. 


FOR 

Formula: work for + person, company or organization 
Question: Who do you work for? | How long have you been working for this company? 

Examples: 

• I work for a small Danish company. 
• He works for an IT company. 
• I worked for Microsoft for five years and then moved to another company. 
• I've been working for a state-owned company in Beijing. 

AT 

Formula: work at + a particular place or organization 
Questions: Which ... do you work at? (e.g. company, restaurant, office, branch, etc.) 

Examples: 

• I worked at Microsoft for five years and then moved to another company. 
• I've been working at the Ministry of Education since last year. 
• I'm working at the bookstore in my area this summer. 
• He's working at his desk. 

Note: Use "work at" when referring to employment at a well-known company or organization, particularly when the listener or reader is already familiar with the entity. It emphasizes the specific place of work, such as "work at Google" or "work at the local library." 


ON 

Formula: work on + project or task 
Question: What are you currently working on? 

Example: 

• Our team has been working on this project for two years. 
• I often go on business trips and work on projects in the company's offices overseas. 
• Many employees become unmotivated when they work on repetitive tasks. 
• I'm working on financial budgets at the moment. 
• I work on car design. 

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WITH 

Formula: work with + someone  
Questions: Do you like working with ...? | What do you like about working with ...? 


Examples: 

• I work with both local colleagues and foreign ones, who are mostly from Denmark. 
• In my job, I work closely with the design team to create attractive designs for our partners. 
• Some people love the idea of working with children but don't have the skills or personality for it. 

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READING COMPREHENSION TEST 


Complete the sentences with the prepositions as, in, for, at, on and with. 

​Sometimes more than one is possible. 

Match each sentence with the appropriate preposition used with the verb "work" and its specific function. 


       As: Describing an occupation or role. ______________ 
       In: Indicating a place or area (industry, field, department, environment). ______________ 
       For: Specifying the person, company, or organization you are employed by. ______________ 
       At: Referring to a specific place or organization (company, location). ______________ 
       On: Describing a project or task you are engaged in. ______________ 
       With: Highlighting collaboration or teamwork. ______________ 

1. Kevin works ______ the finance department of a Japanese company. 
2. I currently work ______ an independent contractor ______ a US tech company. 
3. Olivia has been working ______ the finance industry for over a decade. 
4. I work ______ the creative director to plan marketing campaigns and brand collaborations. 
5. I'm an illustrator and I work ______ a children's publishing company. 
6. Claire works ______ a photographer ______ a family-owned studio in Melbourne. 
7. Oliver works ______ an audio engineer ______ the concert hall. 
8. I have been working ______ a research project ______ a multinational company for the past three months. 
9. My best friend and I work ______ the same company. 
10. I spent the evening working ______ my office. 
11. After graduating from university, my sister started working ______ advertising. 
12. I'm currently working ______ the monthly sales report. 
13. Mia works closely ______ the research and development department to create new skincare products. 
14. The HR Director works ______ the head office in Vancouver, Canada. 
15. Sarah works ______ international clients to expand the company's market reach and establish long-term partnerships. 

MULTIPLE-CHOICE TEST 


Choose the correct preposition to complete each sentence about jobs and industries. 

Each question provides four options, but only one is correct. Select the answer that best completes the sentence based on the typical use of prepositions with the verb "work". 


PREPOSITIONS WITH "WORK" QUIZ 

1. Sebastian has been working ______ the marketing department since January. 
A. at 
B. on 
C. for 
D. in 

2. Noah works ______ a consultant, advising businesses on sustainability practices. 
A. in 
B. at 
C. as 
D. on 

3. During the summer, Hannah works part-time ______ the local amusement park. 
A. at 
B. in 
C. on 
D. for 

4. Our team is working ______ a new advertising campaign for the upcoming product launch. 
A. at 
B. on 
C. for 
D. with 

5. Christopher is working ______ a new app that aims to simplify personal finance management. 
A. at 
B. in 
C. on 
D. for 

6. Our company works ______ several high-profile clients in the fashion industry. 
A. as 
B. at 
C. on 
D. with 

7. Catherine works ______ a project manager, coordinating tasks and priorities across multiple teams. 
A. in 
B. as 
C. on 
D. at 

8. They have been working ______ the financial services sector for over fifteen years. 
A. for 
B. on 
C. in 
D. at 

9. Louis works ______ a well-established financial services company in Switzerland. 
A. for 
B. in 
C. at 
D. on 

10. Our startup is currently working in close partnership ______ local businesses. 
A. at 
B. in 
C. with 
D. for 



Download the PDFs with and without key. 


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Answers 


Reading Comprehension Test 

As: Describing an occupation or role.    (2, 6, 7) 
In: Indicating a place or area (industry, field, department, environment).    (1, 3, 6, 10, 11) 
For: Specifying the person, company, or organization you are employed by.    (2, 5, 8, 9) 
At: Referring to a specific place or organization (company, location).    (7, 14) 
On: Describing a project or task you are engaged in.    (8, 12) 
With: Highlighting collaboration or teamwork.    (4, 13, 15) 


1. in 
2. as, for 
3. in 
4. with 
5. for 
6. as, in 
7. as, at 
8. on, for 
9. for 
10. in 
11. in 
12. on 
13. with 
14. at 
15. with 


Multiple-choice Test 

Prepositions with "WORK" Quiz 

1. D in 
2. C as 
3. A at 
4. B on 
5. C on 
6. D with 
7. B as 
8. C in 
9. A for 
10. C with 

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Other Business English lessons: 
Collocations with Job (Part 1) 
Collocations with Job (Part 2) 
English Lesson: Jobs and Skills 
Business English: Working in an office 
Business English: How to Talk about Your Job Responsibilities 
​

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