Work (verb) — to do a job or task; to use effort or energy to achieve something; (of a machine or plan) to function or operate correctly.
Work (noun) — the activity of doing a job or task; employment; a task or project that requires effort; a literary or artistic creation.
What Does Work Mean?
Work is one of the most fundamental words in English, appearing among the thousand most frequently used words in the language. It comes from Old English weorc, which has Germanic origins and ultimately traces back to the Proto-Indo-European root *werg- meaning "to do". This ancient root also produced the Greek ergon (work, action), giving modern English words such as energy, organ, and surgery.
As a verb, work has three main senses: (1) to be employed or to do a job ("She works as a nurse"); (2) to put effort into a task ("We worked all weekend on the report"); and (3) to function or operate ("The heating isn't working"). The third sense is especially useful in everyday conversation and often catches learners by surprise.
As a noun, work is usually uncountable and refers to employment, the act of labouring, or a body of tasks. It becomes countable only in specific contexts such as literary or artistic productions ("the works of Shakespeare") or industrial facilities ("ironworks", "gasworks").
Example Sentences (A2–C1)
| Sentence | Level | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| She works in a hospital as a nurse. | A2 | work + in + place — stating employment location |
| He goes to work by bus every morning. | A2 | go to work — common fixed collocation; no article before "work" |
| We need to finish this work before the deadline. | B1 | work as uncountable noun referring to a body of tasks |
| The new vaccine has worked remarkably well in clinical trials. | B2 | work meaning "to be effective or successful" |
| Her doctoral thesis is a significant work in the field of sociolinguistics. | C1 | work as countable noun referring to a scholarly or creative production |
Common Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| go to work | I go to work at half past eight. |
| hard work | Passing the exam required a lot of hard work. |
| work from home | Many people now work from home two days a week. |
| out of work | He has been out of work since the factory closed. |
| part-time / full-time work | She is looking for full-time work after graduating. |
| carry out work | The engineers carried out repair work on the bridge. |
| work out | Let's work out a solution together. / I work out at the gym twice a week. |
| teamwork | Good teamwork is essential in any organisation. |
| at work | Please do not call me when I am at work. |
| a piece of work | This painting is a remarkable piece of work. |
Usage Notes
Key Points for Learners
- No article with "work" as a place: Say "go to work", "at work", "start work" — never "go to the work" or "at a work".
- Work vs job: Work is uncountable and refers to activity or employment in general. Job is countable and refers to a specific paid position. "I need a job" and "I need work" are both correct, but "I need a work" is wrong.
- Work meaning "to function": "Does the printer work?" / "The plan isn't working." This sense is extremely common in British English and must be learnt alongside the employment sense.
- Work in compound nouns: English creates many compounds — homework, framework, network, groundwork, workload, workplace, workforce. These are all single words and should not be written as two separate words.
- Works (plural noun): Use works to refer to literary or artistic productions ("Collected Works"), construction activity ("roadworks"), or an industrial facility ("steelworks").
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
I have many works to do today.
I have a lot of work to do today. (work as an uncountable noun)
She goes to the work by car.
She goes to work by car. (no article with work meaning a place of employment)
I need a work urgently.
I need a job urgently. / I need to find work urgently. (work is uncountable; use job for a specific paid position)
The machine doesn't work well yesterday.
The machine didn't work well yesterday. (past tense requires auxiliary did not)