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English Course · Level 3 (B1) · Week 8 of 12

The Job Interview

Grammar: Reported questions and commands · asked if / asked where · told me to

This week's plan

DayLearnListen / WatchPractise
Day 1Words: Applying for a job · Sentences 1–2BBC Learning English for Work: “Job Applications: Preparing for a job interview” (podcast)Exercise 1
Day 2Words: In the interview · Sentences 3–4BBC Learning English for Work: “Job Applications: Interviews part 1” (podcast)Exercise 2
Day 3Words: Good qualities · Sentences 5–6British Council: “Reported speech: questions” (grammar)Exercise 3
Day 4Words: After the interview · Sentences 7–8BBC Learning English for Work: “Job Applications: Interviews part 2” (podcast)
+ British Council: “An email to invite someone to a job interview” (writing)		Exercise 4
Day 5Words: Reporting questions and requests · Sentences 9–10BBC Learning English for Work: “Job Applications: After the interview” (podcast)Write & Speak
Day 6Review all 30 words + 10 sentencesBritish Council: “A professional profile” (writing)Redo mistakes
Day 7Free day ☺BBC Learning English for Work: “Job Applications: Your first day” (podcast)Tick your tracker

30 minutes a day: review, learn, listen, practise, speak. Day 7 is a free day. Tap a resource to find it.

30 words to learn

Set 1 · Applying for a job

  • apply forيتقدّم لـ (وظيفة)
  • CVسيرة ذاتية / سي في
  • cover letterخطاب تقديم / كافر ليتر
  • vacancyوظيفة شاغرة
  • candidateمرشّح / متقدّم
  • shortlistالقائمة المختصرة للمرشحين

Set 2 · In the interview

  • interviewerمُجري المقابلة
  • strengthsنقاط القوة
  • weaknessesنقاط الضعف
  • experienceخبرة
  • qualificationsمؤهّلات
  • skillsمهارات

Set 3 · Good qualities

  • reliableيُعتمد عليه
  • hard-workingمجتهد
  • organisedمنظَّم
  • confidentواثق من نفسه
  • flexibleمرن
  • a team playerيعمل بروح الفريق

Set 4 · After the interview

  • offer (someone) a jobيعرض (على شخص) وظيفة
  • acceptيقبل
  • rejectيرفض
  • start dateتاريخ بدء العمل
  • probation periodفترة الاختبار / فترة التجربة
  • notice periodفترة الإخطار قبل ترك العمل

Set 5 · Reporting questions and requests

  • ask (someone) ifيسأل (شخصًا) إذا كان
  • wonderيتساءل
  • want to knowيريد أن يعرف
  • adviseينصح
  • remindيذكّر
  • warnيحذّر

10 sentences to memorise

  1. 1The interviewer asked me why I wanted the job.سألني مُجري المقابلة لماذا أريد الوظيفة.
  2. 2She asked me if I had any experience in sales.سألتني إن كانت لديّ خبرة في المبيعات.
  3. 3They asked me where I saw myself in five years.سألوني أين أرى نفسي بعد خمس سنوات.
  4. 4He told me to send my CV by email.طلب مني أن أرسل سيرتي الذاتية بالبريد الإلكتروني.
  5. 5My father advised me to arrive ten minutes early.نصحني أبي بأن أصل قبل الموعد بعشر دقائق.
  6. 6The manager told us not to be late on our first day.طلب منا المدير ألا نتأخر في أول يوم.
  7. 7I'm applying for a vacancy at a bank in New Cairo.أتقدّم لوظيفة شاغرة في بنك في القاهرة الجديدة.
  8. 8They asked whether I could start next month.سألوني إن كان بإمكاني البدء الشهر القادم.
  9. 9I'm hard-working and organised, and I'm a good team player.أنا مجتهد ومنظَّم، وأعمل جيدًا ضمن فريق.
  10. 10They offered me the job and I accepted it immediately.عرضوا عليّ الوظيفة فقبلتها فورًا.

Grammar: Reported questions and commands · asked if / asked where · told me to

Reported questions use statement word order: no do / does / did and no question mark.

Wh- questions: asked me where I lived · Yes / No questions: asked me if (or whether) I spoke French.

Commands and requests: told / asked + person + (not) to + verb.

أشهر خطأ: نقل السؤال بنفس ترتيب السؤال: ✗ He asked me where do I live / ✗ She asked me what is my name. في السؤال المنقول نرتّب الجملة كجملة خبرية (الفاعل ثم الفعل) بدون do / does / did وبدون علامة استفهام: ✓ He asked me where I lived. ✓ She asked me what my name was. وإذا كان السؤال بـ«هل» نستخدم if أو whether. وفي الأوامر: told me to… و told me not to… (✗ He told me don't be late).

Direct questionReported question
“Where do you live?”She asked me where I lived.
“What is your name?”He asked me what my name was.
“Why did you leave your last job?”They asked me why I had left my last job.
“Do you speak French?”She asked me if I spoke French.
“Can you start on Monday?”He asked whether I could start on Monday.
Direct command / requestReported
“Sit down, please.”She asked me to sit down.
“Don't be late.”He told me not to be late.
“Bring your certificates.”They told me to bring my certificates.

✗ He asked me where did I work. ✓ He asked me where I worked.

No question mark at the end of a reported question: She asked me how old I was.

✗ She told me don't worry. ✓ She told me not to worry.

advise, remind and warn work like tell: My mother reminded me to take my ID card.

Exercises

Exercise 1 · Report the questions.

  1. 1) “Where do you work?” he asked me.
  2. 2) “Are you married?” she asked me.
  3. 3) “What are your strengths?” the interviewer asked me.
  4. 4) “Did you finish university?” they asked me.
  5. 5) “How long have you been working there?” he asked me.
  6. 6) “Can you use Excel?” she asked me.
Show the answers
1) He asked me where I worked. 2) She asked me if / whether I was married. 3) The interviewer asked me what my strengths were. 4) They asked me if / whether I had finished university. / They asked me if / whether I finished university. 5) He asked me how long I had been working there. 6) She asked me if / whether I could use Excel.

Exercise 2 · Report the commands and requests.

  1. 1) “Fill in this form.” (she → me)
  2. 2) “Don't use your phones.” (he → us)
  3. 3) “Please wait outside.” (the secretary → me)
  4. 4) “Don't worry.” (my mother → me)
  5. 5) “Bring a copy of your CV.” (they → me)
Show the answers
1) She told me to fill in the form. / She told me to fill in this form. / She asked me to fill in the form. 2) He told us not to use our phones. 3) The secretary asked me to wait outside. / The secretary told me to wait outside. 4) My mother told me not to worry. 5) They told me to bring a copy of my CV.

Exercise 3 · Correct the mistake.

  1. 1) She asked me where did I live.
  2. 2) He asked me what is my name.
  3. 3) They told me don't be late.
  4. 4) She asked me that I could start on Monday.
  5. 5) He said me to sit down.
Show the answers
1) She asked me where I lived. 2) He asked me what my name was. 3) They told me not to be late. 4) She asked me if / whether I could start on Monday. 5) He told me to sit down.

Exercise 4 · Translate into English.

  1. 1) سألني لماذا أريد هذه الوظيفة.
  2. 2) سألتني إن كنت أتكلم الفرنسية.
  3. 3) طلب مني أن أرسل سيرتي الذاتية.
  4. 4) نصحتني أمي ألا أتأخر.
Show the answers
1) He asked me why I wanted this job. / He asked me why I wanted that job. 2) She asked me if / whether I spoke French. / She asked me if I could speak French. 3) He told me / asked me to send my CV. 4) My mother advised me not to be late. / My mother told me not to be late.

Do each exercise in pencil first, then open the answers to check.

Write & Speak

Write & Speak — Write 120–150 words: an email to a friend about a job interview you had (real or imagined). Report the questions they asked, what they told you to do and how you felt. Then practise answering three common questions aloud: Tell me about yourself. What are your strengths? Why do you want this job?

Example: Hi Salma, I had my interview at the bank yesterday! I was really nervous, but I think it went well. There were two interviewers, a man and a woman. First they asked me to tell them about myself. Then the woman asked me why I wanted to work for their bank and what my strengths were. I said that I was hard-working and very organised. The man asked me if I had any experience with customers, so I told them about my part-time job in a phone shop. They also asked me where I saw myself in five years. That was a difficult question! At the end, they told me to send copies of my certificates by email, and they asked whether I could start in January. They said they would call me next week. Fingers crossed! Love, Mona