What do you do?

Grammar Point

The Simple Present Tense

- This is commonly confused with the present continuous (verb-ing). We use the simple present tense to state a fact, opinion, anything that happens regulary and timetables or schedule.

1. Running is a good form of exercise. (opnion)

2. Rice gives you the carbohydrates you need for tasks that require a lot of your energy. (fact)

3. I always have breakfast before I go to work. (regular activity)

4. The train departs at 5am. (timetable)

5. The movie starts at 7pm. (timetable)

6. I manage the maintenance department of the company. (fact; answering "What do you do")

7. Work starts at 8am. (schedule)

Vocabulary

Cream of the crop

- This means the best among all.

- Sadly, this is sometimes pronounced wrong. People either end up making a fool of themselves or insulting the one they are supposed to praise.

- It's cream of the crop, I repeat CROP, and not, crap. There is a big difference between the two,. and if you have no idea what, you could try putting your internet connection to good use. Then again, if you want to be sarcastic...

E.g.

He is the cream of the crop in his class.

Add-ons

What do you do?

- This question should never be answered by any of the following or their derivatives:

1. I am fine. Thank you. And you?

2. What do you do?

3. I am just hanging around.

4. I am doing my homework.

What do you do is a question that pertains to your job, occupation, or profession. The right way to answer it, therefore, is to say something like, "I am an engineer", "I work for that company as a consultant", "I write books".

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