ENGLISH
REFERENCE

work for sb/sth

phr. v..
A1 Beginner Oxford

phr. v.. To have a job at a company or to be employed by a person.

phr. v.. To be in the employment of a specific person, company, or organization. This is a prepositional verb where 'for' introduces the employer.


SIMPLE

He works for a large software company.

CONTEXTUAL

After university, she began working for a non-profit organization that helps the homeless.

COMPLEX

The engineer, who had previously worked for a major aerospace contractor, brought a wealth of specialized knowledge to the small startup.

Particles
for
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
work + for + object
Usage

The object following 'for' is the employer, which can be a person, company, or organization.

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'work on' (a project), 'work with' (colleagues), and 'work as' (a job title, e.g., 'work as a designer').

Pitfall

She works at the government.She works for the government.Use 'for' to name the employer; 'at' is typically used for the specific location (e.g., 'work at the main office').

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