Colleagues and Working Relationships

This lesson focuses on common vocabulary used to describe colleagues, roles, and workplace relationships. You will learn nouns and verbs that describe who you work with, how responsibilities are shared, and how people interact professionally.

• Identify different workplace roles (e.g., colleague, manager, mentor).
• Learn common verbs and collocations (e.g., report to, work with, collaborate).
• Understand register: when to use formal vs. informal terms.
• Practice vocabulary in professional contexts relevant to TOEIC.

Knowing precise workplace terms helps with reading business emails, understanding organizational charts, and speaking clearly about responsibilities.

Choose the right word and verb combinations depending on formality and context:

• Use 'colleague' or 'co-worker' for someone who works with you; 'colleague' is slightly more formal.
• Use 'report to' to show hierarchy: 'She reports to the Director.'
• Use 'work with' or 'collaborate with' for teamwork across departments.
• Use 'mentor' for a supportive, long-term professional relationship.

Think: choose the noun for the relationship and a verb that describes the interaction (report to, work with, manage).

Watch out for these universal errors when using workplace vocabulary:

• Using the wrong preposition (e.g., 'report in' instead of 'report to').
• Mixing formality levels in one sentence (e.g., 'Hey colleague' in a formal email).
• Confusing role terms: 'manager' vs 'supervisor' vs 'leader' without checking context.
• Incorrect pluralization or article use (e.g., 'the staffs' instead of 'the staff').
• Overusing generic terms like 'employee' when a specific role (peer, mentor) is clearer.

Focus on correct prepositions and the register expected in business communication.