Title: “Climbing the Ladder”
Maria has worked in three different companies since she finished university. She has taken on new responsibilities in every role she’s had. Over the past five years, she has built up her confidence and skills through hard work and dedication.
In her most recent position, she has looked after a small team of junior designers and has come up with several successful campaign ideas. She has also dealt with clients from all over the world, which has helped her improve her communication skills.
Maria hasn’t turned down a challenge yet. She has always been ready to step up, especially when the team needed a leader. During job interviews, she has often pointed out her ability to adapt and learn quickly. Thanks to this mindset, she has moved up in every company she’s joined.
Now, she’s applying for a role that requires international experience. Although she hasn’t worked abroad yet, she has already looked into language courses and volunteer programs in other countries.
❓ 2. Challenging Questions
🔍 Text-Based Questions
- How many companies has Maria worked for?
- What has she done to improve her confidence?
- What kind of team has she looked after?
- Why has she been successful in her job interviews?
- What future plans has Maria looked into?
💬 Personal & Professional Questions
- What responsibilities have you taken on in your current or past job?
- Have you ever turned down an opportunity? Why?
- What achievements have you pointed out in an interview?
- Have you ever dealt with a difficult client or colleague? How did it go?
- Have you ever come up with a new idea or solution at work or school?
🔤 3. Grammar Exploration: Present Perfect & Phrasal Verbs
📌 Structure:
Subject + have/has + past participle
Examples from the text:
- “She has worked in three companies.” ✅
- “She has never turned down a challenge.” ✅
🧠 Tip from Celestia (Pop-up style)
🌟 Use the present perfect to talk about life experiences without saying exactly when they happened.
Use “have/has + past participle” and mix it with phrasal verbs to sound natural and fluent! 🚀
🧩 4. Character Perspective Activity
🧑💼 Imagine you’re Maria in the job interview. Use the present perfect tense and the phrasal verbs to answer this question:
“Can you tell us about some of your most important work experiences?”
Write your answer like this:
“Yes, I’ve worked in several companies, and in each one, I’ve taken on new challenges. I’ve looked after teams, and I’ve always come up with creative solutions…”
✍️ 5. Creative Expansion
🧠 Writing Task:
Write a short paragraph using at least 4 phrasal verbs from the table below and the present perfect to describe your own work or personal growth.
🗣️ Speaking Task:
Imagine you’re in an interview. Practice telling your story using these questions:
- “What have you learned in your career so far?”
- “What kind of problems have you dealt with?”
- “What have you done to improve your professional skills?”
📊 Phrasal Verb Table: Life & Work Experiences
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example (Present Perfect) |
|---|---|---|
| Take on | Accept new responsibility | I’ve taken on more tasks in my role. |
| Build up | Increase gradually | She has built up her confidence over time. |
| Look after | Care for or manage | He has looked after the new interns. |
| Come up with | Invent or create (an idea/plan) | They’ve come up with great strategies. |
| Deal with | Handle or manage a situation | I’ve dealt with many difficult situations. |
| Turn down | Reject or refuse | I’ve never turned down a challenge. |
| Step up | Take initiative | She has always stepped up when needed. |
| Point out | Highlight or mention | I’ve pointed out my strengths in interviews. |
| Move up | Get promoted or improve position | He has moved up quickly in the company. |
| Look into | Investigate or explore | I’ve looked into working abroad. |