Present Simple Conversation Cards Jobs & Occupations | Speaking Activity

Make practicing the Present Simple more engaging with these 4 0 conversation cards featuring 2 0 different jobs and occupations!

This speaking resource is designed to help students practice affirmative sentences, negative sentences and questions in a natural and meaningful context.

Instead of simply completing grammar exercises, students use the cards to talk about what different professionals do and don’t do as part of their jobs.

What’s included?

The resource contains 4 0 cards covering 2 0 different occupations.

Each occupation has two cards:

Card 1 WHAT I DO

Students look at common collocations and discuss what the person does.

For example, a firefighter might:

protect people
put out fires
rescue people
help in emergencies
Card 2 WHAT I DON’T DO

Students practice negative sentences by identifying things the person does not normally do.

For example:

A firefighter doesn’t paint pictures.
A firefighter doesn’t teach maths.
A firefighter doesn’t cut people’s hair.

Each set also includes questions related to the occupation, encouraging students to form and answer questions using the Present Simple.

Grammar focus

Students practice:

Present Simple affirmative sentences
Present Simple negative sentences
Present Simple questions
Third-person singular forms: does / doesn’t
Vocabulary related to jobs and occupations
Speaking and question formation

Perfect for

Warm-up activities
Speaking lessons
Grammar revision
Present Simple practice
Pair work
Small-group activities
One-to-one lessons
ESL / EFL classes
Ea Conversation lessons

How to use the cards

Students can work in pairs or small groups.

Give students a card and ask them to use the information to create sentences and questions about the person and their job.
You can also turn the activity into a guessing game:

I protect people and put out fires. I don’t work in a hospital. Who am I?

Students then ask questions to find out the answer:

Do you work outside?
Do you help people?
Do you wear a uniform?
Do you work at night?

This makes grammar practice much more interactive and gives students a reason to use the Present Simple in communication.

Why students will enjoy it

The cards provide a clear context and plenty of speaking support, making it easier for students to produce sentences independently.

The combination of what the person does + what the person doesn’t do + questions gives students repeated practice with the three key Present Simple structures while keeping the activity varied and engaging.

A simple, low-preparation resource you can use whenever you need a quick speaking activity with a clear grammar focus.

Print, cut and use!