B1Work and learning

Experience: skills, events and what happens to you

Choose experience or experiences, describe work skills, and distinguish experiencing something from testing an idea.

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Learn

Read the examples, then check each idea as you go.

In this lesson

Knowledge from doing
One event or several
Let the meaning choose the form
Name the work or activity
Build and learn from experience
Use experience as an action word
Experience or experiment?
Describe the person

Keep these points in mind

Use experience without a plural for knowledge gained through doing.
Use an experience or experiences for particular events.
Experienced describes a person with practice; experience can also be a verb.

Experience can mean the knowledge you gain by doing things, or an event that affects you. The meaning controls whether you use a, a plural, or neither.

Knowledge from doing

Use experience for knowledge or skill gained through doing things. In this meaning, the noun is uncountable. You can have some experience, a little experience or a lot of experience.

I have some experience in customer service.

The speaker has learned through doing the work.

She has little experience with this software.

She has not used it much.

Check this idea

Which sentence describes practical knowledge?

Choose one answer.

I have a lot of experience repairing bicycles.I had a strange experience on the train.The visit was an enjoyable experience.

One event or several

Use an experience for a particular event that affects you. Separate events can be experiences. An adjective often explains how the event felt or what it taught you.

Speaking at the meeting was a new experience for me.

This describes one event.

We shared our experiences of studying abroad.

Each person described things that happened to them.

Check this idea

Use experience or experiences: The book describes three unusual travel ___. Your answer

Let the meaning choose the form

The same activity can be described as knowledge or as an event. Experience in teaching refers to accumulated knowledge. An experience at a school refers to something that happened there. Do not add -s simply because the knowledge took several years to gain.

She has five years of teaching experience.

The phrase measures time, not separate events.

Her first day of teaching was a challenging experience.

The sentence describes a particular day.

Check this idea

Choose the standard phrase for work knowledge gained over four years.

Choose one answer.

four years of experiencefour years of experiencesfour years of an experience

Name the work or activity

Experience in can introduce a field, such as sales or design. Experience with can name something you have used or someone you have worked with. Experience working and experience of working can introduce the activity itself.

Do you have experience in sales?

In introduces the field.

I have experience working with small teams.

The -ing form names the activity.

She has experience with online booking systems.

With names the systems she has used.

Check this idea

Use work or working: I have experience ___ in a busy kitchen. Your answer

Build and learn from experience

Gain experience describes building practical knowledge. Learn from experience describes using what happened to make later decisions. Both good and difficult events can teach something; the noun alone does not say the result was pleasant.

I gained experience by helping at a community café.

Doing the work built knowledge.

I learned from experience to check the opening hours.

A past event changed a later habit.

Check this idea

Which sentence means a past event changed your behavior?

Choose one answer.

I learned from experience to keep a spare key.I will have an experience tomorrow.I have no experience using keys.

Use experience as an action word

Experience is also a verb meaning that something happens to you or that you feel it. It can sound more formal than have. Follow it directly with the thing experienced, such as a problem, a delay or a feeling.

Passengers experienced a long delay.

The delay affected the passengers.

We are experiencing problems with the printer.

Problems are happening now.

Check this idea

Use the past form of experience: We ___ several delays on the journey. Your answer

Experience or experiment?

An experiment is a test carried out to find out something. An experience is something that happens to you or knowledge you gain. A science class can include both: the test is an experiment, and taking part can be a new experience.

We did an experiment to see which paper absorbed more water.

The class tested a question.

Working in a laboratory was a new experience for me.

The speaker describes taking part in something new.

Check this idea

You test two materials to discover which keeps water warmer. You carry out ___.

Choose one answer.

an experiencean experimentan experienced

Describe the person

Experienced is an adjective for someone who has knowledge from doing a task. Inexperienced means having little practice or knowledge in that area. Be specific about the activity: someone can be experienced in one job and new to another.

We need an experienced driver for this route.

The person should have driving practice.

I'm inexperienced in managing a large team.

The speaker has little practice in this particular task.

Check this idea

Use experience or experienced: The workshop is led by an ___ teacher. Your answer

Practice what you learned

Practice

Try the questions in order. Use a hint when you need one, then read the explanation after checking.

Question 1Which phrase describes accumulated skill?

Choose one answer.

some experience in editingan exciting experience in a museumtwo frightening experiences

Question 2Use experience or experiences: Her first solo journey was an unforgettable ___. Your answer

Question 3Use experience or experienced: I have six months of ___ in a café. Your answer

Question 4Which sentence uses experience as a verb?

Choose one answer.

The experience was useful.She has experience in retail.The town experienced heavy traffic.

Question 5Use experience or experiment: The students designed an ___ to test their idea. Your answer

Question 6What does an inexperienced assistant lack?

Choose one answer.

Practice in the task.Any possible talent.The ability to learn.

Review the examples

Get a hint

Question 1

Question 2

Question 3

Question 4

Question 5

Question 6

Use it in your own words

Describe a skill you have gained and one event that helped you gain it. Write three or four sentences. Use experience for the skill and an experience or experiences for an event.

Your writing

Write in English, then compare your writing with the checklist. This activity uses self-review, so it does not give a score.

Check your writing

Did I leave experience uncountable when describing knowledge?
Did I use an or a plural only for particular events?
Did I explain what I learned from the event?

Read an example response

I have some experience in organizing small events. Helping at a community concert was a useful experience. I learned to check the equipment before people arrived.

Try the test

Test

Answer without hints. Your result shows which questions to review; you can change your answers and try again.

Question 1Use experience or experiences: We want someone with practical ___ in repairing phones. Your answer

Question 2Choose the sentence about several particular events.

Choose one answer.

He has extensive experience in tourism.He described his experiences during the trip.He is an experienced guide.

Question 3Use experience or experienced: An ___ mechanic checked the engine. Your answer

Question 4What does 'We experienced a power cut' mean?

Choose one answer.

We designed a test involving electricity.A power cut happened and affected us.We became experts in electricity.

Question 5Use work or working: Have you had experience ___ with young children? Your answer

Question 6Choose the correct sentence for a planned scientific test.

Choose one answer.

We carried out an experiment.We carried out an experienced.We carried out a work experience.

Review the examples

Helpful before this lesson

Countable and uncountable nouns

Experience can be countable or uncountable with different meanings.

Next in this route

Nouns and amounts

A lot, alot or allot: which is correct?

Next in this route

Work and cooperation

Opportunity: a chance to do something

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