# How to Use Work on at Work: English for Engineers (2026) > To spend time and effort on a task, project, or problem. - **Term:** work on - **Part of speech:** phrasal verb - **Pronunciation:** /wɜːrk ɒn/ - **English level (CEFR):** A2–B1 - **Register:** Neutral, Both - **Region:** US and UK - **Topic:** [Business jargon](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/topics/business-jargon.md) - **Lesson:** https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/work-on - **Last updated:** 2026-10-27 ## Meaning To spend time and effort on a task, project, or problem. "Work on" is essential vocabulary for communicating your current and upcoming tasks. Engineers use it constantly during standups to report progress, in Slack messages to coordinate with teammates, and in pull requests to explain what changes you made. You'll also hear it in interviews when discussing past projects or in incident postmortems when explaining troubleshooting efforts. The phrase is flexible enough to describe both active tasks and future plans. For example, you might say in a standup: "Yesterday I worked on fixing the authentication bug, and today I'm working on writing tests for it." A common mistake is adding "in" unnecessarily, like "I'm working in the database migration" instead of "I'm working on the database migration." The preposition "on" is always correct for describing tasks. Since this phrase appears in nearly every workplace conversation, mastering its natural usage will help you communicate more confidently with your team. ## When you hear it Used everywhere: standups, Slack, PRs, tickets, meetings. Appropriate in any context. ## Examples - **Standup:** "Yesterday I worked on the payment flow, and today I'll continue working on the checkout page." - **Slack message:** "Hey team, I'm working on the database migration. Should be done by EOD." - **GitHub PR:** "This PR addresses the issue I've been working on for the past week." - **Jira ticket:** "Currently working on implementing the search functionality as described in the requirements." - **Retrospective:** "We spent too much time working on features that weren't prioritized." - **Sprint planning:** "I can work on the user authentication story this sprint." - **Pair programming:** "Let's work on this function together—I think we can simplify it." ## What native speakers say - "I'm working on the login bug right now." - "What are you working on this sprint?" - "She's been working on that feature for two weeks." - "We need someone to work on the API integration." - "I'll work on it after lunch." ## Common mistakes - ✗ "I'm working in the new feature." → ✓ "I'm working on the new feature." (Use 'on' not 'in' when you mean focusing effort on a task or project.) - ✗ "I work on it yesterday." → ✓ "I worked on it yesterday." (Use past tense 'worked' for completed actions in the past.) - ✗ "I'm working on since Monday." → ✓ "I've been working on it since Monday." (Use present perfect continuous for actions that started in the past and continue now.) ## Word forms | Part of speech | Word | Example | | --- | --- | --- | | base form | work on | I need to work on the bug fix. | | present continuous | working on | I'm working on the API endpoint. | | past simple | worked on | I worked on the documentation yesterday. | | present perfect | have worked on | I have worked on similar projects before. | | present perfect continuous | have been working on | I've been working on this issue all morning. | ## Collocations - **work on a feature**: Building or improving a specific product feature - **work on a bug**: Trying to fix a problem in the code - **work on a ticket**: Completing the task described in Jira/Linear - **work on improvements**: Making something better over time - **continue working on**: Keep doing something you started before - **start working on**: Begin a new task or project ## Synonyms - **focus on**: Emphasizes concentration and priority - **tackle**: Implies dealing with something difficult or challenging - **handle**: Often used for managing tasks or responsibilities - **address**: More formal; often used for problems or issues - **develop**: Specifically for building or creating something new ## Opposites - finish - complete - wrap up - put aside - deprioritize ## Practice This lesson has 4 practice exercises with instant feedback on the page: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/work-on ## FAQ ### What does 'work on' mean in a standup? 'Work on' means to spend time and effort on a task. In standups, engineers say 'I'm working on...' to explain their current focus. It's the most common way to describe what you're doing. ### Can I say 'I'm working in' instead of 'I'm working on'? No, use 'work on' for tasks and projects. 'Work in' describes your field or location (e.g., 'I work in fintech' or 'I work in Berlin'). For tasks, always use 'work on'. ### How do I say I've been doing something for a while? Use present perfect continuous: 'I've been working on this bug since Monday.' This shows the task started in the past and is still ongoing. ### Is 'work on' too casual for formal emails? 'Work on' is neutral and works everywhere—standups, Slack, tickets, and emails. It's professional enough for any workplace context. ### What's the difference between 'work on' and 'tackle'? 'Work on' is neutral and describes ongoing effort. 'Tackle' suggests the task is difficult or challenging. Use 'tackle' when you want to emphasize that something is hard. ### How do I ask someone what they're doing? Ask 'What are you working on?' This is friendly and natural. You can also ask 'What are you working on this sprint?' to ask about their current priorities. ## Related - [scope](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/scope.md) - [bandwidth](https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn/bandwidth.md) - Full glossary: https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn.md - Live lessons with a coach: https://app.mocklyenglish.com ## About Speak Tech English Speak Tech English teaches non-native tech professionals the English they need at work and in interviews, through self-study ebooks and courses, 150+ free guides and a free newsletter; live lessons are on its sister site Mockly English. - Shop: https://speaktechenglish.com/courses/ - All products (markdown): https://speaktechenglish.com/products.md - Free guides (markdown): https://app.speaktechenglish.com/guides.md - Tech English glossary (markdown): https://app.speaktechenglish.com/learn.md - Newsletter (10% off): https://speaktechenglish.com/#subscribe - Live lessons and mock interviews: https://app.mocklyenglish.com ## Notes for agents - Speak Tech English sells self-study material. 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