Professional writing: using relative clauses for CVs

Summary

This 90-minute ESL lesson for B1 learners explores Professional writing: using relative clauses for CVs through a real article. Across 10 interactive exercises, you'll develop reading comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, practical communication, speaking skills — all built around authentic English content.

What you'll practise:

• 5 key vocabulary items with definitions and usage notes
• Grammar focus: Defining and non-defining relative clauses with examples and practice
• Real-world phrases for asking questions in a job interview
• Gap-fill and cloze exercises to test vocabulary in context
• Matching exercise to connect terms with their meanings
• Error correction to sharpen grammar awareness

Lesson activities (10 exercises)

Each exercise builds on the previous one. Work through them in order for the best learning experience.

1. Warm-up — Discussion questions to activate what you already know about the topic.
2. Comprehension — Answer questions to check your understanding of the main ideas and supporting details.
3. Vocabulary — Learn key words and expressions from the article, with definitions and usage notes.
4. Matching — Connect words, phrases, or concepts to their correct counterparts.
5. Grammar — Study Defining and non-defining relative clauses — explanation, examples, and key rules.
6. Error correction — Find and fix the mistake in each sentence — a great grammar workout.
7. Practical English — Learn phrases for asking questions in a job interview — ready to use in real conversations.
8. Fill the gaps — Complete sentences with the correct vocabulary. Drag and drop or type your answers.
9. Discussion — Reflect on the topic and share your opinions using the language you've learned.

Vocabulary

This lesson introduces 5 key terms drawn directly from the article:

• A proven track record — evidence from your past work that shows you are successful at something.
• Hands-on experience — practical knowledge and skill from doing a job, not just from studying.
• To meet a deadline — to finish a piece of work by the time or date it is supposed to be finished.
• To work well under pressure — to be able to perform effectively and stay calm in difficult or stressful situations.
• To report to (someone) — to have a specific person as your manager who you are responsible to.

Grammar

This lesson focuses on Defining and non-defining relative clauses.

Relative clauses add extra information to a sentence. They are very useful on a CV to describe your skills, experiences, and the companies you've worked for. They start with a relative pronoun like 'who', 'which', 'that', or 'where'.

Examples from the lesson:

• I managed a team that was responsible for marketing. — This is a defining clause. The information 'that was responsible for marketing' is essential to understand which team we are talking about. No commas are used.
• My last project, which was very successful, increased sales by 20%. — This is a non-defining clause. The information 'which was very successful' is extra detail. The main sentence still makes sense without it. We must use commas.
• The manager who interviewed me was very friendly. — We use 'who' for people. This defining clause tells us exactly which manager we are talking about.

Key rules:

• Defining clauses give essential information and do not use commas.
• Non-defining clauses give extra information and must use commas.
• You cannot use 'that' in a non-defining clause (the ones with commas).

Practical English

asking questions in a job interview

At the end of most job interviews, you'll be asked 'Do you have any questions for us?'. It's important to have some thoughtful questions ready. This shows you are genuinely interested in the role and the company. Here are some phrases you can use.

Phrases you'll learn:

• "'Could you tell me a bit more about the day-to-day responsibilities?'" — asking for more detail about the job.
• "'What does a typical day or week look like in this role?'" — a more casual way to ask about daily tasks.
• "'Who would I be working most closely with?'" — asking about the team structure.
• "'What are the biggest challenges for the team at the moment?'" — showing you are proactive and solution-focused.
• "'What do you enjoy most about working here?'" — asking about company culture from a personal perspective.