Adjectives to Describe Employees (Exercises) – Business English

ESL Level: Upper-intermediate (B2/C1)

Here are six exercises for studying adjectives to describe both good and bad employees.  (Teachers, you can find these exercises in a free business English worksheet here.)

The adjectives tested on this page are as follows:

Set 1: ambitious, bright, decisive, genuine, loyal, humble/modest, practical, arrogant

Set 2: resourceful, meticulous, obedient, patient, outgoing, productive, punctual, easygoing

Set 3: prudent, diligent, stubborn, eager, ruthless, cooperative, versatile

An employee with a cape

Exercise #1: Business English: Adjectives to Describe Employees (Set 1)

Select the adjective that best describes the employee below. Each adjective should be used only once.

    1. Ben doesn't like to talk about his athletic achievements. Although he was once in the Olympics, he doesn't think he's better than anyone else. 
    2. Despite coming from a poor family, Danielle is determined to succeed. She plans to be the first person in her family to graduate college. 
    3. Takeshi would never quit his job. He thinks of his company as his family, and he plans to stay there until he retires. 
    4. Laurence is an intelligent man. 
    5. Tina gave up her dream of being an astronaut because it wasn't realistic. She has decided to study IT instead because it will allow her to get a job. 
    6. People like Carol because she is sincere. She speaks truthfully, from her heart. 
    7. Grace is an excellent public speaker. She is able to organize her ideas well and communicate them fluently. 
    8. Like usual, Paul made the decision with little hesitation. 

  

Exercise #2: Opposites - Adjectives to Describe Employees (Set 1)

  1. The opposite of ambitious is .
  2. The opposite of articulate is .
  3. The opposite of bright is .
  4. The opposite of decisive is .
  5. The opposite of genuine is .
  6. The opposite of loyal is .
  7. The opposite of humble is .
  8. The opposite of practical is .

  

The below exercises focus on eight different adjectives to describe workers (set two).

Exercise #3: Adjectives to Describe Employees (Set 2)

Select the adjective that best describes the employee below. Each adjective should be used only once.

  1. After losing her job, Lily waited six months before starting another. She'd had several offers, but she waited until the perfect one came along. 
  2. John is an excellent newspaper editor because he pays great attention to detail and he is careful to ensure that everything is formatted perfectly. 
  3. Lloyd thinks he's more important than everyone else because his father is the company's boss. He treats everyone like they are beneath him. 
  4. As a junior in the company, Winston always does what he's told to do, even if he doesn't like it. 
  5. Unlike most of the staff, Alex doesn't need to work overtime. He's always able to finish all of his tasks by 5 o'clock. 
  6. Everyone in the office knows Penelope. She is very friendly and confident in her social skills. 
  7. In his professional life, Terry is always on time for every day of work, meeting, and interview. 
  8. Brenda is an excellent project manager because she is able to find quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties that suddenly arise. 

  

Exercise #4: Matching with Opposites (Set 2)

  1. The opposite of arrogant is .
  2. The opposite of resourceful is .
  3. The opposite of meticulous is .
  4. The opposite of obedient is .
  5. The opposite of patient is .
  6. The opposite of outgoing is .
  7. The opposite of productive is .
  8. The opposite of punctual is .

  

The below exercises focus on eight different adjectives to describe workers (set two).

Exercise #5: Adjectives to Describe Employees (Set 3)

Select the adjective that best describes the employee below. Each adjective should be used only once.

  1. There's no point in arguing with Bruce. He won't listen to the opinions of others, even if they prove him wrong. .
  2. As the owner of a small company, Carol has to be able to do many different things. In addition to her regular duties, she's also the accountant, hiring manager, and even receptionist sometimes.  .
  3. Victor takes care when making decisions in order to avoid unnecessary risk.  .
  4. People love working for Randy because he's relaxed. He doesn't mind if his employees are late and he gives them a lot of freedom.  .
  5. Robert, the new boss, fired four people in his first week. He'll do whatever he has to in order to turn the failing company around.  .
  6. Patricia works hard and she makes an effort to do her tasks well.  .
  7. Fresh out of university, Tanya, was excited about getting started with her job and learning new things.  .
  8. Mike is very helpful. He's always willing to be of assistance to the other members of the team.  .

  

Exercise #6: Matching with Opposites (Set 3)

    1. The opposite of easygoing is .
    2. The opposite of prudent is .
    3. The opposite of diligent is .
    4. The opposite of stubborn is .
    5. The opposite of eager is .
    6. The opposite of ruthless is .
    7. The opposite of cooperative is .
    8. The opposite of versatile is .

  

Questions? Did you find a mistake? Feel free to leave a comment below.

---

Adjective exercises created by Matthew Barton of Englishcurrent.com (copyright)

English Current recommends Grammarly as a learning tool to reduce English mistakes. If you found this page helpful, consider a donation to our hosting bill to show your support!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *