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Angliholic Posted 19 years ago
Grammar

do/work on

If I had my notebook computer right now, I could work on/do my report.

It's hard for me to grasp the meaning of work on. In the above statement, does it mean do? If yes, what about in other contexts? Does it always mean the same?
  

Top answer

e. the complete activity). Saying 'work on my report' suggests only doing part of the report.

— Yankee

  • e.
  • the complete activity).
  • Saying 'work on my report' suggests only doing part of the report.
  • To me, there is no sense of completion or completeness.
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12 Answers
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Hi Angliholic

Saying 'do my report' suggests 'begin and finish my report' (i.e. the complete activity).
Saying 'work on my report' suggests only doing part of the report. To me, there is no sense of completion or completeness.
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If I had my notebook computer right now, I could work on my report.

I have always seen the usage of "work on" instead of "do".
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YankeeHi Angliholic

Saying 'do my report' suggests 'begin and finish my report' (i.e. the complete activity).
Saying 'work on my report' suggests only doing part of the report. To me, there is no sense of completion or completeness.

Thanks, Yankee, for the clear reply.

Could you give some alternatives so that I might grasp its
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Marius Hancucomplete the report
Thanks, Marius, for your version.

I'm sorry that I didn't make myself clear. I mean the alternatives of work on.
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If something is a work in progress, you can say:

I can make some progress on that presentation.

I can keep chipping away at that presentation. (idiom)

I can kick that presentation down the field some. (quite slang-like)

I can move that presentation along some.

(To finish is you can complete it, wrap it up, finalize it, and probably several others that a
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GG:

Does "chip away" really mean something like "work on" (maybe in a very undiligent manner)? I couldn't find a translation other than "to avoid work" or "to work less"... Is this usage so rare?

P.S.: Just interesting because I encountered this expression in an e-mail... And could it be I translated it wrong?

«...so I haven't been on the computer nearly as much as I w
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Where I'm from, if you "keep chipping away" it means that you have a very large project, and you keep making progress on it, bit by bit. There is nothing about tithat means you are not diligent - simply that it's a big job and you're make slow, steady progress.
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So, what does that sentence tell to you? That he was working on his PC every night?
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Neeraj JainIf I had my notebook computer right now, I could work on my report.

I have always seen the usage of "work on" instead of "do".

In a nutshell, they are very close in meaning.

You called your friend at home. You asked "Hey, what are you doing? feel like going out for a drink?"

You can e
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