Why is this wrong? Isn’t “ do one’s job” a common idiom? Thanks.

A job is something you have *and* something you do. “I do my job” is a perfectly normal thing to say.

If I'm writing a technical document I would draw a distinction between work and job as above, but if I'm just speaking with someone, "I did my job" sounds fine. I don't know what the question was that prompted "I do my job on time." It sounds funny but given the right context it might sound natural. ???

That doesn’t seem right. “I completed the job on time.” is common and refers to a specific unit of work not a profession. Dictionary lists both profession and unit of work as definitions, not just profession.

I think what the text is trying to get at is that it's more common in certain circumstances to refer to your work rather than your job. For example, if someone called me and asked me where I was I would say "I'm at work" rather than "I'm at my job." A job tends to be used more frequently to refer to a career or specific place of employment ("I'm looking for a job as a waiter," "he got a job at Lockheed Martin"), or to a discreet task that may or may not take place in the context of formal employment ("when I got to the church hall Mrs. Smith gave me a job setting up tables"). If you just say "I do my job on time" without any additional context, it could sound slightly passive aggressive - like you're accusing the other person of *not* doing their job on time.

The writer is wrong in the underlined sentence. A job is something you do. They are right a job is a role you are employed to do: I am a basket weaver; my role at this company is as a basket weaver. I have a job as a basket weaver. I do my job on time; the baskets are weaved by the deadline they are needed. I think the writer is a boss who got triggered by an employee somehow.

You can do your job, to do one's job means to fulfill the role you were assigned, often at a bare minimum or just "sufficiently". You could have someone shout "do your job!" At you if youre standing around idle. To do your job on time sounds weird, because to the phrase "one's job" implies profession or role, however without a possessive, I've "a job" or "the job" it sounds fine but refers to a specific task you were given. "I'm giving you a job" - I'm employing you/I'm giving you a task "I'm doing a job" - I'm doing a (typically menial) task I've been assigned "I've been given a job" - I've been employed/I've been given a task "I've been given a job to do" - playing into the phrase "to do a job", this means only you've been given a one time task. "I finished the job on time" - I finished the task on time "I finished my job on time" - sounds weird, because you typically don't finish a profession; you could use this to say "I finished MY task on time (but you didn't finish YOUR task on time)" Point is generally My/Your/His... Job = usually one's profession A/the Job = a profession (i.e., the job is quite hard!), but also a usually menial task (i.e., I've been given a little job to do) Sorry if I rambled

Native speaker; yeah, this statement isn’t correct. ”Do your job” is something that’s said all the time. Examples: [https://www.inc.com/james-kerr/how-do-your-job-can-be-a-difference-maker-for-your-company.html](https://www.inc.com/james-kerr/how-do-your-job-can-be-a-difference-maker-for-your-company.html) [https://www.merriam-webster.com/sentences/do%20the%20job](https://www.merriam-webster.com/sentences/do%20the%20job) [https://linguaholic.com/linguablog/work-a-job-vs-do-a-job/](https://linguaholic.com/linguablog/work-a-job-vs-do-a-job/)

Yes, it is. This is both bad advice and an encouragement to speak improper English. No English speaker would ever say, "*I* ***have*** my job on time." It doesn't make sense. It is more accurate to say you do your work on time if you are speaking of specific daily functions within your job. But it is more accurate to say you do your job on time when you are referring to your overall performance.

Fun detail: "job" is used differently if you're in the trades. Someone who is a plumber, electrician, or construction worker will often refer to their work with each client as a job. So you might say "I finished that job and moved on to the next" or "I'm at a job". If you have a manufacturer that makes unique parts for different clients, they're a job shop.

"To do one's job" is usually used in a more continuous sense.

hmm. I can't say I have heard "do one's job" but I speak American English. I could see a phrase like "In order to do one's job correctly you must be prepared" used in British English. I also don't really understand what the blurb you included is trying to say. While I wouldn't say "I do my job on time." I also wouldn't say "I do my work on time." I would say "I completed my work for today on time" Honestly the main difference I can think of is that 'job' is always a noun and never used as a verb. I hear the word 'job' used in reference to a title, responsibilities, contracted work, or assignments that make up your 'work'. So as a veterinary assistant my 'jobs' are to intake patients, clean rooms, and assist with treatments. While 'work' can be used as a noun to refer to a location and individual tasks. It can also be used as a verb for the general action of working. So I go to work and while I am there I am working. Or if I am in the process of completing a task I am 'working' on it.

It's not. That is a completely correct sentence. The understood meaning would be the same as "I always meet my deadlines."

Yes, it's a common response to someone, especially if questioning or complaining about their work - "just do your job".

I would not say it's a common idiom, but it is not incorrect. The context here is what's important. Maybe in a very literal sense this is incorrect and improper English, but I feel like in a casual, conversational setting no one one find anything wrong with it. If, however, you want your sentence to sound more correct and put together, there are better options that express the same thing. "I get my work done on time" "I do my job well" "I do a good job" For example.

A job can also be a task. "It's my job to make the meal and it's your job to do the dishes. I do my job on time!" is a perfectly valid statement.

"To do one's job' is indeed a common idiom. The definition of the word " job" is not restricted to Mery a role, it can definitely be a task as well. People say "good job" to compliment someone on how well they completed a task, for example. Not on how well they fulfilled their role, or something like that.

In this case, ‘I do my work on time’ sounds more natural to me personally, but ‘to do one’s/a job’ is perfectly normal.

"Do your job" is an extremely common phrase, so is "I did my job" Hell "I do my job, what about you?" works perfectly fine. It isn't wrong and you're correct

Who the heck is writing these English textbooks?

"Job" can also be used to refer to a specific task. Like a painter might say, 'I've got three jobs on Tuesday, but my schedule is free on Thursday.' They would mean that they have three different clients that day and would be painting at three different locations and times.

"Do the job" sounds fine, but not under the context provided. "Do the job" means having the ability to fulfil the assigned task successfully. It doesn't mean to carry out one specific task. Example: "If my peers did their job, I would't have to do their work for two hours every day."

The person that wrote that doesn’t do their job very well.

I’d say someone has an English as a second language problem, as the term work and job are used the same in American English.

The word "job" can mean two things: Your employment: I have a **job** as an auto mechanic. A particular task: I just had a big **job** come in for an engine rebuild. You could certainly say that you did a particular job on time: Remember that engine rebuild? I did that **job** on time. If you wanted to talk about your employment, you could say, "I do my job with pleasure" or "I do my job diligently." In either of these examples, you could substitute *work* for *job* without changing the meaning. But if you were talking about your employment in general, saying how reliable you are, you would not say "I do my job on time." You would say, "I do my **work** on time." I am not sure why this is different then the other examples, other than that the phrase "job on time" could be interpreted to mean a specific task, so we avoid it. There is no grammatical reason for it; it's idiomatic.

If using “ job” would say it sounds better to say “ I do my jobs on time”.

Doing your job is performance over time. Finishing for the day would be more like “I’m done working,” “I’ve finished working,” “I’m done for the day,” etc

I was a little confused because I agreed with the image until I read the other comments. I think the confusion is because job has several definitions. The two main ones are: 1. employment, like "a part-time job" 2. a task If you ignore definition 2, then your image makes sense, "I *work* at my part-time job". But if you take definition 2 into account, then you could say "I do my job/task on time"

English does this *great* thing where what is correct and what is understandable are interchangeable. "I do my job on time" is perfectly understandable, just not "correct." Technically, a *job* references the position you hold, while *work* references the actions you take while at your job. In this instance, the "correct" phrasing would be: "I complete my work on time."

>A job is a role that you were employed to do >You wouldn't say I do what are we doing here

That's so weird. "I have a job" and "I do my job" are perfectly acceptable but they infer different things. You could argue "I do a job" sounds clumsy but in natural conversations that isn't out of place. Maybe it's too informal? "Job" and "work" can work in both contexts. I even looked up some dictionary references and they find this phrasing perfectly acceptable. The problem with these is what's standard and what's acceptable in a normal conversation. Merriam-Webster interestingly enough cites actual articles that use the phrasing. [DO THE JOB | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/do-the-job) [Do the job Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/do%20the%20job)

This seems overly pedantic

A job can mean a task at work too. "Who's job was it to stock aisle three" The above is utter nonsense probably written by someone who has never had a job where they had to work.