Politics & Society
Politics & Society — 20 high-frequency words, with pronunciation, collocations, word traps and four interactive exercises.
📌 Contents
🎯 Lesson goal
The vocabulary you need to read a British newspaper and discuss public issues 🏛️. Twenty precise terms about institutions, rights and debate, with one delicate point in mind: choosing the right register to state a position without sliding into propaganda. 🚀
🗂️ Word Bank
Tap 🔊 to hear the British pronunciation. The IPA transcription is under each word.
📖 Words in context
A debate that convinces nobody · tap a highlighted word to hear it.
The government presented its reform in March. The policy was ambitious: reduce bureaucracy, increase transparency and strengthen the welfare state without raising taxes.
Opposition came from every direction. Economists argued that the legislation would deepen regional inequality; a powerful industrial lobby warned about competitiveness; a grassroots campaign demanded genuine accountability rather than promises. Meanwhile public opinion, already polarised, split further after two ministers left the coalition.
By autumn the government proposed a referendum. Voter turnout was disappointing — barely forty-four per cent — and the result was so narrow that both sides claimed victory. Commentators noted the real damage: when institutions look unreliable, cynicism begins to undermine the very system that those who advocate reform are trying to save.
🔗 Collocations & chunks
Words travel in groups: learn the whole chunk, not just one word.
| Chunk / collocation | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| come into force | to start to apply (a law) | The law comes into force in July. |
| pass a bill | to vote a proposed law into law | Parliament passed the bill on Tuesday. |
| bridge the gap | to reduce a difference between two groups | The plan aims to bridge the gap. |
| hold a government to account | to make the government explain its actions | The press must hold governments to account. |
| a widening gap between | a difference that keeps getting bigger | There's a widening gap between rich and poor. |
| step down | to resign from an official job | The minister stepped down in May. |
⚠️ Word traps to avoid
| English word | Real meaning ✅ | Watch out ❌ |
|---|---|---|
| deputy | second-in-command, a stand-in | a member of parliament is an MP, not a deputy |
| magistrate | a judge in a lower court | a prosecutor is the lawyer who brings a case to court |
| comprehensive | complete, covering everything | not “kind and sympathetic”: that is understanding |
| proper | correct, suitable | not “belonging to you”: that is own |
🎚️ Register: when to use them
| Expression | Register | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| They're all useless. | informal / sweeping | conversation, never in an essay |
| I disagree with that policy. | neutral | always appropriate |
| It could be argued that… | academic | a great way to present an argument in an essay |
| The evidence points to a different conclusion. | formal | articles, essays, C1/C2 exams |
🚫 Common mistakes to avoid
| Mistake ❌ | Correct ✅ |
|---|---|
| The politic of the government is wrong. | The government's policy is wrong. |
| The people is angry. | People are angry. |
| I am agree with this law. | I agree with this law. |
| The argument of the debate was immigration. | The topic of the debate was immigration. |
🎮 Vocabulary gym
Four ways to practise the same 20 words. Your progress is saved on this device.
Tap the card to flip it.
Tap an English word, then its meaning. Eight pairs per round.
Complete the ten sentences with the right word. The clue under each sentence will help you.
- She won her by 400 votes.💡 an area that elects one MP
- Voter fell below fifty per cent.💡 the percentage of people who vote
- The collapsed after six months.💡 a government formed by several parties
- New comes into force in June.💡 laws made by a government
- Their housing lacks funding.💡 a plan of action chosen by a government or organisation
- The is under strain.💡 a system in which the state supports people in need
- Income has widened.💡 unfair differences in wealth or opportunities
- Voters are demanding greater .💡 having to explain and justify your decisions
- The reform promises full .💡 being open, with nothing hidden
- The march defended basic .💡 basic freedoms and equal treatment for all citizens