The government and elections
De overheid en verkiezingen
- Get to know the basic government institutions of the country.
- Talk about elections and voting.
- Present perfect or simple past?
Learn about the Dutch government system, elections, and key past tense verb conjugations. This lesson covers the Parliament's role, voting importance, and government functions, along with practical Dutch verbs like stemmen, werken, spreken, and weten in simple past and present perfect tenses.
Vocabulary (18) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
De koningin
The queen
2
Het parlement
The parliament
3
De (eerste) minister
The (prime) minister
4
De president
The president
5
De rechter
The judge
Oefening 2: Conversation exercise
Instructie:
- What government does your country have? (What government does your country have?)
- Does there exist a royal family in your country? (Does there exist a royal family in your country?)
- Did you go to the army? (Did you go to the army?)
- When are the elections? (When are the elections?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Op 7 juli hebben we gestemd voor een nieuwe president en regering. The 7th of july we voted for a new president and government. |
|
De koning is het staatshoofd. The king is the head of the state. |
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De laatste regering bestond uit 3 politieke partijen. The last government consisted out of 3 political parties. |
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De regering wordt gecontroleerd door het parlement en rechters. The government is controlled by the parliament and judges. |
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Ik moest naar het leger net als al mijn vrienden. I had to go to the army just like all my friends. |
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Ik ging niet naar het leger maar ik werkte in plaats daarvan een jaar bij een sociale organisatie. I did not go to the army but I worked in a social organisation for a year instead. |
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De premier is veranderd sinds de laatste verkiezingen. The prime minister changed since the last elections. |
| ... |
Exercise 3: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 4: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Vorige week ____ ik voor het eerst bij de verkiezingen.
(Last week ____ I voted for the first time in the elections.)2. De minister ____ gisteren in het parlement over nieuwe maatregelen.
(The minister ____ yesterday in parliament about new measures.)3. De regering ____ vorig jaar hard gewerkt aan de nieuwe wet.
(The government ____ hard on the new law last year.)4. Tijdens de oorlog ____ het parlement in een andere stad.
(During the war ____ the parliament in another city.)Exercise 5: My first experience with voting
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Stemmen - To vote
Onvoltooid verleden tijd (OVT)
- ik stemde
- jij stemde
- hij/zij stemde
- wij stemden
- jullie stemden
- zij stemden
Weten - To know
Onvoltooid verleden tijd (OVT)
- ik wist
- jij wist
- hij/zij wist
- wij wisten
- jullie wisten
- zij wisten
Werken - To work
Onvoltooid verleden tijd (OVT)
- ik werkte
- jij werkte
- hij/zij werkte
- wij werkten
- jullie werkten
- zij werkten
Spreken - To speak
Onvoltooid verleden tijd (OVT)
- ik sprak
- jij sprak
- hij/zij sprak
- wij spraken
- jullie spraken
- zij spraken
Hebben - To have
Voltooid tegenwoordige tijd (VTT)
- ik heb
- jij hebt
- hij/zij heeft
- wij hebben
- jullie hebben
- zij hebben
Exercise 6: Voltooid tegenwoordige tijd of onvoltooid verleden tijd?
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: Present perfect or simple past?
Show translation Show answersheb gestemd, heeft gewerkt, werkte, sprak, stemde
Grammar Share Copied!
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A2.15.1 Grammatica
Voltooid tegenwoordige tijd of onvoltooid verleden tijd?
Present perfect or simple past?
Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Stemmen to vote Share Copied!
Onvoltooid verleden tijd (OVT)
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| (ik) stemde | I voted |
| (jij) stemde/stemde | you voted |
| (hij/zij/het) stemde | he voted/she voted/it voted |
| (wij) stemden | we voted |
| (jullie) stemden | you voted |
| (zij) stemden | they voted |
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Understanding Dutch Government and Elections
This lesson introduces you to key aspects of the Dutch government system, elections, and verb conjugations in past tenses. You will learn about the structure of the Dutch parliament, voting processes, and the role of the government in daily life, all while improving your knowledge of the simple past tense (onvoltooid verleden tijd) and the present perfect tense (voltooid tegenwoordige tijd).
Key Topics Covered
- Dutch Parliament: Explanation of the First and Second Chambers, their roles, and how laws are made and reviewed.
- Voting and Elections: Discussions on why voting is important and how it impacts who represents citizens in parliament.
- Government Functions: What the government does, who is involved (ministers and king), and examples of decisions affecting education, safety, and healthcare.
Language Focus
You will practice verb conjugations in past tenses using relevant vocabulary such as stemmen (to vote), werken (to work), spreken (to speak), weten (to know), and hebben (to have). For example, choose the correct form in sentences like "Vorige week stemde ik voor het eerst bij de verkiezingen" and learn how these verbs change according to time and subject.
Useful Examples
- Ik stemde (I voted) - simple past
- Hij sprak (He spoke) - simple past
- De regering heeft gewerkt (has worked) - present perfect
Notes on Language Differences
In Dutch, the onvoltooid verleden tijd (OVT) is commonly used to describe completed actions in the past, similar to the simple past in English, e.g., "Ik stemde" (I voted). The voltooid tegenwoordige tijd (VTT) corresponds to the present perfect, used to express actions with relevance to the present, for example, "De regering heeft gewerkt" (The government has worked). Unlike English, where past perfect is regular, verb conjugations in Dutch change according to verb groups and involve auxiliary verbs.
Useful phrases include: het parlement maakt de wetten (the parliament makes the laws), stemmen is belangrijk (voting is important), and de regering beslist over onderwijs (the government decides on education). Understanding these helps build practical vocabulary related to politics and society.
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