The government and elections
Il governo e le elezioni
- Get to know the basic government institutions of the country.
- Talk about elections and voting.
- The past tenses (summary)
Explore Italian vocabulary about local government and elections, including words like "sindaco" (mayor), "elezioni" (elections), and verbs in past tenses like "avevo deciso" (I had decided) and "ho votato" (I voted). This lesson focuses on discussing government roles, election procedures, and election results.
Listening and reading
Start this class by listening to the audio and completing the corresponding exercises.
Vocabulary (19) 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
Lo Stato
The State
2
La legge
The law
3
Il Primo Ministro
The Prime Minister
4
Il presidente
The president
5
Le elezioni
The elections
Esercizio 2: Conversation exercise
Istruzione:
- Che tipo di governo ha il tuo paese? (What government does your country have?)
- Esiste una famiglia reale nel tuo paese? (Does there exist a royal family in your country?)
- Sei andato nell'esercito? (Did you go to the army?)
- Quando sono le elezioni? (When are the elections?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Il 7 luglio abbiamo votato per un nuovo presidente e governo. The 7th of july we voted for a new president and government. |
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Il re è il capo dello stato. The king is the head of the state. |
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L'ultimo governo era composto da 3 partiti politici. The last government consisted out of 3 political parties. |
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Il governo è controllato dal parlamento e dai giudici. The government is controlled by the parliament and judges. |
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Ho dovuto andare nell'esercito proprio come tutti i miei amici. I had to go to the army just like all my friends. |
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Non sono andato al servizio militare, ma ho lavorato per un anno in un'organizzazione sociale. I did not go to the army but I worked in a social organisation for a year instead. |
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Il primo ministro è cambiato dalle ultime elezioni. 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. Quando ero giovane, ______ sempre al seggio vicino a casa.
(When I was young, ______ always voted at the polling station near home.)2. Ieri ______ per il nuovo sindaco della città.
(Yesterday ______ for the new mayor of the city.)3. ______ prima che il presidente parlasse al Parlamento.
(______ before the president spoke in Parliament.)4. Il sindaco ______ spesso con i cittadini durante le elezioni.
(The mayor ______ often spoke with the citizens during the elections.)Exercise 5: My First Vote in Local Elections
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Votare - To vote
Imperfetto
- io votavo
- tu votavi
- lui/lei votava
- noi votavamo
- voi votavate
- loro votavano
Parlare - To speak
Imperfetto
- io parlavo
- tu parlavi
- lui/lei parlava
- noi parlavamo
- voi parlavate
- loro parlavano
Decidere - To decide
Trapassato prossimo
- io avevo deciso
- tu avevi deciso
- lui/lei aveva deciso
- noi avevamo deciso
- voi avevate deciso
- loro avevano deciso
Votare - To vote
Passato prossimo
- io ho votato
- tu hai votato
- lui/lei ha votato
- noi abbiamo votato
- voi avete votato
- loro hanno votato
Essere - To be
Passato prossimo
- io sono stato/a
- tu sei stato/a
- lui/lei è stato/a
- noi siamo stati/e
- voi siete stati/e
- loro sono stati/e
Governare - To govern
Imperfetto
- io governavo
- tu governavi
- lui/lei governava
- noi governavamo
- voi governavate
- loro governavano
Exercise 6: I tempi del passato (riassunto)
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: The past tenses (summary)
Show translation Show answersparlava, avevo mangiato, avevo votato, avevamo deciso, andavo, è stato, ho visto
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Votare to vote Share Copied!
Imperfetto
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| (io) votavo | I was voting |
| (tu) votavi | You were voting |
| (lui/lei) votava | he/she was voting |
| (noi) votavamo | we were voting |
| (voi) votavate | you were voting |
| (loro) votavano | they were voting |
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The Government and Elections: An A2 Italian Learning Guide
This lesson focuses on discussing local government institutions, the election process, and the political outcomes in Italian, suitable for A2 level learners. It provides practical vocabulary, dialogues, and verb usage related to government and voting, enhancing both conversational skills and understanding of past tenses.
Key Topics Covered
- Local Government Institutions: Mayor (il sindaco), City Council (il consiglio comunale), and Executive Committee (la giunta).
- Elections: Dates, voting procedures, political parties, and election discussions.
- Election Results and Political Consequences: Parliamentary majority, appointment of ministers, and government policies.
Important Vocabulary and Expressions
- Votare – to vote
- Discutere – to discuss
- Approvare – to approve
- Candidato – candidate
- Risultati delle elezioni – election results
- Partecipare alle elezioni – to participate in elections
- Il presidente – the president
Verb Tenses Highlighted
The lesson emphasizes past tenses essential for narrating events related to government and elections:
- Imperfetto: describing habitual or ongoing past actions (andavo, parlavo).
- Passato Prossimo: describing specific completed actions (ho votato, ha parlato).
- Trapassato Prossimo: indicating actions completed before another past action (avevamo deciso).
Example Sentence from the Lesson
"Io andavo sempre al seggio vicino a casa mia per votare." (I used to always go to the polling station near my house to vote.)
Learner Notes on Italian vs. English
Italian uses different past tenses to convey the nuances of past actions more precisely than English. The Imperfetto expresses repeated or background past actions, while the Passato Prossimo refers to completed past actions. The Trapassato Prossimo is used for actions completed before another past event. English often uses simple past for these cases.
Useful Phrases:
- Parlare del governo locale – Talking about the local government
- Quando sono state le ultime elezioni? – When were the last elections?
- Hai votato? – Did you vote?
- Il primo ministro ha nominato i nuovi ministri – The prime minister has appointed new ministers
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