The government and elections
El gobierno y las elecciones
- Get to know the basic government institutions of the country.
- Talk about elections and voting.
- The past tenses (summary)
Explore core Spanish vocabulary related to 'El gobierno de España' and democratic processes, including words like 'gobernaba' (he/she governed), 'voté' (I voted), and 'elecciones' (elections). This lesson covers talking about government institutions, recent elections, and preparing to vote, reinforcing past tenses for meaningful conversations.
Listening and reading
Start this class by listening to the audio and completing the corresponding exercises.
Vocabulary (17) 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
La OTAN
NATO
2
El (primer) ministro
The prime minister
3
Votar
To vote
4
El parlamento
The parliament
5
Gobernar
To govern
Ejercicio 2: Conversation exercise
Instrucción:
- ¿Qué tipo de gobierno tiene tu país? (What government does your country have?)
- ¿Existe una familia real en tu país? (Does there exist a royal family in your country?)
- ¿Fuiste al ejército? (Did you go to the army?)
- ¿Cuándo son las elecciones? (When are the elections?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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El 7 de julio votamos por un nuevo presidente y gobierno. The 7th of july we voted for a new president and government. |
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El rey es el jefe del estado. The king is the head of the state. |
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El último gobierno estaba compuesto por 3 partidos políticos. The last government consisted out of 3 political parties. |
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El gobierno está controlado por el parlamento y los jueces. The government is controlled by the parliament and judges. |
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Tuve que ir al ejército igual que todos mis amigos. I had to go to the army just like all my friends. |
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No fui al ejército, pero trabajé en una organización social durante un año. I did not go to the army but I worked in a social organisation for a year instead. |
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El primer ministro ha cambiado desde las últimas elecciones. 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. Cuando era joven, el presidente ___ con su ministro para mejorar la política del país.
(When I was young, the president ___ with his minister to improve the country's policy.)2. En 2010, la princesa ___ el parlamento para conocer mejor las instituciones.
(In 2010, the princess ___ the parliament to better know the institutions.)3. Esta semana, ___ votado en las elecciones porque es importante participar en la democracia.
(This week, ___ voted in the elections because it is important to participate in democracy.)4. El primer ministro ___ a su equipo después de la victoria del partido político.
(The prime minister ___ his team after the political party's victory.)Exercise 5: The Municipal Elections
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Elegir - Elegir
Pretérito indefinido
- yo elegí
- tú elegiste
- él/ella eligió
- nosotros elegimos
- vosotros elegisteis
- ellos/ellas eligieron
Votar - Votar
Pretérito imperfecto
- yo votaba
- tú votabas
- él/ella votaba
- nosotros votábamos
- vosotros votabais
- ellos/ellas votaban
Votar - Votar
Pretérito indefinido
- yo voté
- tú votaste
- él/ella votó
- nosotros votamos
- vosotros votasteis
- ellos/ellas votaron
Gobernar - Gobernar
Pretérito imperfecto
- yo gobernaba
- tú gobernabas
- él/ella gobernaba
- nosotros gobernábamos
- vosotros gobernabais
- ellos/ellas gobernaban
Exercise 6: Los tiempos del pasado (resumen)
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: The past tenses (summary)
Show translation Show answershemos reservado, elegí, votaron, fuimos, Visité, trabajaba, votaba, votabas
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Elegir to choose Share Copied!
Pretérito indefinido
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) elegí | I chose |
| (tú) elegiste | You chose |
| (él/ella) eligió | he/she chose |
| (nosotros/nosotras) elegimos | we chose |
| (vosotros/vosotras) elegisteis | You chose |
| (ellos/ellas) eligieron | they chose |
Votar to vote Share Copied!
Pretérito imperfecto
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) votaba | I used to vote |
| (tú) votabas | You used to vote |
| (él/ella) votaba | he/she was voting |
| (nosotros/nosotras) votábamos | we voted |
| (vosotros/vosotras) votabais | you voted |
| (ellos/ellas) votaban | they voted |
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Understanding The Government of Spain and Elections
This lesson focuses on the essential institutions of the Spanish government, the electoral system, and the use of past tenses to discuss historical and recent political events. It is designed for learners at the A2 level who want to improve their vocabulary related to government and elections, as well as practice relevant verb conjugations in the past.
Key Topics Covered
- Government Institutions: Learn about the Congreso (Congress), Senado (Senate), Tribunal Constitucional (Constitutional Court), and other main bodies.
- Functions and Roles: Understand the responsibilities of the president, ministers, parliament, and judiciary.
- Voting and Elections: Get familiar with expressions related to voting, election frequency, and preparation for voting day.
- Past Tenses Summary: Practice the use of pretérito indefinido and pretérito imperfecto to describe past events in the context of government and elections.
Example Words and Expressions
- Gobierno – government
- Elecciones – elections
- Congreso – congress
- Senado – senate
- Presidente – president
- Votar – to vote
- Legislación – legislation
- Mesa electoral – polling station table
- DNI (Documento Nacional de Identidad) – national identity card
Focus on Past Tenses in Context
The lesson uses dialogues and a short story to show how to narrate past events such as voting experiences and government actions. For example:
- El presidente gobernaba junto con su ministro durante la década pasada. (The president governed together with his minister during the last decade.)
- Hace un rato elegí al nuevo juez para el tribunal. (A while ago I chose the new judge for the court.)
Important Differences and Useful Phrases
In Spanish, the past tenses pretérito indefinido and pretérito imperfecto are used distinctly to convey different aspects of past actions. The pretérito indefinido expresses completed actions, while the pretérito imperfecto describes ongoing or habitual past activities. For example, voté means "I voted" (a completed action), versus votaba which means "I used to vote" or "I was voting" (habitual or ongoing).
Useful phrases include:
- ¿Sabías que el Congreso aprueba las leyes? – Did you know that the Congress approves laws?
- Para votar, necesito llevar mi DNI. – To vote, I need to bring my ID card.
- Las elecciones se celebran cada cuatro años. – Elections are held every four years.
- Es importante entender estas instituciones para votar informado. – It is important to understand these institutions to vote informed.
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