CELPIP Vocabulary for Government and Law
The Celpip Plus team
Written and reviewed against the official CELPIP scoring criteria
Government & Law collocations for CELPIP
CELPIP rarely asks about politics directly, but everyday civic life comes up often. Writing Task 1 may ask you to email a city councillor about a dangerous intersection, or a city office about a parking ticket you think is unfair. Writing Task 2 surveys may ask how a city council should spend its budget or run its public meetings. In Speaking, Task 6, Dealing with a Difficult Situation, may involve jury duty that falls in a busy week at work; Task 7, Expressing Opinions, may ask whether voting should be possible online; and Task 1, Giving Advice, may involve a friend who wants to complain about a new bylaw. These collocations help you talk about rules, decisions and public services clearly and neutrally.
Verb + noun collocations
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| pass a law | formally approve a law so it takes effect | It can take months for a legislature to pass a law. |
| enforce a law | make sure people obey a law | It's hard to enforce a law that most people don't know about. |
| draft a bill | write the first version of a proposed law | The committee spent months drafting a bill on online safety. |
| cast a vote | formally record your choice in an election | I cast my vote at the community centre on my way to work. |
| exercise your right (to vote) | make use of a right you have | Many people exercise their right to vote at an advance poll. |
| uphold a ruling | confirm that a court decision stays in place | The higher court upheld the ruling, so the original decision stands. |
| overturn a decision | reverse an earlier official decision | The city overturned its decision to close the pool after residents complained. |
| file a complaint | formally report a problem to an authority | She filed a complaint with the city about noise from the construction site. |
| impose a fine | officially require someone to pay a penalty | The city imposed a fine on the restaurant for blocking the sidewalk. |
| hold office | serve in an elected or appointed position | The mayor has held office for two terms and is running again. |
| break the law | do something that a law forbids | Nobody wants to break the law by accident, so read the parking signs carefully. |
| grant permission | formally allow something | The council granted permission for a new community garden. |
Adjective + noun collocations
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| a strict policy | a rule applied firmly, with little flexibility | The school has a strict policy on late arrivals. |
| a controversial law | a law that causes strong public disagreement | A controversial law can divide a community for years. |
| a binding agreement | an agreement that both sides must legally follow | Both parties signed a binding agreement before the project began. |
| a landmark ruling | a court decision that changes how later cases are decided | Law students still study the landmark ruling decades later. |
| a fundamental right | a basic right considered essential | Many people consider voting a fundamental right. |
| widespread support | approval from a large part of the public | The plan for a new library received widespread support. |
| a harsh penalty | a severe punishment | Some residents felt the fine was too harsh a penalty for a first mistake. |
| a lenient sentence | a punishment milder than expected | Critics argued that the judge gave a lenient sentence for a serious crime. |
| public accountability | the duty of officials to explain their decisions | Voters expect public accountability from the people they elect. |
| civil liberties | personal freedoms protected from government interference | Debates about security cameras often turn into debates about civil liberties. |
| a legal loophole | a gap in a rule that lets people avoid its purpose | The company used a legal loophole to avoid the new fee. |
| a transparent process | a decision-making process that is open and clear | Residents are asking for a more transparent process for awarding contracts. |
Phrasal verbs
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| crack down on | take strict action against a problem | The city cracked down on illegal parking near the stadium. |
| bring in (a law or policy) | introduce something new officially | The town brought in a new bylaw on leaf blowers last spring. |
| carry out (an investigation) | do a planned task | Police carried out an investigation into the break-ins. |
| look into | examine or investigate a matter | The committee agreed to look into the complaints from residents. |
| do away with | get rid of a rule, system or practice | The town did away with paper parking permits and now uses licence plates. |
| get rid of | remove something unwanted | The new mayor promised to get rid of unnecessary red tape. |
| hold up (a process) | delay something | A missing document held up my permit application for weeks. |
| draw up (a contract or plan) | prepare a formal written document | The lawyers drew up a contract before the sale was finalized. |
| sign off on | give formal approval to something | The council signed off on the new budget. |
| speak out against | publicly criticize something | Several parents spoke out against the plan to close the school. |
| back down | give up a position under pressure | The council backed down on the fee increase after hundreds of complaints. |
| set out (rules or guidelines) | clearly state something in writing | The new policy sets out clear guidelines for public consultations. |
Formal and spoken phrases for government and law
These phrases belong to civic situations. Use the formal ones in a Writing Task 1 email to a city office or councillor, or in a Writing Task 2 survey response about local government, and the spoken ones when you talk about everyday dealings with rules and offices in Speaking.
Formal phrases for Writing
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| from a legal standpoint | considering only the legal side of a question | From a legal standpoint, the contract is clear, but many tenants still see it as unfair. |
| in accordance with | following a rule, law or standard | I submitted the form in accordance with the instructions on the city's website. |
| a growing number of citizens | more and more members of the public | A growing number of citizens want council meetings to be streamed online. |
| a city council meeting | a public meeting of a city's elected council | I attended last month's city council meeting to ask about the new crosswalk. |
| my city councillor | the elected council member who represents your area | I am writing to you as my city councillor about the intersection on Main Street. |
| a public consultation | a formal process for asking the public's views | The city should hold a public consultation before changing the bus routes. |
| dispute a parking ticket | formally challenge a ticket you think is wrong | I would like to dispute a parking ticket I received on May 3. |
| taxpayers' money | public money that comes from taxes | Taxpayers' money should be spent where it helps the most residents. |
| renew a licence | extend a licence before it expires | I tried to renew my driver's licence online, but the system would not accept my address. |
Spoken phrases for Speaking
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| get a parking ticket | receive a fine for parking in the wrong place | I got a parking ticket because I didn't see the sign. |
| pay the fine | pay the money you owe for breaking a rule | Honestly, I'd rather just pay the fine than take a day off to fight it. |
| get called for jury duty | be asked by a court to serve on a jury | My sister got called for jury duty right before her vacation. |
| run for city council | try to get elected to the city council | My neighbour is running for city council this fall. |
| report a pothole | tell the city about a hole in the road | You can usually report a pothole on the city's website or app. |
| fill out the paperwork | complete the forms an office needs | I spent an hour filling out the paperwork for my new health card. |
| red tape | slow, complicated official rules and forms | There's so much red tape just to open a small café. |
| the line was out the door | there was a very long line of people waiting | I went to the licence office at lunch, and the line was out the door. |
Connectors such as "on balance" and chunks such as "from where I stand" fit any topic, so they are collected on two shared pages: Formal Phrases for CELPIP Writing and Natural Spoken Phrases for CELPIP Speaking.
Worked examples
Writing Task 2: Making council meetings easier to follow
Prompt: Your city council wants more residents to follow its meetings and is asking for opinions. Choose the option you prefer and explain why.
- Option A: Move council meetings from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Option B: Keep afternoon meetings, but stream them online and let residents send questions in advance.
I would choose Option B, because streaming meetings online would reach far more residents than changing the time.
First, a live stream would create a transparent process that anyone can follow. At the moment, only people who can leave work in the afternoon can see how councillors vote. If meetings were online, parents, shift workers and students could watch from home, live or later in the evening. That kind of public accountability matters when councillors are spending taxpayers' money.
Second, sending questions in advance would let more people take part. A growing number of citizens want to support decisions or speak out against them, but many feel nervous standing at a microphone in a full room. A simple online form would give them a voice, and staff would have time to look into each question before the meeting.
I understand that evening meetings would let people attend in person, and some residents value that. However, staff would have to work late every week, which would likely add costs. Option B seems cheaper and would help more people.
For these reasons, I believe Option B is the better choice.
The answer states its choice first, gives two reasons tied to real residents, and fairly answers the main argument for Option A.
Speaking Task 6: Dealing with a Difficult Situation
Prompt: You have been called for jury duty during the same week as an important project that you are leading at work. Choose one: talk to your manager, who expects you to finish the project that week, or talk to a coworker, who would have to take over your work. You chose your manager.
Hi Karen, do you have a minute? I need to talk to you about next week. I just got called for jury duty, and the dates fall right in the middle of the Henderson project.
I know this is bad timing, and I don't want to leave you short. I've already thought about how to cover my work, so I'd like to set out a plan with you now.
First, I'll draw up a handover document tonight that lists every task, every deadline and the client contacts. Second, I'd suggest that Raj takes over the client calls. He's worked with them before, and they trust him. I've also asked HR to look into how jury duty leave works here.
If you can sign off on this plan today, I'll tell the client tomorrow, so nothing gets held up. And if I'm free earlier than expected, I'll come straight back and finish the final report myself. Does that sound fair?
The speaker explains the problem, offers a concrete plan instead of only apologizing, and asks HR about the details instead of guessing.
CLB 7 vs CLB 9: one sentence, two ways
CLB 7 version: The city made a new rule about noise, and many people said it was bad.
CLB 9 version: The city brought in a new noise bylaw, and dozens of residents spoke out against it.
What changed: "made a new rule" became the phrasal verb "brought in" with the precise noun "bylaw", and "said it was bad" became "spoke out against".
Common mistakes
- "I did a vote" → I voted or I cast my vote. Voting has its own verb; "do" sounds unnatural here.
- "I voted to the Green candidate" → I voted for the Green candidate. You vote for a person or an option.
- "The police gave me a fine" → The police gave me a ticket or I was fined. In formal writing, an authority imposes a fine.
- "Voting is a big right" → Voting is a fundamental right. Size adjectives like "big" don't describe rights.
- "The judge gave a soft sentence" → The judge gave a lenient sentence.
- "The government cancelled the law" → The government repealed the law or did away with the law. "Cancel" is used for events and subscriptions, not laws.
- "The police made an investigation" → The police carried out an investigation or conducted an investigation.
- "The council backed up after the protests" (meaning gave up) → The council backed down. "Back up" means support someone, or reverse a car.
- "I need to renovate my passport" → I need to renew my passport. "Renovate" means repairing a building; it is a false friend for speakers of Spanish and Portuguese.
- "I assisted the council meeting" → I attended the council meeting. "Assist" means help; it is a false friend for speakers of French and Spanish.
- "The city's politics on parking is unfair" → The city's policy on parking is unfair. A policy is a rule or plan; politics is the activity of government and parties.
- "I wrote to my city counselor" → I wrote to my city councillor. A councillor sits on a council; a counsellor gives advice. Canadian spelling doubles the "l" in both.
- "I got a parking ticket" (in a formal email disputing it) → I received a parking ticket. "Got" is fine in Speaking, but "received" suits a formal email.
Practise
- Vocabulary flashcards and quizzes: review these collocations until they come to mind without effort.
- Writing Task 2 practice: answer a survey about a city service and use at least five collocations from this page.
- Speaking Task 6 practice: explain a conflict between a civic duty and work using "draw up", "sign off on" and "look into".