Government & Law — Part 4
The Celpip Plus team
Written and reviewed against the official CELPIP scoring criteria
What you'll learn: formal, written-register phrases and connectors for arguing a position on government and law topics in CELPIP Writing Task 2, where the informal and phrasal-verb vocabulary from earlier lessons is too casual.
Why register matters more in writing
Government and law essay prompts ("Should voting be mandatory?", "Should certain punishments be made stricter?") are among the most common Writing Task 2 topics, and they specifically call for structured, formal argumentation. Phrasal verbs like "crack down on" or "get rid of" work well in speech but can read as under-formal in an essay that is meant to demonstrate controlled academic writing. This lesson focuses on the connectors and set phrases that keep a government-related essay organized and appropriately distanced.
Two jobs these phrases do
Formal connectors in a government or law essay serve two purposes: they structure the argument (from a legal standpoint, in contrast, ultimately) and they hedge or qualify claims appropriately (some would argue, it is generally accepted that). Both are essential for Task 2 essays, where raters look for balanced, organized reasoning rather than a strongly worded but unstructured opinion.
Word bank: formal government & law writing phrases
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| from a legal standpoint | considering the issue in terms of law | From a legal standpoint, the policy raises serious privacy concerns. |
| it is generally accepted that | introduces a widely held view before a counterpoint | It is generally accepted that citizens have a duty to obey the law. |
| some would argue that | introduces an opposing viewpoint fairly | Some would argue that stricter laws infringe on personal freedom. |
| in contrast | signals a shift to an opposing point | In contrast, others believe tougher penalties reduce repeat offences. |
| this is not to say that | qualifies a claim to avoid overstating it | This is not to say that all regulation is unnecessary. |
| ultimately | signals a concluding judgment after weighing points | Ultimately, the benefits of transparency outweigh the drawbacks. |
| a growing number of citizens | a large and increasing group, used for public opinion | A growing number of citizens support reforming the voting system. |
| in accordance with | in agreement with a rule, law, or standard | The new measure was introduced in accordance with federal guidelines. |
| there is a strong case for | signals a well-supported argument | There is a strong case for making public records more accessible. |
| on balance | after weighing both sides, expressing overall judgment | On balance, mandatory voting appears to strengthen civic participation. |
| this raises concerns about | introduces a potential problem formally | This raises concerns about the fairness of the current appeals process. |
| in principle | true generally, though not necessarily in every case | In principle, equal treatment under the law is a sound democratic value. |
Worked example — Writing Task 2 essay
Prompt: Should voting in national elections be made mandatory? Give reasons for your opinion.
"It is generally accepted that voting is a cornerstone of democratic participation, yet some would argue that making it mandatory contradicts the very freedom democracy is meant to protect. From a legal standpoint, compulsory voting is used successfully in several countries in accordance with constitutional frameworks that still protect individual choice through options like blank ballots. In contrast, critics note that forced participation may produce uninformed votes, which raises concerns about the quality of democratic outcomes. This is not to say that voluntary systems are without flaws — turnout in many countries remains low. On balance, however, there is a strong case for mandatory voting, since a growing number of citizens in low-turnout democracies report feeling disconnected from politics. Ultimately, I believe mandatory voting, implemented carefully, strengthens rather than weakens democratic legitimacy."
This paragraph uses nine formal connectors to weigh both sides before reaching a clear conclusion — the balanced structure CELPIP Writing Task 2 explicitly rewards.
Common mistakes
- Starting every sentence with "I think" — formal essays should vary structure using phrases like there is a strong case for or on balance instead of repeating a single opinion marker.
- "In my opinion, but others opinion is..." — a run-on, informal way to introduce a counterpoint; use some would argue that or in contrast instead.
- Omitting a hedge before a strong claim — stating "mandatory voting is wrong" as fact reads as unbalanced; it is generally accepted that or in principle soften a claim appropriately.
- "At the end" instead of ultimately or on balance — a direct translation error that sounds informal in an academic conclusion.
Recap
Formal connectors and hedging phrases let a government or law essay present two sides fairly before reaching a confident, well-supported conclusion — exactly what CELPIP Writing Task 2 raters are trained to look for. Practice by taking one opinion sentence from an earlier, more casual lesson and rewriting it using two connectors from this table.