English · Bac pro · B1, with an entry level · adapted version

Session 3: The road to the White House: primaries and conventions

Read one step, do it, then move on. Answers are hidden: click to check.
Start · step one

Recap check

Recap check
  1. What are the two main parties?
  2. What are their symbols?
  3. How many times can a person be elected president?
Answer key
  1. The Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
  2. The donkey for the Democrats, the elephant for the Republicans.
  3. Twice (22nd Amendment).
Start · step two

What we need to say

Today you need to tell the story of past campaigns: what happened, and when.

Words · step one

Words to say it

WordMeaningExample
a candidatea person who wants to be electedShe is a candidate for president.
a primarya vote to choose a party's candidateMost states hold primaries.
a caucusa party meeting to choose a candidateCaucuses are meetings.
a conventiona big party meeting in summerThe convention chooses the candidate.
Words · step two

Use the words

Who am I?. Read the riddle and find the word from the word grid.

  1. I am a vote to choose a party's candidate.
  2. I am a big party meeting in summer.
  3. I am the candidate for vice president.
  4. I am a discussion between candidates on TV.
  5. I am a person who wants to be elected.
Answer key
  1. a primary
  2. a convention
  3. a running mate
  4. a debate
  5. a candidate
Words · step three

More word practice

Put in order

To tell the steps of a campaign, put the eight steps in the right order.

  1. the electors vote
  2. primaries and caucuses
  3. Inauguration Day
  4. candidates announce
  5. TV debates
  6. national conventions
Answer key
  1. 6
  2. 2
  3. 8
  4. 1
  5. 4
  6. 3

Word partners

Match the verbs and the nouns to make phrases from the lesson.

  1. hold
  2. win
  3. choose
  4. take part in
  5. run
  6. launch
  • a. a campaign
  • b. a debate
  • c. a running mate
  • d. for president
  • e. the nomination
  • f. a primary
Answer key
  1. f (a primary)
  2. e (the nomination)
  3. c (a running mate)
  4. b (a debate)
  5. d (for president)
  6. a (a campaign)
Read and look · step one

Read, one sentence per line

  1. The campaign takes almost two years.
  2. Candidates announce that they want to run.
  3. To be president, you must be at least thirty-five years old, a citizen born American and a resident for at least fourteen years.
  4. From January to June of the election year, each party organises primaries (secret votes) or caucuses (party meetings) in every state to choose its candidate.
  5. The winners get delegates.
  6. In summer, from July to early September, each party holds a national convention: the delegates choose the candidate, who announces a running mate.

Source: USAGov, Presidential election process

Read and look · step two

Look at the diagram

Timeline: the road to the White House

Year beforecandidates announce
January to Juneprimaries and caucuses
July to early Septembernational conventions, running mates
September and OctoberTV debates
Early NovemberElection Day
Decemberthe electors vote
Early JanuaryCongress counts the votes
20 JanuaryInauguration Day

Source: USAGov, presidential election process.

Read and look · step three

Look at the drawing

A campaign poster with the portraits of two men, an eagle and flags.
Unknown artist, Grand National Republican Banner (Rutherford B. Hayes and William A. Wheeler), 1876, lithograph. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. Public domain. Record

Picture labelling: the 1876 banner

Look at the Grand National Republican Banner. Find:

  1. the eagle
  2. the flags
  3. the words on the ribbon at the top
  4. the candidate for president
Answer key
  1. at the top, in the middle
  2. on both sides of the eagle
  3. Liberty and Union
  4. on the left: Rutherford B. Hayes, governor of Ohio
Read and look · step four

Tasks

  1. Read the timeline: what happens in spring? In summer? In November?
  2. Look at the 1860 convention: how many people can you see? Where are they? This convention chose Abraham Lincoln.
  3. Say it: tell the story of the 1860 convention and of the 1876 banner in two sentences each, with was or were + past participle.
Grammar · step one

Grammar on the board

To tell what happened in the past without naming who did it, we need the past passive: Abraham Lincoln was chosen in Chicago in 1860. The banners were printed in 1876.

Listen to your teacher, then copy the board.

On the board

The passive voice (3): the past; past simple and time prepositions

Rule
Past: was / were + past participle.
Lincoln was chosen in 1860.
Form
Lincoln was chosen in 1860. The banners were printed in 1876. Question: Was Lincoln chosen in Chicago? Negative: Seward was not chosen.
Examples
  • Abraham Lincoln was chosen in Chicago in May 1860.
  • The engraving was published by Harper's Weekly.
Watch out
  • Lincoln is chosen in 1860. → Lincoln was chosen in 1860 (finished date).
  • The banners was printed. → The banners were printed.
French and English
French uses the passé composé: Lincoln a été choisi en 1860. English uses the past simple with a finished date: Lincoln was chosen in 1860, not has been chosen.

Quick check

  1. Lincoln ______ (choose) in 1860.
  2. The posters ______ (print) in 1876.
  3. ______ May 1860
Answer key
  1. was chosen
  2. were printed
  3. in
Grammar · step two

Practise

Stage 1. Recognise

Present passive (PR) or past passive (PA)?

  1. Lincoln was chosen in 1860.
  2. The candidate is chosen at the convention.
  3. The banners were printed in 1876.
  4. The debates are watched on TV.
  5. The Wigwam was built in Chicago.
Answer key
  1. PA
  2. PR
  3. PA
  4. PR
  5. PA

Stage 2. Transform

Rewrite in the past passive.

  1. The party chose Lincoln in 1860.
  2. They built the Wigwam in Chicago.
  3. The Republicans chose Hayes and Wheeler in 1876.
  4. The delegates nominated Lincoln.
  5. Harper's Weekly published the engraving in May 1860.
Answer key
  1. Lincoln was chosen by the party in 1860.
  2. The Wigwam was built in Chicago.
  3. Hayes and Wheeler were chosen by the Republicans in 1876.
  4. Lincoln was nominated by the delegates.
  5. The engraving was published by Harper's Weekly in May 1860.

Stage 3. Guided production

Build a past passive sentence with the words.

  1. the Wigwam / build / Chicago / 1860
  2. Abraham Lincoln / choose / the Republicans / May 1860
  3. the 1876 banner / print / for Hayes and Wheeler
  4. the first TV debates / watch / 1960
  5. the engraving / publish / Harper's Weekly
Answer key
  1. The Wigwam was built in Chicago in 1860.
  2. Abraham Lincoln was chosen by the Republicans in May 1860.
  3. The 1876 banner was printed for Hayes and Wheeler.
  4. The first TV debates were watched in 1960.
  5. The engraving was published by Harper's Weekly.

A. was or were?

Choose was or were.

  1. Lincoln ______ chosen in Chicago.
  2. The posters ______ printed in 1876.
  3. The convention ______ held in a big wooden hall.
  4. The debates ______ watched on TV.
Answer key
  1. was
  2. were
  3. was
  4. were

B. Present to past

Put the passive sentences in the past.

  1. The candidate is chosen at the convention.
  2. The running mate is announced in summer.
  3. The delegates are elected in the primaries.
Answer key
  1. The candidate was chosen at the convention.
  2. The running mate was announced in summer.
  3. The delegates were elected in the primaries.
Grammar · step three

Figure of speech

Figures of speech: the sports metaphor

Learn

American politics often speaks about elections as a race: this is a sports metaphor. A candidate runs for president, the leader is the front-runner, a surprise candidate is a dark horse. In 1860, William Seward was the front-runner, but the convention chose Abraham Lincoln.

  1. What does the race for the White House mean?
  2. What does to run for president mean?
  3. Who is the front-runner?
Answer key
  1. The competition to become president.
  2. To be a candidate.
  3. The candidate who is winning before the vote.
Do it · step one

Say it

Oral task: the story of your banner (one minute)

Steps

  1. Show your banner.
  2. Say how your candidate was chosen.
  3. Give the slogan.
  4. Ask for votes.
Sentence starters
  • This is the banner of ...
  • She was chosen by ...
  • Our slogan is ...
  • On Election Day, please vote for ...
Model answer

This is the banner of Sam Lee. She was chosen by the Green Party in March. Our slogan is Jobs for young people. On Election Day, please vote for Sam.

Do it · step two

Gap-fill worksheet

Word bank: primaries convention running mate debates thirty-five delegate nominee slogan campaign nomination
  1. A candidate for president must be at least .
  2. In spring, parties hold and caucuses.
  3. In summer, the delegates meet at the .
  4. The candidate for vice president is the .
  5. In September and October, there are TV .
  6. A represents voters at the convention.
  7. The is the candidate chosen by the party.
  8. Yes we can was a famous .
  9. A includes posters, meetings and speeches.
  10. In 1860, Lincoln won the .
Answer key
  1. thirty-five
  2. primaries
  3. convention
  4. running mate
  5. debates
  6. delegate
  7. nominee
  8. slogan
  9. campaign
  10. nomination
Finish · step one

Going further (optional)

Optional
Rule

Past perfect passive: had been + past participle, for an action before another past action: When the convention opened, the delegates had already been chosen. Informal passive: get + past participle: He got elected in 1860.

Translate into English

  1. Lincoln a été choisi à Chicago en 1860.
  2. La convention a eu lieu dans un immense bâtiment en bois.
Answer key
  1. Lincoln was chosen in Chicago in 1860.
  2. The convention was held in a huge wooden building.
Finish · step two

Homework

Make your own campaign banner (drawing or collage) for an imaginary candidate: name, slogan, two promises.
Answer keyModel answer: Vote Sam Lee! Slogan: Jobs for young people. Promises: cheaper public transport, more apprenticeships.