English · Bac pro · B1, with an entry level

Session 8: Final task: explain US elections to a French colleague

Recap check
  1. What are the midterms?
  2. How many senators are elected in 2026?
  3. What number makes a majority in the House?
Answer key
  1. The elections in the middle of the president's term.
  2. 35 (33 regular and 2 special).
  3. 218.
Question: Can you explain clearly how Americans vote?

Objectives

What we need to say

In this session, you need to explain the whole system clearly to a French colleague.

To organise your explanation, we need these words: first of all, then, because, for example, to sum up.

To explain how the system works, we need the passive; to give possible results, we need the conditional: The president is elected by 538 electors. If nobody gets 270 votes, the House will choose the president.

Words to say it

WordMeaningExample
first of allto startFirst of all, Americans vote in November.
thenafter thatThen the electors vote in December.
becauseto give a reasonSwing states matter because both parties can win.
for exampleto give an exampleFor example, Pennsylvania is a swing state.
to sum upto finishTo sum up, Congress makes the laws.

Review matching (ten)Entry

Match each word from the whole sequence with its meaning.

  1. a primary
  2. the Electoral College
  3. a swing state
  4. a veto
  5. the midterms
  6. a running mate
  7. a district
  8. a majority
  9. a convention
  10. a ballot
  • a. a state where both parties can win
  • b. the candidate for vice president
  • c. a vote to choose a party's candidate
  • d. more than half
  • e. the paper or form you use to vote
  • f. the group of 538 electors
  • g. a big party meeting in summer
  • h. when the president refuses to sign a bill
  • i. a part of a state that elects one representative
  • j. the elections in the middle of the president's term
Answer key
  1. c
  2. f
  3. a
  4. h
  5. j
  6. b
  7. i
  8. d
  9. g
  10. e

Which illustration?Core

Match each illustration with the idea it helps you explain.

  1. The First Vote (1867)
  2. The Third-Term Panic (1874)
  3. The Wigwam convention (1860)
  4. The County Election (1854)
  5. A Truce, Not a Compromise (1877)
  6. The Bosses of the Senate (1889)
  7. The Gerry-Mander (1812)
  • a. the party symbols
  • b. district maps
  • c. the conventions
  • d. the right to vote
  • e. a disputed election
  • f. Election Day
  • g. money and the Senate
Answer key
  1. d (the right to vote)
  2. a (the party symbols)
  3. c (the conventions)
  4. f (Election Day)
  5. e (a disputed election)
  6. g (money and the Senate)
  7. b (district maps)

Linking words: classify (ten)Core

Classify: order, cause, consequence, contrast, example, addition, conclusion.

  1. first of all
  2. then
  3. because
  4. so
  5. however
  6. for example
  7. in addition
  8. finally
  9. but
  10. to sum up
Answer key
  1. order
  2. order
  3. cause
  4. consequence
  5. contrast
  6. example
  7. addition
  8. order
  9. contrast
  10. conclusion

The task

Situation

Situation. You are on your work placement. A French colleague has seen the news about the American elections and asks you: How do they elect their president? And what are these midterms? You explain in English, because a visitor from an American partner company is listening too.

Read the source: USAGov, Presidential election process · USAGov, Midterm elections

Task A, speaking (two minutes, in pairs)

One student explains, the colleague asks two questions, then you swap. Use the diagram of session four.

Task B, poster (A3)

A title, a diagram of the Electoral College or of Congress, six short sentences, one illustration with its reference, your sources.

Checklist

I can say...Yes / not yet
how a party chooses its candidate (primaries, convention)
what the Electoral College is (538, 270)
what a swing state is
what Congress does (435, 100)
what the midterms of 3 November 2026 decide

Assessment grid

CriterionInsufficientSatisfactoryVery goodPoints
Content: correct facts (president, Electoral College, Congress, midterms)0 to 2: few facts or wrong facts3 to 4: main facts right5 to 6: precise numbers and dates, no mistake/ 6
Explanation: diagram or clear organisation0 to 1: no order2 to 3: a plan with first, then4: a clear plan and a diagram that helps/ 4
Language: vocabulary of elections, present simple, numbers0 to 2: hard to understand3 to 4: understandable, some mistakes5 to 6: clear, words of the sequence used correctly/ 6
Communication: speaking to the colleague, answering questions, or poster layout0 to 1: reads, no contact2 to 3: speaks with some contact4: speaks naturally, answers questions, looks at the audience/ 4
Total/ 20

Activities

  1. Choose task A (oral, two minutes, in pairs: one explains, one asks two questions) or task B (an A3 poster with a diagram and six short sentences).
  2. Prepare with the checklist: two numbers about the president (538, 270), two numbers about Congress (435, 100), one sentence about the midterms of 2026, one illustration.
  3. Say it: write the three key sentences of your presentation: one passive, one first conditional, one second conditional.
  4. Rehearse with a partner and use the grid to give advice.
  5. Final production, assessed with the grid.

Grammar to say it: the passive and the conditional

Why we need it

To explain how the system works, we need the passive; to give possible results, we need the conditional: The president is elected by 538 electors. If nobody gets 270 votes, the House will choose the president.

Grammar point: board explanation

Teacher script
  1. Ask students to give you one passive sentence and one conditional from the sequence. Write them on the board.
  2. Build a table of all the forms seen: present passive, past passive, by + agent, first and second conditional.
  3. Teach question word order for the colleague's questions: How is the president elected? Who chooses the president? What would happen if ...?
  4. Write the linking words of a presentation in order: first of all, then, after that, finally, to sum up.
  5. Model a thirty-second presentation using the board, then students copy.
  6. Quick check before the final task.
Board: students copy

Review: passive and conditionals; question word order; linking words for a presentation

Rule
Passive: be + past participle. Real: if + present, will. Imaginary: if + past, would.
Form
The president is elected by 538 electors. Lincoln was chosen in 1860. If nobody gets 270, the House will choose. If I were American, I would vote.
Use
Passive to explain how the system works; conditionals to give possible results and to imagine.
Examples from the lesson
  • How is the president elected? He or she is elected by the Electoral College.
  • Who chooses the president? The electors do.
  • What would happen if nobody got 270 votes? The House would choose.
Common mistakes
  • How the president is elected? → How is the president elected?
  • Who does choose the president? → Who chooses the president? (subject question)
  • Firstly of all → First of all.
French and English
French can keep statement order in questions: Le président est élu comment ? English never does: How is the president elected?
Also on the board: Linking words for a presentation
Order: first of all, then, after that, finally. Example: for example. Contrast: however. Conclusion: to sum up.

Quick check, with the whole class

  1. Question: the president / elect / how?
  2. Subject question: Who ______ (choose) the president?
  3. Passive past: The bill ______ (sign) last week.
  4. If nobody ______ (get) 270, the House ______ (choose).
  5. Put in order: to sum up, first of all, then, finally
Answer key
  1. How is the president elected?
  2. chooses
  3. was signed
  4. gets, will choose
  5. first of all, then, finally, to sum up

Grammar to say it: four stages

Stage 1. RecogniseEntry

Write P (passive), C1 (first conditional) or C2 (second conditional).

  1. The votes are counted by Congress.
  2. If she wins Nevada, she will get six votes.
  3. If I were a senator, I would vote yes.
  4. The bill was signed by the president.
  5. If nobody gets 270, the House will choose.
  6. If Wyoming had more people, it would have more seats.
  7. Lincoln was chosen in 1860.
  8. If the Democrats win 218 seats, they will control the House.
  9. If there were no Senate, laws would pass faster.
  10. Senators are elected for six years.
Answer key
  1. P
  2. C1
  3. C2
  4. P
  5. C1
  6. C2
  7. P
  8. C1
  9. C2
  10. P

Stage 2. TransformCore

Rewrite as asked.

  1. Congress makes the laws. (passive)
  2. The electors chose the president in December. (passive)
  3. She wins Georgia. She gets sixteen votes. (if, real)
  4. I am not American. I can't vote. (if, imaginary)
  5. The House impeaches; the Senate holds the trial. (passive)
  6. The parties used animals as symbols. (passive)
  7. Texas has forty votes. A candidate wins it. (imaginary)
  8. Nobody gets 270. The House chooses. (real)
  9. The media announce the winner. (passive)
  10. Senators have six-year terms. Imagine two years.
Answer key
  1. The laws are made by Congress.
  2. The president was chosen by the electors in December.
  3. If she wins Georgia, she will get sixteen votes.
  4. If I were American, I could vote.
  5. A president is impeached by the House and tried by the Senate.
  6. Animals were used as symbols by the parties.
  7. If a candidate won Texas, she would get forty votes.
  8. If nobody gets 270, the House will choose the president.
  9. The winner is announced by the media.
  10. If senators had two-year terms, they would campaign all the time.

Stage 3. Guided productionCore

Build the key sentences of your final task.

  1. the president / elect / 538 electors
  2. Election Day / hold / first Tuesday after the first Monday in November
  3. the laws / make / Congress
  4. if / a candidate / win / 270 votes
  5. if / nobody / get / 270
  6. the midterms / hold / on 3 November 2026
  7. if / France / have / an Electoral College
  8. if / I / be / American
Answer key
  1. The president is elected by 538 electors.
  2. Election Day is held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
  3. The laws are made by Congress.
  4. If a candidate wins 270 votes, she will become president.
  5. If nobody gets 270, the House will choose the president.
  6. The midterms were held (are held) on 3 November 2026.
  7. If France had an Electoral College, the president would be chosen by electors.
  8. If I were American, I would vote in every election.

Stage 4. Your turnStretch

Write the script of your two-minute presentation: introduction, three parts, conclusion, with at least three passives and two conditionals.

  1. Script
Answer key
  1. Model: Hello, I am going to explain how Americans vote. First of all, the president is elected by 538 electors, not directly. If a candidate gets 270, she wins. Then, the laws are made by Congress: 435 representatives and 100 senators. Finally, the midterms were held on 3 November 2026. If the opposition won the House, the president would find it harder to pass laws. To sum up, American elections are complicated but logical.

Extra practice

B. Mixed reviewCore

Put the verbs in the right form.

  1. The president ______ (elect) by the Electoral College.
  2. In 1860, Lincoln ______ (choose) at the convention.
  3. If a candidate ______ (win) Pennsylvania, she ______ (get) nineteen votes.
  4. If I ______ (be) a candidate, I ______ (visit) the swing states.
Answer key
  1. is elected
  2. was chosen
  3. wins, will get
  4. were, would visit

C. Now say it: the key sentences of your taskStretch

Write three sentences for your oral or poster: one passive, one first conditional, one second conditional.

  1. Passive
Answer key
  1. Examples: The president is elected by 538 electors. If the Democrats win 218 seats, they will control the House. If France had an Electoral College, the regions would choose the president.

Figures of speech: review

Learn

Name the figure of speech: symbol, metaphor, metonymy, personification, parody, hyperbole, blend word, idiom.

  1. The White House refused to comment.
  2. The elephant stands for the Republicans.
  3. A Senate of the monopolists, by the monopolists and for the monopolists.
  4. The race for the White House has started.
  5. Gerrymander.
  6. The money bags are as big as giants.
  7. The donkey wears a lion skin to frighten the forest.
  8. This state is a battleground.
Answer key
  1. metonymy
  2. symbol
  3. parody
  4. metaphor (sports)
  5. blend word
  6. hyperbole
  7. personification (a fable)
  8. metaphor (war)

Expression task: write it, say it

Core First write, then speak. Use the words and the grammar of the session.

Written task: the poster text

Steps

  1. A title that asks a question.
  2. Three short parts: the president, Congress, the midterms.
  3. A diagram with numbers.
  4. One illustration with its reference.
  5. Your sources.
Sentence starters
  • How do Americans vote?
  • The president is elected by ...
  • The laws are made by ...
  • If a candidate gets 270 votes, ...
  • On 3 November 2026, ...
Model answer

How do Americans vote? The president is elected by 538 electors; 270 are needed to win. The laws are made by Congress: 435 representatives and 100 senators. On 3 November 2026, the midterms were held. If the opposition won the House, the president would have less power. Sources: USAGov, National Archives.

Oral task: two minutes with your French colleague

Steps

  1. Greet and announce the plan.
  2. Part one: the president (passive).
  3. Part two: Congress and the midterms (conditional).
  4. Answer two questions.
  5. Conclude.
Sentence starters
  • Hello, today I am going to explain ...
  • First of all, ...
  • Then, ...
  • If you want to understand the midterms, ...
  • That's a good question: ...
  • To sum up, ...
Model answer

Hello, today I am going to explain American elections. First of all, the president is elected by 538 electors. Then, the laws are made by Congress. If you want to understand the midterms, look at the seat bars: if a party has 218 seats, it controls the House. That's a good question: the results are counted state by state. To sum up, it is a complex but logical system.

Going further (B2 towards C1)

For students aiming at language studies

Presenting with style (B2)Going further

Replace the simple phrase with a more advanced one: to begin with, moreover, as a result, nevertheless, to put it simply, all things considered.

  1. first
  2. also
  3. so
  4. but
  5. in other words
  6. to sum up
Answer key
  1. to begin with
  2. moreover
  3. as a result
  4. nevertheless
  5. to put it simply
  6. all things considered

Finer grammar: review of advanced structuresGoing further

Rule

Modal and perfect passives, reporting passive, third and mixed conditionals, inversion: use two or three in your final task to show your level.

  1. The president / can / remove / by Congress.
  2. It / say / that the midterms judge the president.
  3. If Gore / win / Florida, he / become / president. (third conditional)
  4. Rewrite with inversion: If a candidate won Texas, she would get forty votes.
Answer key
  1. The president can be removed by Congress.
  2. It is said that the midterms judge the president.
  3. If Gore had won Florida, he would have become president.
  4. Were a candidate to win Texas, she would get forty votes.

Translation, French to EnglishGoing further

  1. Le président est élu par 538 grands électeurs.
  2. Si un candidat obtient 270 voix, il gagne l'élection.
  3. On dit que les élections de mi-mandat jugent le président.
  4. Si la France avait un collège électoral, le président serait élu autrement.
Answer key
  1. The president is elected by 538 electors.
  2. If a candidate gets 270 votes, they win the election.
  3. The midterm elections are said to judge the president. / It is said that ...
  4. If France had an Electoral College, the president would be elected differently.

Text analysis: two systems, one goalGoing further

In France, the president is elected directly by the people, in two rounds if necessary. In the United States, the president is chosen by electors, state by state. Both systems were designed to give power to the voters, yet they produce very different campaigns: French candidates speak to the whole nation, while American candidates concentrate on a handful of swing states. Neither system is perfect; each reflects the history of the country that created it.

  1. Find three passives.
  2. Which words show contrast?
  3. What does a handful of mean?
  4. Explain the last sentence in your own words.
  5. Which system do you prefer? One reason.
Answer key
  1. is elected, is chosen, were designed.
  2. yet, while, neither.
  3. a small number of.
  4. Each country built its system according to its own history; no system is perfect.
  5. Open opinion with one argument.

Argued task (250 words, or a two-minute oral without notes)Going further

Which system is more democratic: the French direct election or the American Electoral College? Use facts from the whole sequence.

Steps

  1. Introduction with a striking fact.
  2. The American system: strengths and weaknesses.
  3. The French system: strengths and weaknesses.
  4. Your argued choice.
Sentence starters
  • To begin with, ...
  • It is often said that ...
  • Had the Americans chosen a direct vote in 1787, ...
  • Nevertheless, ...
  • All things considered, ...
Key points

Key points: 538 electors, 270 to win, 2000 and 2016; France: direct vote in two rounds; swing states versus national campaign; history of each country; a clear, nuanced choice. Use three advanced structures (reporting passive, third conditional, inversion).

Exercise

Write your introduction in three sentences: hello, what you will explain, the plan.
Answer keyExample: Hello, I am going to explain how Americans vote. First, the presidential election. Then, Congress and the midterms of 2026.

Gap-fill worksheet

Word bank: first of all, then, because, for example, to sum up, 538, 270, 435, 100, 3 November 2026

  1. ______, Americans vote on a Tuesday in November.
  2. ______ the electors vote in December.
  3. Swing states matter ______ both parties can win.
  4. ______, Georgia was a swing state in 2024.
  5. ______, the president needs 270 electoral votes.
  6. The Electoral College has ______ electors.
  7. A candidate needs ______ votes to win.
  8. The House has ______ voting members.
  9. There are ______ senators.
  10. The midterms took place on ______.
Answer key
  1. First of all
  2. Then
  3. because
  4. For example
  5. To sum up
  6. 538
  7. 270
  8. 435
  9. 100
  10. 3 November 2026

Link with the world of work

Explaining a complex process simply to a colleague is a professional skill: it is what you do when you train a new member of the team.

Levels

LevelAdjustment
Entry (guided B1)Poster with a frame and six sentences to complete; oral with a script card.
Core (B1)Oral of two minutes with notes, or a full poster.
Stretch (B1+)Oral without notes and answers to unexpected questions.
OralPair dialogue: the colleague asks, you answer.

Homework

Finish your poster or learn your oral with your five key words.
Answer keyModel answer: key words such as primaries, convention, Electoral College, 270, midterms; a diagram; one dated fact for each part; a clear conclusion.