Word Study

Ex. 1. a) Read the international words and guess their meaning. Mind the stress.

'statute 'detail 'sanction

me'chanical con'vention phi'losopher de'bate co'mmittee pro'cedure

ideo'logical consti'tution poli'tician de'partment confi'dential

2. Pronounce correctly the following proper names:

Act of Parliament [xkt Ov 'pRlqmqnt]	Queen [kwJn]
France – French [frRns – frenC]	Sovereign ['sOvrIn]
Britain – British ['brItn – 'brItIS]	Prime Minister ['praIm 'mInIstq]
Montesque M['monteskieu]	Majesty ['mxGIstI]
House of Lords ['haus qv 'lLdz]	The Court of Appeal ['kLt qv q'pJl]
House of Commons [haus qv 'kOmqnz]	The Lord Chancellor [lLd 'CRnsqlq]

Ex. 2. Complete the list of derivatives. Use a dictionary if necessary.

Verb noun(agent) noun(concept)

1. to operate operator operation

2. to pass

3. to introduce

4. to execute

5. to constitute

6. to debate

7. to enforce

8. to protect

9. to adopt

10. to elect

11. to function

12. to compose

13. to administer

Ex. 3. Pair the words in column B with the ones from column A

B A

political ministerial single general changing special powerful supreme administrative similar departmental government detailed judicial

ministers departments consideration direction appointments government affair document procedure structure condition authority law agreement

Ex. 4.   In the sentences below, fill each blank space with a suitable word from the word family given in CAPITALS.

1. Most countries have a formal _______ Constitutions describing how laws are made and enforced. (WRITE)

2. The English constitution has no _______ apart from the ordinary law. (EXIST)

3. The Magna Carta, the Petition of Rights, the Habeas Corpus Act, the Bill of Rights and the Act of Settlement are the leading _______. (ENACT)

4. Constitutions, written or unwritten, must be _______ according to whether they are “rigid” or “flexible”. (DISTINGUISH)

5. Nearly all British citizens over the age of 18 are members of the ______ (ELECT).

6. In the British constitution the Queen in Parliament is the legislative _______ (SOVEREIGN)

7. Many British _____ are in favour of changing the _____ (VOTE; ELECT).

8. For the purpose of tax, a person is a ______ in the UK if s/he stays there for more than six months of the year. (RESIDE)

9. Parliament _____ the ____ of the special Commission. (APPROVE; RECOMMEND)

10. Direct ______ to the European Parliament are held every five years. (ELECT)

Ex. 5.  Match Ukrainian and English equivalents.

вводить законопроект	to alter the convention
отклонить законопроект	to vest with power
выполнить обязанности	to apply laws
подписать законопроект	a draft law
исполнять законы	detailed consideration
судебная власть	to delay the law
изменять договор	private and confidential proceedings
проект закона	to reject a bill
приостановить прохождение закона	to sign a bill
частное и секретное судопроизводство	to perform the duties
облекать властью	to introduce a draft law
толковать закон	to execute laws
детальное обсуждение	judicial power
применять законы	to interpret laws

Ex. 6.  Complete the following text with the words and phrases from the box:

Parliament; failure in administration; ministerial responsibility; Departmental Ministers; Government’s policy; House of Commons; collective responsibility

The doctrine of _______ _______ means that the Cabinet acts unanimously even when Cabinet ministers do not all agree on a subject. The policy of______ _______must be consistent with the policy of the Government as a whole. Once the_________ _______on a matter has been decided, each minister is expected to support it or resign.

The doctrine of ________ ________ means that ministers are answerable to ________ for all their departments’ activities. They bear the consequences of any ______ ______ _______, any injustice to an individual or any aspect of policy which may be criticised in Parliament, whether personally responsible or not. Since most ministers are members of the ______ ________ _______, they must answer questions and defend themselves against criticism in person.