政府是雅思 Writing Task 2 的常见话题。题目可能问：纳税人的钱应该怎样使用，国家责任与个人选择的边界在哪里，是否应该依法禁止有害事物，以及公民是否应对政府决策拥有更大影响力。Speaking Part 3 中，考官可能问地方政府应该做什么，年轻人是否关心政治。
这个话题的陷阱，是如何描述政府所作的决定。有些语言用同一个词表达两种概念，英语则区分为两个词。Politics 指整个政治领域，包括选举、政党和权力竞争，如 I’m not interested in politics。政府具体的行动方针、决定和规则是 policy：government policy on housing、a new tax policy。作文讨论政府采取什么措施时，通常需要 policy。如果习惯性地写成 politics，原本的“政府对移民的政策”就可能变成了“政府的政治活动”。此外还有三个容易失分的小细节：spend money 后的结构、tax 后的介词，以及 take care of 中的介词。
下面介绍四个子话题中的 27 个搭配、常见误用，以及 LetsWords 对造句进行反馈的示例。其他考试话题见雅思话题词汇指南。
政府与社会：词汇和搭配
支出与税收
| 表达 | 含义 | 例句 |
|---|---|---|
| public spending | 政府支出的资金 | Cuts in public spending usually hit the poorest families first. |
| taxpayers’ money | 通过税收筹集的公共资金 | Taxpayers’ money should not be spent on projects that benefit only a few. |
| allocate funds to | 为某个用途拨款 | The council should allocate more funds to libraries and youth centres. |
| raise taxes | 提高税收 | Raising taxes is unpopular, but sometimes it is the only way to keep services running. |
| impose a tax on | 对某物征税 | Several countries have imposed a tax on sugary drinks. |
| public services | 国家提供的交通、学校、医院等公共服务 | Public services such as buses and libraries depend on local taxes. |
法律与监管
| 表达 | 含义 | 例句 |
|---|---|---|
| government policy | 政府遵循的计划与规则 | A clear government policy on housing would help young families. |
| pass a law | 正式通过一项法律 | If parliament passed a law banning junk food adverts, children would see fewer of them. |
| implement a policy | 实施一项政策 | A good idea is worthless if the government cannot implement the policy properly. |
| impose restrictions on | 正式对某事施加限制 | The state could impose restrictions on fast-food outlets near schools. |
| a ban on | 禁止某事的正式规定 | A total ban on cars in the city centre would hurt local shops. |
| state intervention | 国家对某一领域的干预 | Some economists argue that state intervention in the housing market does more harm than good. |
| take measures to | 为实现某事采取措施 | Governments must take urgent measures to reduce youth unemployment. |
| take effect | 正式生效 | The new rules will take effect next January. |
公民与民主
| 表达 | 含义 | 例句 |
|---|---|---|
| civic duty | 每位公民应履行的义务 | Many people see voting as a civic duty rather than a choice. |
| cast a vote | 投票 | Millions of citizens never cast a vote in local elections. |
| voter turnout | 参加选举投票的人所占比例 | Low voter turnout weakens the authority of any government. |
| hold sb accountable | 要求某人为其决定负责 | A free press helps citizens hold politicians accountable. |
| public opinion | 社会公众的意见 | Politicians rarely ignore public opinion in an election year. |
| civil liberties | 言论自由等基本公民自由 | Mass surveillance may improve security, but at the cost of civil liberties. |
| have a say in | 对某项决定拥有发言权 | Residents should have a say in how their neighbourhood is developed. |
国家的责任
| 表达 | 含义 | 例句 |
|---|---|---|
| the welfare state | 由国家帮助有需要者的福利制度 | The welfare state was designed to protect people from poverty in old age and illness. |
| welfare benefits | 国家向有需要者发放的福利金 | Welfare benefits should encourage people to look for work, not discourage it. |
| the role of the state | 国家应承担的作用 | The role of the state is to provide what individuals cannot provide for themselves. |
| a matter of personal choice | 应由个人决定的事情 | What adults eat should remain a matter of personal choice. |
| the common good | 全社会的共同利益 | Sometimes individual freedom has to be limited for the common good. |
| be the responsibility of | 是某人的责任 | Caring for the elderly should not be the responsibility of families alone. |
常见错误
The politics of the government towards migrants has become stricter.
The government’s policy on migrants has become stricter.
Politics 指政治生活及政党间的竞争。政府的行动方针与规则是 policy，后面通常接 on：policy on education、policy on immigration。
The government should spend more money for build new hospitals.
The government should spend more money on building new hospitals.
常用结构是 spend money on 加名词或 -ing 形式：spend money on hospitals、spend money on building hospitals。For build 不符合语法，因为介词后不能直接接动词原形。
The government should introduce a tax for sugary drinks.
The government should introduce a tax on sugary drinks.
对产品或收入征税，介词用 on：a tax on petrol、a tax on income。这里用 for，听起来反而像是为了这些饮料的利益而设税。
The government should take care about citizens.
The government should take care of citizens.
照顾某人是 take care of someone，不用 about。
LetsWords 如何解释这些错误
看表格时，每个词都很熟悉。真正动笔时，错误才会出现。下面是 LetsWords 中一道练习的过程。
假设你正在复习 take measures to。LetsWords 用母语提示给出含义，你回想英文表达，再写一句关于国家作用的话：
The government must make measures for reducing the unemployment.
LetsWords 的反馈指出两个错误：
- make measures → take measures：英语中“采取措施”用 take measures，不用 make measures；
- the unemployment → unemployment：泛指失业现象时，不加冠词。
反馈还会建议把 for reducing 改成更简洁的 to reduce：
The government must take measures to reduce unemployment.
几天后，这个表达会再次出现在复习中，你需要换一个情境使用它，例如写一篇讨论税款如何使用的作文。这样，词表中的搭配才会逐渐变成能凭记忆想起、并准确使用的表达。
注册时选择 IELTS 目标和水平，LetsWords 就会为你安排相应练习。付费前可以先体验反馈。
在 Writing Task 2 中使用这些搭配
一道考试风格的题目：
In a few countries, voting in national elections is compulsory, and people who do not vote pay a small fine. Some people think every country should introduce this rule. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
示例段落：
Making voting compulsory would strengthen democracy rather than limit freedom. When voter turnout is low, elected politicians represent only the most active groups, and public opinion as a whole is barely heard. If every adult had to cast a vote, parties would have to offer policies for the entire population, including young and low-income citizens who currently stay at home. Critics see this rule as an example of excessive state intervention, yet citizens already accept obligations such as paying taxes for the common good. Voting is a civic duty of the same kind, and a small fine is a modest price for a government that people can genuinely hold accountable.
这个段落为什么有效？第一句表明立场，后面的每一句都提供支持：投票率低，导致代表性不均衡，因此强制投票可能带来好处。段落明确提出 state intervention 这一反对理由，再用纳税义务作比较来回应。加粗的搭配承载了每一步的核心意思。这种准确和得体，正是 Lexical Resource 所评估的能力。
在 Speaking 中使用
一道 Part 3 问题：Do you think ordinary people should have more influence on government decisions?
Yes, at least at the local level. People know best what their own neighbourhood needs, whether it’s a new park or better street lighting, so they should have a say in how taxpayers’ money is spent. Of course, not everyone has time to follow every decision. But even a simple online vote makes it easier, and when people feel involved, they’re more likely to trust the authorities.
在口语回答中，话题搭配可以和 of course、at least、whether it’s 等自然的连接表达一起使用。
免费练习
- policy：政策、规则、保险单，以及它与 politics 的区别；
- spend money：后面使用哪个介词；
- take effect：开始生效；
- take steps：采取措施处理问题；
- take into account：把某事考虑在内；
- economic vs economical：与经济有关，还是节约开支；
- cabinet：柜子，或由政府部长组成的内阁。
从词表走向实际运用
阅读时，policy 与 politics 的区别不难记住。但写作文时，你仍可能下意识选了熟悉的那个词。可以通过 LetsWords 把词表变成实际练习：选择适合水平的 IELTS 词集，再把本页的搭配加入词集，例如 allocate funds to 或 implement a policy。你根据含义回想表达，用它写一个句子；LetsWords 指出错误，用母语解释修改方法，并建议更准确的说法，间隔重复则安排表达再次出现，让用法逐渐熟练。之后再把词汇用于完整文章：IELTS Writing 专区提供政府与支出话题的 Task 2 题目，涉及公共预算与税款如何使用，以及居民如何参与地方决策；每篇完整回答都会得到围绕四项评分标准的详细反馈。注册时回答几个关于目标和水平的问题，LetsWords 就会安排练习；付费前可以体验反馈。更多话题见雅思话题词汇指南。