The Vocabulary of Citizenship

2nd Year Bac · Unit 7 · Vocabulary

Learn the words behind being a citizen — your rights, your duties, and how to get involved in your community.

What is citizenship?

Citizenship refers to the status of being a citizen of a country. It comes with two sides: your rights — like the right to vote — and your obligations, or duties, like respecting the law and paying taxes. A good citizen is aware of both.

ما هي المواطنة؟
المواطنة تشير إلى وضعية كونك مواطنًا في بلد معين. تأتي بجانبين: حقوقك — مثل الحق في التصويت — وواجباتك، مثل احترام القانون ودفع الضرائب. المواطن الصالح واعٍ بكلا الجانبين.

Rights and obligations

Rights

the right to vote
the right to education
the right to freedom of speech
human rights

Obligations / Duties

to abide by the law
to pay taxes
to respect others’ rights
civic duties

💡 Good to know

To abide by means to respect and follow a rule or law. “All citizens must abide by the law.”

Qualities of a good citizen

Positive qualities

awarealtruisticresponsiblecooperativeproud of one’s countryoptimistic

Example

A good citizen is altruistic and always ready to help others. Being aware of current events is also important — you should keep abreast of public affairs.

Useful phrase

Keep abreast of means to stay informed about something. “Good citizens keep abreast of public affairs.”

Word families

Noun

citizenship — active citizenship
obligation — a legal obligation
responsibility — civic responsibility

Verb / Adjective

citizen (person) — a responsible citizen
obliged (adjective) — obliged to pay
responsible (adjective) — a responsible person

Getting involved

Citizenship isn’t only about rights and laws — it’s also about taking action in your community.

Ways to get involved

a volunteeran NGOa charitya communityto lobbyto sacrificecommunity service

In sentences

She works as a volunteer for a local charity that helps homeless families.
Some citizens lobby the government to change unfair laws.

Common mistakes to avoid

⚠️ Watch out

❌ Citizens must abide the law. → ✅ Citizens must abide by the law. (never drop “by”)

❌ He is a responsibility person. → ✅ He is a responsible person. (use the adjective)

❌ She volunteers for payment. → ✅ A volunteer works without expecting payment — that’s the whole point of the word.

✏️

Your turn — choose the correct word

1. Citizens must ___ the law.
2. A good citizen is caring and ___ — always ready to help others.
3. Choose the correct sentence.
4. To stay informed about public affairs means to ___ them.
5. An organisation that helps people in need is called a ___.
6. Someone who works without expecting payment is a ___.
7. Choose the correct sentence.
8. The right to vote and the right to education are examples of ___.
9. Paying taxes and respecting the law are examples of ___.
10. To ___ the government means to try to influence political decisions.
11. Choose the correct sentence.
12. “Keep abreast of” means ___.

✏️ Your turn ✍️

Write 4–5 sentences about citizenship, using at least three words from this lesson (e.g. rights, obligations, volunteer, altruistic). You could write about: