Writing a Sentence With Government: Why It’s Harder Than It Looks

Language is weird. You’d think that putting together a simple sentence with government would be as easy as describing what you had for breakfast, but once you sit down to write it, things get murky fast. Are we talking about the "Government" as a giant, singular entity like a monolithic block of marble? Or are we talking about the people—the actual human beings—who make the decisions? That distinction changes everything about how you structure your writing, and honestly, most of us get it wrong because English can’t seem to make up its mind.

The word itself carries a lot of weight. It’s not just a noun; it’s a power structure, a collective of agencies, and a constant presence in our daily lives. Whether you are drafting a formal essay for a political science class or just trying to vent on social media about the local pothole situation, the way you frame your sentence matters. If you say "The government is..." you're treating it as one unit. If you're in the UK and say "The government are..." you're looking at the individuals. It’s a linguistic tug-of-war that has been going around for centuries.

The Grammar Trap Everyone Falls Into

Most people struggle with subject-verb agreement when they try to use the word government. It’s what linguists call a "collective noun." Think of it like the words team or family. In American English, we almost always treat it as a singular entity. You might write: The government has a responsibility to protect its citizens. Simple. Clean. But if you hop across the pond to London, you’ll hear people say things like, The government have decided to raise taxes. Neither is technically "wrong," which is the frustrating part about grammar. It depends entirely on your audience and your intent. If you want to emphasize the unity of the state, go singular. If you want to highlight the internal bickering and the different departments involved, the plural starts to make more sense.

There’s also the "The" problem. Do you capitalize it? Usually, no. Unless you are starting a sentence or referring to a very specific, proper name of a governing body (like the Government of Canada), keep it lowercase. Writers often capitalize it out of a misplaced sense of respect or importance, but style guides like AP and Chicago are pretty firm on this: it’s just a common noun.

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Real-World Examples That Actually Make Sense

Let’s look at how you can actually use a sentence with government in different contexts without sounding like a textbook.

• The casual observation: "I don't think the government understands how much the price of eggs has gone up lately."
• The formal critique: "Institutional transparency is vital if the government expects to maintain the trust of the electorate."
• The historical perspective: "After the revolution, the new government struggled to establish a functioning postal system."

See the difference? The first one is something you’d say to a neighbor over a fence. It’s visceral. The second one is what a political analyst might say on a Sunday morning talk show. The third is purely descriptive.

One of the most famous examples of a sentence with this keyword comes from Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: "...and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." He didn't even use the word "the" before government there. He treated it as a concept—an idea of how humans should organize themselves. It’s arguably the most powerful way the word has ever been used in the English language.

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Why Meaning Shifts Based on Context

Context is the king of syntax. When you use "government" in a sentence, you’re often using it as a shorthand for something else. Are you talking about the bureaucracy? The elected officials? The physical buildings in D.C. or London?

Take this sentence: The government shut down the highway. Technically, a "government" didn't grab some orange cones and move them onto the asphalt. A specific department—likely a Department of Transportation—did that. But we use "government" as a catch-all because it's easier. However, in professional writing, being that vague can sometimes get you into trouble. If you’re writing a news report, you need to be specific. Instead of saying the government passed a law, you should say the legislature passed it and the executive branch signed it.

Common Misconceptions About Word Choice

1. Government vs. State: People use these interchangeably, but they aren't the same. The "state" is the permanent entity (the country and its institutions), while the "government" is the specific group of people running it at any given time.
2. The "Big Brother" Overuse: In fiction and opinion pieces, writers often turn "The Government" into a villainous character. While it works for a dystopian novel, it can make your non-fiction writing sound a bit conspiratorial if you don't back it up with specifics.
3. Active vs. Passive Voice: "The government was criticized" is weak. "Citizens criticized the government" is strong. Whenever you can, make the government either the clear actor or the clear target of an action.

Nuance and the Complexity of Power

When you’re deep in the weeds of political theory, a sentence with government becomes a lot more complicated. Think about the works of Max Weber or Thomas Hobbes. They spent thousands of pages trying to define what this word even means. To Weber, it was the entity that had a "monopoly on the legitimate use of physical force."

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If you try to put that into a sentence, you’re going to end up with some very dense prose.

The government, acting as the sole proprietor of legal coercion, enforced the new mandate. It’s a mouthful. But it’s accurate. Most of the time, we don't need that level of precision, but it’s good to know it’s there. The word is a placeholder for a massive, complex system of contracts, laws, and social norms. When you write it, you're tapping into a history of human organization that goes back to the first tribal councils.

Tips for Better Sentence Structure

• Don't overstuff: You don't need five adjectives to describe a government. "The sprawling, bureaucratic, inefficient, federal government" is overkill. Just pick the one that fits your point.
• Watch your prepositions: Are you working for the government, in the government, or with the government? Each implies a different relationship to power.
• Vary your verbs: Governments don't just "do" things. They legislate, regulate, appropriate, adjudicate, and enforce. Using more specific verbs will instantly make your writing look more professional.

Putting It Into Practice

If you are trying to improve your writing, the best thing you can do is look at how journalists at places like the Associated Press or Reuters handle the word. They are masters of the neutral, clear sentence with government. They avoid the fluff and get straight to the action.

You’ll notice they rarely use the word as a standalone subject without some kind of qualifier. It’s rarely just "the government." It’s "the Biden administration," "the UK government," or "local government officials." This specificity is what separates amateur writing from expert-level content.

Actionable Steps for Your Next Draft

1. Identify the specific branch: Before you write "government," ask yourself if you actually mean the courts, the police, the city council, or the president.
2. Check your agreement: If you're writing for an American audience, use singular verbs ("the government is"). If you're writing for a British or Australian audience, plural verbs ("the government are") are often more natural.
3. Audit for "The": Check if you've used the definite article correctly. Usually, you need it. "Government should be small" is a philosophical statement; "The government should be small" is a specific critique.
4. Remove the fluff: If your sentence works without the word "government," or if you can replace it with a more active noun, do it. "The tax office sent a letter" is better than "The government sent a letter regarding taxes."
5. Read it aloud: Words like this can make sentences feel "clunky." If you trip over the word while reading, you probably need to rephrase the sentence for better flow.

Writing about authority and social structures isn't just about following grammar rules; it's about being clear about who is doing what to whom. By choosing your words carefully, you move from being a casual observer to an informed communicator. Keep your sentences lean, your subjects specific, and your verbs active.