A New Member in the Scottish Parliament

May 11, 2026, 18:19
EuropePolitics

Introduction

Dr. Q Manivannan is from India. He is a student. He is now a member of the Scottish Parliament for the Scottish Greens party.

Main Body

Dr. Manivannan came to the UK in 2021 to study. He is from the Commonwealth. The law says people from Commonwealth countries can run in elections in Scotland. The Scottish Greens are happy. They say this is good for diversity. They want to help him with his visa papers. Some other people are angry. They think it is wrong for a student on a short visa to be in parliament. They want to change the law.

Conclusion

Dr. Manivannan started his job. He is now applying for new visas to stay in the UK legally.

Learning

⚡ The Power of "IS" and "ARE"

In this story, we see two ways to describe people. One is for one person and one is for many people.

Single Person (He/She/It)

  • He is a student. →\rightarrow (One person)
  • This is good. →\rightarrow (One thing)

Group of People (They)

  • They are happy. →\rightarrow (Many people)
  • People are angry. →\rightarrow (Many people)

Quick Rule:

  • Use IS →\rightarrow 1 Person
  • Use ARE →\rightarrow 2+ People

Example from text: "Dr. Manivannan is from India" vs "The Scottish Greens are happy."

Vocabulary Learning

member (n.)
a person who belongs to a group or organization
Example:She is a member of the school club.
student (n.)
a person who is learning at a school or university
Example:The student asked a question in class.
party (n.)
a group of people with common interests or a celebration
Example:The political party won the election.
law (n.)
a rule made by a government that people must follow
Example:The new law will protect the environment.
elections (n.)
a process where people choose leaders
Example:The elections will take place next month.
visa (n.)
an official permission to stay or travel in a country
Example:He applied for a student visa.
papers (n.)
documents that show information or permission
Example:She kept her passports and visas in a folder of papers.
angry (adj.)
feeling or showing strong displeasure
Example:He was angry when he heard the news.
wrong (adj.)
not correct or not right
Example:It was wrong to lie to his friend.
stay (v.)
to remain in a place for a time
Example:They plan to stay in the hotel for a week.
new (adj.)
recently made or started
Example:She bought a new book.
job (n.)
work that someone does for money
Example:He got a new job at the office.
apply (v.)
to make a formal request for something
Example:She will apply for the scholarship.
short (adj.)
not long in time or length
Example:He had a short break between classes.
help (v.)
to give support or assistance
Example:She will help her friend with homework.
good (adj.)
of high quality or beneficial
Example:It is a good idea to study early.
diversity (n.)
the variety of different people or things
Example:The city has great diversity of cultures.
legally (adv.)
in a lawful or official way
Example:They moved legally into the country.