2. CRIME
CRIME
The world of crime has much specialised vocabulary. On this
ppt, you will learn the meaning of the verbs, nouns and
adjectives which we associate with crime. This should help
you understand newspaper and TV news reports on crime.
Crime (noun) is any illegal action or activity. For example,
killing your boss is a crime (even if he is a terrible person)!
Crime is never used as a verb. We say 'commit a crime'.
Commit is the verb that collocates with 'crime': 'He was sent
to prison for a crime that he didn't commit.'
A person who commits a crime is a criminal: 'A dangerous
criminal escaped from prison.'
3. TYPES OF CRIME
Abduction/kidnapping taking a person to a secret location using force
Armed robbery using a weapon to steal
Arson setting fire to a place on purpose
Assault hurting another person physically
Attempted murder trying to kill someone (but failing)
Burglary, breaking and going into another person's home or business with force
entering
Child abuse injuring a child on purpose
Domestic violence physical assault that occur within the home
Drug trafficking trading illegal drugs
Drunk driving driving after having too much alcohol
Fraud lying or cheating for business or monetary purposes
4. TYPES OF CRIME
Hijacking holding people in transit hostage (usually on a plane)
Murder/homicide taking someone's life through violence
Shoplifting stealing merchandise from a store
Smuggling bringing products into a country secretly and illegally
Speeding driving beyond the speed limit
Terrorism acts of crime against a group (political/religious) or
another country
Theft stealing
Torture extremely cruel and unfair treatment (often towards
prisoners)
damaging public or private property (for example with
Vandalism
spray paint)
white collar crime
breaking the law in business
5. CONFUSING WORDS
Taking Someone’s life
Manslaughter (noun) – the crime of killing a person by
someone who did not intend to do it or who cannot be
responsible for their actions.
Murder (noun) – the crime of killing someone.
Murderer – a person who kills.
Murder – verb
6. CONFUSING WORDS
Taking Something from Someone
• Bank robbery (noun) – the crime of stealing money from a bank.
Bank robber – the person who steals from a bank.
Rob – verb
• Burglary (noun) – the crime of stealing from a building.
Burglar – a person who steals from a building.
Burgle –verb
• Mugging (noun) – an act of attacking someone and stealing their money.
Mugger – the person who attacks someone to steal their money.
• Pickpocketing (noun) – the act of stealing things out of pockets or bags secretly.
Pickpocket – a person who steals things out of pockets or bags secretly.
Pickpocket - verb
• Rob (verb) means take something from a place or person. Robber- person
• ‘Rob a bank.’ Money is taken from the bank, not the whole thing.
‘Rob and old man.’ Valuable items are taken from him, we do not take him.
• Shoplifting (noun) – taking something from a shop without paying for it.
Shoplifter – a person who steals from shops.
Shoplift - verb
• Smuggling (noun) – the act of taking things or people to or from a place secretly and illegally.
Smuggler – the person who takes things or people to or from a place secretly and illegally.
Smuggle - verb
• Steal (verb) means to take something.
• ‘I stole candy when I was a child.’
‘My bag was stolen at the party.’
9. MONOLOGUE TIME!
• Should Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOS) be
scrapped?
• Should a police force be routinely armed?
• Should the attorney-client privilege be abolished?
• Is bribery ever acceptable?
• Should cameras be placed in courtrooms so that criminal tri
• Should Marijuana be legalized?
• Should we allow death penalty?
• Should child offenders get stricter punishment?
