Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about crime, law and safety.
Example: The police officer arrested the man for stealing from the shop. He was charged with ___. (robbery / burglary / theft)
Answer: The police officer arrested the man for stealing from the shop. He was charged with theft.
Crime, Law and Safety: Vocabulary for Intermediate Learners
Understanding the language of crime, law and safety is essential for everyday life — from reading the news and watching police dramas to discussing current events with friends. Whether you are talking about a burglary in your neighbourhood, a court case in the news, or simple safety rules at work, knowing this vocabulary will help you communicate clearly and confidently in English.
A Situation to Get You Started
Read this short news report and notice the words in bold:
Last night, a burglar broke into a house on Park Street. A neighbour called the police after she witnessed a man climbing through a window. Two officers arrived quickly and arrested the man. He will appear in court next week, where a judge will decide if he is guilty. Local residents are asking the council to install more security cameras to prevent future crimes.
These are exactly the kinds of words you will learn in this lesson. Let's look at them in detail.
Key Vocabulary & Meaning Breakdown
1. Types of Crime and Criminal Activity
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| crime | noun — an action that is against the law | Stealing a car is a serious crime. | commit a crime, prevent crime, report a crime |
| theft | noun — the act of stealing something | She was charged with theft after taking items from the shop. | car theft, identity theft, petty theft (= minor theft) |
| robbery | noun — stealing from a person or place, often using threats or violence | The robbery took place at the bank on Monday morning. | armed robbery, bank robbery, commit a robbery |
| burglary | noun — entering a building illegally in order to steal | There have been three burglaries in our street this month. | carry out a burglary, burglary alarm |
| fraud | noun — dishonestly tricking someone to get money or advantages | He was sent to prison for committing financial fraud. | commit fraud, credit card fraud, insurance fraud |
| vandalism | noun — deliberately damaging public or private property | The park benches were broken due to vandalism. | act of vandalism, graffiti and vandalism |
| assault | noun / verb — a physical attack on someone | He was arrested for assault after the fight outside the pub. | commit assault, sexual assault, be charged with assault |
| shoplifting | noun — stealing goods from a shop while pretending to be a customer | The teenager was caught shoplifting a pair of sunglasses. | be caught shoplifting, shoplift (verb) |
| smuggling | noun — moving goods illegally across borders | Customs officers stopped a smuggling operation at the port. | drug smuggling, smuggle (verb), smuggler (noun) |
2. People Involved in Crime and the Law
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| criminal | noun / adjective — a person who commits a crime; related to crime | The criminal was recognised from CCTV footage. | convicted criminal, criminal record, criminal behaviour |
| burglar | noun — a person who breaks into a building to steal | The burglar escaped through the back garden. | catch a burglar, burglar alarm |
| thief | noun — a person who steals (plural: thieves) | The thief grabbed her bag and ran. | car thief, pickpocket (a thief who steals from pockets) |
| victim | noun — a person who is harmed by a crime or accident | The victim of the robbery was taken to hospital. | crime victim, victim support, innocent victim |
| witness | noun / verb — a person who sees a crime happen; to see something happen | A witness told the police what she had seen. / She witnessed the accident. | eyewitness, witness statement, key witness |
| suspect | noun / verb — a person thought to have committed a crime; to think someone is guilty | Police have a suspect in the theft case. / They suspected him immediately. | main suspect, question a suspect, under suspicion |
| officer | noun — a police officer; a person with authority in the police force | The officer asked everyone to move back from the scene. | police officer, senior officer, officer on duty |
| judge | noun — the person in charge of a court who makes legal decisions | The judge sentenced the man to two years in prison. | the judge ruled, appear before a judge, judge's decision |
| lawyer | noun — a professional who gives legal advice and represents people in court | She hired a lawyer to defend her in the case. | defence lawyer, hire a lawyer, consult a lawyer |
| jury | noun — a group of ordinary people who decide if someone is guilty in a court case | The jury found the defendant not guilty. | the jury decided, a jury of twelve, jury verdict |
3. Legal Processes, Punishment and Safety
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| arrest | verb / noun — to take someone to the police station because they are suspected of a crime | The police arrested him outside his flat. / The arrest was made at 11pm. | under arrest, be arrested for, make an arrest |
| charge | verb / noun — to formally accuse someone of a crime | She was charged with fraud. / The charge was robbery. | face charges, press charges, drop the charges |
| court | noun — the place where legal cases are heard and decided | The case will go to court next month. | appear in court, take someone to court, court case |
| trial | noun — the legal process in court where evidence is heard and a decision is made | The trial lasted three weeks. | stand trial, a fair trial, go on trial |
| guilty | adjective — having committed a crime; responsible for something wrong | The jury found him guilty of theft. | plead guilty, found guilty, guilty verdict |
| innocent | adjective — not having committed a crime; not responsible | She was proved innocent after new evidence appeared. | found innocent, plead innocent, presume innocent |
| sentence | noun / verb — the punishment decided by a judge; to give someone a punishment | He received a five-year prison sentence. / The judge sentenced her to community service. | prison sentence, life sentence, receive a sentence |
| fine | noun / verb — an amount of money paid as a punishment; to make someone pay money | She received a fine for parking illegally. / He was fined £200. | pay a fine, receive a fine, heavy fine |
| bail | noun — money paid so that an accused person can be released from prison until their trial | He was released on bail while he waited for his trial. | grant bail, be released on bail, refuse bail |
| prevent | verb — to stop something bad from happening | Good street lighting helps to prevent crime. | prevent crime, prevent accidents, take steps to prevent |
| security | noun — measures taken to keep people or places safe | The airport has very tight security. | security camera, security guard, home security, tight security |
| evidence | noun — information or objects used to prove something in a legal case | The police found important evidence at the crime scene. | collect evidence, strong evidence, present evidence, lack of evidence |
Collocations & Useful Expressions
Learning vocabulary as part of a collocation (a natural word combination) will help you sound more natural in English. Study these common crime, law and safety collocations:
commit + a crime / fraud / robbery / assault
It is estimated that thousands of people commit identity fraud every year.
report + a crime / an accident / a theft
If you see something suspicious, report it to the police immediately.
break + the law / into a building / a rule
Driving through a red light means you are breaking the law.
arrest + someone / a suspect
The officers arrested the suspect near the train station.
plead + guilty / not guilty / innocent
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all charges.
press + charges (against someone)
The victim decided to press charges against her attacker.
carry out + an investigation / a robbery / a search
Detectives are carrying out a full investigation into the case.
face + charges / a fine / a prison sentence
If convicted, he could face a prison sentence of up to ten years.
take + someone to court / steps to prevent / action
The council took action to improve safety on the roads.
go + to court / on trial / to prison
The case will go to court in the spring.
install + security cameras / an alarm / locks
Many businesses have installed security cameras to deter thieves.
under + arrest / suspicion / investigation
The manager is currently under investigation for financial fraud.
Important Differences & Confusing Words
Theft, Robbery or Burglary?
These three words all relate to stealing, but they are used in different situations:
- Theft is the general word for stealing. It does not say how or where the stealing happened. Theft of a mobile phone. Car theft.
- Robbery means stealing from a person or place directly, usually involving threats, violence, or weapons. The victim is usually present. A bank robbery. An armed robbery.
- Burglary means illegally entering a building (usually when no one is there) in order to steal. A burglary at a house. The burglar broke in through a window.
So remember: a burglar breaks into a building, a robber threatens or attacks a person, and a thief is any person who steals.
Guilty or Responsible?
Guilty is a legal and moral term. In a legal context, a judge or jury decides if someone is guilty. We say "found guilty" or "plead guilty" in court. We also use it to describe a feeling: I felt guilty about lying.
Responsible is a broader word. It simply means that someone caused something to happen. It is not always negative. Who is responsible for the accident? She is responsible for managing the team.
Suspect vs. Accuse
Suspect means you think someone might be guilty, but you are not certain. It is often used by police or in early stages of an investigation. Police suspect him of involvement in the robbery.
Accuse means to say openly and directly that someone has done something wrong. It is a stronger, more direct statement. She accused her colleague of stealing her idea.
Fine vs. Penalty
A fine is specifically a sum of money you must pay as a punishment. He got a parking fine.
A penalty is a broader word for any kind of punishment or disadvantage given for breaking a rule. It can include fines, but also other consequences. The penalty for this offence is two years in prison. In sport, a penalty is a specific punishment too. The footballer received a penalty.
Law vs. Rule
A law is an official rule created by a government. Breaking a law can lead to arrest, fines, or prison. There is a law against driving without a seatbelt.
A rule is a guideline set by a school, company, or organisation. Breaking a rule usually leads to smaller consequences. The school has a rule about mobile phones in class.
Common Mistakes
❌ He did a crime last night.
✅ He committed a crime last night. — We always say "commit a crime", not "do a crime".
❌ The police arrested him for he stole a car.
✅ The police arrested him for stealing a car. — After "for" (when giving a reason), use a gerund (-ing form), not a subject + verb.
❌ She was robbed when someone broke into her house.
✅ Her house was burgled. — When someone breaks into a building, we use "burgled" or "burglarised". "Robbed" is used when a person is attacked or threatened directly.
❌ The judge sentenced him with five years in prison.
✅ The judge sentenced him to five years in prison. — Always use "sentenced to", not "sentenced with".
❌ The police made him arrested.
✅ The police arrested him. — "Arrest" is a simple verb. Do not use "make someone arrested".
❌ He is suspected of to steal the money.
✅ He is suspected of stealing the money. — After "suspected of", use a gerund (-ing form), not an infinitive.
❌ I saw a robbery at the shop — somebody broke the window and took the TV.
✅ I saw a burglary at the shop. — Breaking into a building to steal is a burglary, not a robbery. Robbery involves threatening a person directly.
❌ The thief was guilty of burglary and he got a fine of two years in prison.
✅ The thief was guilty of burglary and received a sentence of two years in prison. — A "fine" is always money. Time in prison is a "sentence" or "prison sentence".
Crime, Law and Safety: Quick Summary & Review
In this lesson, you have learned a wide range of vocabulary connected to crime, law and safety at B1 intermediate level. Here is a quick reminder of the key areas we covered:
- Types of crime: theft, robbery, burglary, fraud, vandalism, assault, shoplifting, smuggling
- People involved: criminal, burglar, thief, victim, witness, suspect, officer, judge, lawyer, jury
- Legal processes and punishment: arrest, charge, trial, court, guilty, innocent, sentence, fine, bail, evidence
- Safety vocabulary: prevent, security, security camera, install, report
- Key collocations: commit a crime, press charges, plead guilty, carry out an investigation, face a sentence
- Important distinctions: theft vs. robbery vs. burglary; law vs. rule; fine vs. penalty; suspect vs. accuse
Remember that in English, specific verbs go with specific nouns. You commit a crime, you press charges, and you plead guilty — using the right verb makes your English sound much more natural and accurate.
Now practise your crime, law and safety vocabulary in the exercises below.
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