B2 - lesson 11
CRIME, CRIMINALS & PUNISHMENT
Upper-intermediate English • B2 • 3-lesson course
Investigate a case, understand courtroom language, discuss crime prevention and master the passive voice.
Essential vocabularyCollocationsIdiomsPassive voiceInteractive tests
Lesson 1: Crime & law Lesson 2: Investigations & passive Lesson 3: Trials & punishment Final challenge
Course goals
By the end of the course, you should be able to:
- Describe crimes and explain the difference between a suspect, defendant, victim and witness.
- Describe the stages of a criminal investigation and trial.
- Use common crime-related collocations and idioms naturally.
- Use the passive voice in different tenses, including with modal verbs.
- Discuss evidence, punishment, rehabilitation and crime prevention.
- Express an opinion carefully without treating an allegation as proven guilt.
LESSON 11 — CRIME & THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Focus: Types of crime, people involved in a case, legal vocabulary and essential collocations.
1. Warm-up: What do you think?
- Why do people commit crimes?
- Are some crimes caused by poverty or social inequality?
- What is the difference between justice and revenge?
- Should first-time offenders always receive a prison sentence?
- What makes evidence reliable?
Try to give reasons and examples rather than answering only “yes” or “no”.
2. Essential vocabulary: Crime and law
| Word / phrase | Transcription | Ukrainian | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| crime | /kraɪm/ | злочин | Crime rates have fallen in some areas. |
| criminal | /ˈkrɪmɪnəl/ | злочинець; кримінальний | The police are looking for the criminal. |
| offence | /əˈfens/ | правопорушення | He was fined for a minor offence. |
| offender | /əˈfendə/ | правопорушник | The programme helps young offenders return to education. |
| suspect | /ˈsʌspekt/ (noun) | підозрюваний | A suspect was questioned by the police. |
| defendant | /dɪˈfendənt/ | обвинувачений у суді | The defendant denied the charge. |
| victim | /ˈvɪktɪm/ | потерпілий; жертва | The victim reported the incident. |
| witness | /ˈwɪtnəs/ | свідок | A witness saw someone leaving the building. |
| burglary | /ˈbɜːɡləri/ | крадіжка зі зломом | The house was empty when the burglary took place. |
| robbery | /ˈrɒbəri/ | пограбування із застосуванням сили або погрози | The robbery was reported shortly after midnight. |
| theft | /θeft/ | крадіжка | The theft of the bicycle was reported to the police. |
| fraud | /frɔːd/ | шахрайство | The company was investigated for fraud. |
| vandalism | /ˈvændəlɪzəm/ | вандалізм | The school introduced cameras to prevent vandalism. |
| assault | /əˈsɔːlt/ | напад; фізичне насильство | He was charged with assault. |
| kidnapping | /ˈkɪdnæpɪŋ/ | викрадення людини | The kidnapping was investigated by a specialist team. |
| cybercrime | /ˈsaɪbəkraɪm/ | кіберзлочинність; кіберзлочин | Cybercrime can involve stealing personal data. |
| shoplifting | /ˈʃɒpˌlɪftɪŋ/ | крадіжка товарів у магазині | Shoplifting can result in prosecution. |
| drug trafficking | /ˈdrʌɡ ˌtræfɪkɪŋ/ | незаконний обіг наркотиків | The investigation focused on drug trafficking. |
| bribery | /ˈbraɪbəri/ | хабарництво | The official was accused of bribery. |
| murder | /ˈmɜːdə/ | умисне вбивство | The murder case attracted national attention. |
3. People and stages in a criminal case
| Word / phrase | Transcription | Ukrainian | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| arrest | /əˈrest/ | арештовувати | The suspect was arrested yesterday. |
| interrogate | /ɪnˈterəɡeɪt/ | допитувати | The suspect was interrogated for several hours. |
| investigation | /ɪnˌvestɪˈɡeɪʃən/ | розслідування | The investigation is still under way. |
| evidence | /ˈevɪdəns/ | докази | The evidence was presented in court. |
| fingerprint | /ˈfɪŋɡəprɪnt/ | відбиток пальця | A fingerprint was found on the glass. |
| alibi | /ˈæləbaɪ/ | алібі | He provided an alibi for the evening. |
| charge | /tʃɑːdʒ/ | офіційно висувати обвинувачення | She was charged with fraud. |
| trial | /ˈtraɪəl/ | судовий процес | The trial lasted three weeks. |
| court | /kɔːt/ | суд | The case was heard in court. |
| judge | /dʒʌdʒ/ | суддя | The judge considered all the evidence. |
| jury | /ˈdʒʊəri/ | суд присяжних; колегія присяжних | The jury reached a verdict. |
| verdict | /ˈvɜːdɪkt/ | вердикт | The verdict was announced on Friday. |
| guilty | /ˈɡɪlti/ | винний | The defendant was found guilty. |
| acquit | /əˈkwɪt/ | виправдовувати | The defendant was acquitted due to insufficient evidence. |
| sentence | /ˈsentəns/ | вирок; призначати покарання | He was sentenced to two years in prison. |
| prosecution | /ˌprɒsɪˈkjuːʃən/ | сторона обвинувачення | The prosecution presented new evidence. |
| defence | /dɪˈfens/ | сторона захисту | The defence challenged the witness's account. |
| search warrant | /ˈsɜːtʃ ˌwɒrənt/ | ордер на обшук | The officers obtained a search warrant. |
| appeal | /əˈpiːl/ | апеляція; оскаржувати | His lawyers decided to appeal the verdict. |
| criminal record | /ˌkrɪmɪnəl ˈrekɔːd/ | судимість; кримінальне минуле | A criminal record can affect future employment. |
4. Essential collocations
вчинити злочин
He denied committing the crime.
порушити закон
Anyone who breaks the law may face consequences.
збирати докази
The police gathered evidence from the scene.
проводити розслідування
An independent team conducted the investigation.
вимагати офіційного притягнення до відповідальності
The victim decided to press charges.
постати перед судом
The accused will stand trial next month.
винести вердикт
The jury reached a verdict after two days.
відбувати покарання
He served his sentence and returned home.
викликати підозру
The unusual transaction raised suspicion.
надати алібі
She provided an alibi supported by video footage.
5. Useful idioms and expressions
| Expression | Meaning in Ukrainian | Example |
|---|---|---|
| catch someone red-handed | спіймати на гарячому | The shoplifter was caught red-handed. |
| get away with something | уникнути покарання за щось | He thought he could get away with fraud. |
| the long arm of the law | невідворотність правосуддя; довга рука закону | Eventually, the long arm of the law caught up with him. |
| be behind bars | бути за ґратами | The gang leader ended up behind bars. |
| cover your tracks | приховувати сліди | The offender tried to cover his tracks. |
| the evidence speaks for itself | докази говорять самі за себе | We should examine the facts carefully; the evidence speaks for itself. |
6. Vocabulary test — Choose the correct answer
1. Someone enters a house illegally to steal things. This is usually called…
2. A person who gives information about what they saw is a…
3. The official decision made by a jury is a…
4. To officially accuse someone of a crime is to…
5. If a person is acquitted, they are…
6. “Catch someone red-handed” means…
7. Reading — The Missing Necklace
A valuable necklace disappeared from a small museum during a private event. The museum director reported the theft the following morning. Several employees were questioned, but nobody was immediately charged with a crime.
Investigators examined security footage and collected fingerprints from a display cabinet. One employee, Daniel, became a suspect because he had been working near the exhibition room. However, being near the room did not prove that he had stolen the necklace. Daniel said that he had left the building before the necklace disappeared.
A delivery driver later provided information that supported Daniel's alibi. Investigators also discovered that one security camera had stopped recording for several minutes. The police continued to gather evidence rather than jumping to conclusions.
Eventually, another employee was charged with theft after additional evidence was discovered. The case went to court. The defendant's lawyer questioned the reliability of part of the evidence, and the court considered both the prosecution's case and the defence's arguments.
The story illustrates an important principle: suspicion is not proof. A fair investigation must consider the available evidence, examine alternative explanations and respect the legal rights of everyone involved.
Reading comprehension
1. Why did Daniel become a suspect?
2. What supported Daniel's alibi?
3. What happened to the security camera?
4. What is the main message?
8. Speaking challenge
Imagine you are a journalist reporting on the missing necklace.
- Describe what happened.
- Explain why Daniel became a suspect.
- Use the phrases gather evidence, provide an alibi and raise suspicion.
- Explain why the police should avoid jumping to conclusions.
