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Acedmi

Level 3 · Confident · Band 6.5–7.0

Crime and the law: IELTS vocabulary

Discuss crime, punishment and justice clearly.

10 words

deterrentnoun/dih-TER-unt/

something that discourages people from doing something

Heavy fines act as a deterrent to dangerous drivers.

Collocation: act as a deterrent · Similar: disincentive, discouragement

rehabilitationnoun/ree-uh-bil-ih-TAY-shun/

helping someone return to a normal, useful life after prison

Education programmes in prison play a key role in rehabilitation.

Collocation: the rehabilitation of prisoners · Similar: reform, reintegration

offendernoun/uh-FEN-duh/

a person who has broken the law

A first-time offender may receive community service instead of prison.

Collocation: a repeat offender · Similar: lawbreaker, criminal, wrongdoer

juvenileadjective/JOO-vuh-nyl/

relating to young people under the legal adult age

The town opened a juvenile court to deal with teenage cases.

Collocation: juvenile crime · Similar: youth, young

custodial sentencephrase/kus-TOH-dee-ul SEN-tuns/

a punishment that involves time in prison

The judge gave him a two-year custodial sentence for fraud.

Collocation: receive a custodial sentence · Similar: prison sentence, jail term

legislationnoun/lej-is-LAY-shun/

laws, or the process of making laws

New legislation makes it illegal to use a phone while driving.

Collocation: introduce legislation · Similar: laws, regulations

surveillancenoun/suh-VAY-luns/

close watching of people, often with cameras, to prevent crime

The station is monitored by surveillance cameras twenty-four hours a day.

Collocation: CCTV surveillance · Similar: monitoring, observation

enforceverb/in-FORS/

to make sure that people obey a rule

It is difficult for police to enforce speed limits on rural roads.

Collocation: enforce the law · Similar: impose, apply, implement

lenientadjective/LEE-nee-unt/

punishing less strictly than expected

Many people felt the punishment was far too lenient.

Collocation: a lenient sentence · Similar: soft, mild, merciful

pettyadjective/PET-ee/

small and not very serious

Most petty thefts, such as stolen bicycles, are never solved.

Collocation: petty crime · Similar: minor, trivial

Grammar check

Choose the right option, then open the answer.

  1. 1. The suspect ___ to have left the country last week.

    believes · is believing · is believed · believed

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    is believed: Passive reporting: 'is believed to have left' reports a belief about a past action.

  2. 2. ___ the alarm been working, the thieves would have been caught.

    If · Had · Were · Should

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    Had: Inverted third conditional: 'Had the alarm been' means 'If the alarm had been'.

  3. 3. The prison in ___ he served his sentence has since closed.

    which · that · where · whom

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    which: After a preposition, use 'which' for things. 'That' cannot follow a preposition.

  4. 4. The burglar ___ come through the window; it was locked from inside.

    mustn't have · shouldn't have · wouldn't · can't have

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    can't have: 'Can't have' + past participle shows a past action was impossible.

  5. 5. ___ by the police, the driver admitted speeding.

    Stopping · Stopped · Having stopped · To stop

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    Stopped: Past participle clause with passive meaning: the driver was stopped by the police.

Use the words: speaking questions

  • Is prison the most effective way to reduce crime?
  • Why do some young people become involved in crime?
  • Do more surveillance cameras make people feel safer or less free?

Answer them out loud with Dodo in the app for a band and better versions of your answers.