EOI B1&B2 Module 6 Resources

⚖️ Crimes and Punishments Vocabulary

🟢 Level B1 (Intermediate)

Focus: Common crimes, basic police work, and simple consequences.

1. Phrasal Verbs (B1)

• Get away with: To do something wrong or illegal without being punished.

  • Example: He thought he could get away with stealing the bike, but a camera saw him.

• Break into: To enter a building by force (usually to steal something).

  • Example: Someone tried to break into our house while we were on vacation.

• Look into: To investigate or try to find out the truth about something.

  • Example: The police are looking into the cause of the fire.

• Give oneself up: To surrender to the police.

  • Example: After two days of hiding, the thief decided to give himself up.

    
    

2. Idioms & Expressions (B1)

• Against the law: Illegal.

  • Example: It is against the law to drive without a license.

• Behind bars: In prison.

  • Example: The robber will spend the next five years behind bars.

• Catch someone red-handed: To catch someone in the act of doing something wrong.

  • Example: The security guard caught the shoplifter red-handed.

    
    

3. Essential Nouns (B1)

• Theft: The act of stealing something.

  • Example: There has been a lot of shop theft in this neighborhood lately.

• Fine: An amount of money you have to pay as a punishment.

  • Example: I had to pay a $50 fine for parking in the wrong place.

• Witness: A person who sees an event, typically a crime.

  • Example: The witness described the suspect to the police.

• Court: The place where legal trials take place.

  • Example: He has to appear in court next Tuesday.

    
    

4. Adjectives (B1)

• Guilty: Responsible for doing something wrong.

  • Example: The jury decided that the man was guilty.

• Innocent: Not guilty of a crime.

  • Example: He spent two days in jail, but he was actually innocent.

• Illegal: Not allowed by the law.

  • Example: It is illegal to sell these products.

    
    

🔵 Level B2 (Upper-Intermediate)

Focus: Legal processes, specific types of crime, and the justice system.

1. Phrasal Verbs (B2)

• Crack down on: To start dealing with a crime in a more severe way.

  • Example: The city is cracking down on illegal street racing.

• Tip off: To give the police secret information about a crime.

  • Example: Someone tipped off the police about the drug deal.

• Rule out: To decide that something (or someone) is not possible.

  • Example: The detectives have ruled out the husband as a suspect.

• Let off: To give someone a light punishment or no punishment at all.

  • Example: The judge let him off with a warning because it was his first offense.

    
    

2. Idioms & Collocations (B2)

• Beyond a shadow of a doubt: To be 100% certain about something.

  • Example: The evidence proves his guilt beyond a shadow of a doubt.

• Take the law into one's own hands: To punish someone yourself instead of calling the police.

  • Example: You shouldn't take the law into your own hands; let the authorities handle it.

• Do time: To spend time in prison.

  • Example: He’s doing time for a crime he says he didn’t commit.

    
    

3. Nouns (B2)

• Verdict: The official decision made by a jury in a court.

  • Example: Everyone was silent while waiting for the jury’s verdict.

• Fraud: The crime of cheating someone to get money or goods.

  • Example: He was arrested for credit card fraud.

• Defendant: The person in a court who is accused of a crime.

  • Example: The defendant stood up when the judge entered the room.

• Deterrent: Something that makes people not want to do something (like a crime).

  • Example: Some people believe that cameras are an effective deterrent against crime.

    
    

4. Adjectives (B2)

• Unanimous: When everyone in a group agrees on a decision.

  • Example: The jury reached a unanimous decision after only two hours.

• Culpable: Deserving to be blamed for something.

  • Example: The company was found culpable for the accident.

• Lenient: Not as strict as expected (often referring to a punishment).

  • Example: Many people thought the sentence was too lenient for such a serious crime.

    
    

5. Verbs (B2)

• Acquit: To decide officially in court that someone is not guilty.

  • Example: There wasn't enough evidence, so the judge had to acquit him.

• Apprehend: (Formal) To catch and arrest someone.

  • Example: The police managed to apprehend the suspect after a short chase.

• Prosecute: To officially accuse someone of a crime in a court of law.

  • Example: The store decided not to prosecute the teenager for shoplifting.