Touchstone 2nd Edition Language summary Level 4

Unit 5 Lesson B: Crime and punishment

Vocabulary
Crimes and offenses
armed robbery (n)
burglary (n)
cyber crime (n)
jaywalking (n)
kidnapping (n)
killing (n)
minor offense (n)
murder (n)
robbery (n)
shoplifting (n)
(spray-)paint graffiti (v)
speeding (n)
stealing (n)
vandalism (n)
white-collar crime (n)
break into (a home) (v)
cause an accident (v)
commit armed robbery (v)
have a gun without a license (v)
just cross the street anywhere (v)
kidnap someone (v)
kill someone (v)
rob a person (v)
speed (v)
steal from a company (v)
take someone captive (v)

Cambridge University Press 2014 Unit 5, Lesson B, Page 1

Touchstone 2nd Edition Language summary Level 4

Criminals / offenders
burglar (n)
jaywalker (n)
kidnapper (n)
murderer (n)
robber (n)
shoplifter (n)
vandal (n)

Punishments
community service (n)
complex issue (n)
fine (n)
life in prison (n)
penalty (n)
be / get convicted of a crime (v)
be / get fined for speeding (v)
be / get punished severely (v)
be / get sentenced to life in prison (v)
be / get sent to prison (for 15 years) (v)
be put on probation (v)
clean up (graffiti) (v)
go to jail / prison (v)
lose your (driver's) license (v)
pay for the damage (v)

Enforcing the law

arrest someone for . . . (v)
be / get arrested for (jaywalking) (v)
catch someone (shoplifting) (v)
be / get caught (shoplifting) (v)
enforce a law (v)
be / get enforced (v)
stop a driver for speeding (v)
be / get stopped for speeding (v)

Cambridge University Press 2014 Unit 5, Lesson B, Page 2

Touchstone 2nd Edition Language summary Level 4

Irregular past / past participle

caught / caught (catch) (v)
stole / stolen (steal) (v)

Other words
again and again (adv)
relatively (adv)
severely (adv)
strictly (adv)
be against the law (v)
get caught (v)
get robbed (v)

Grammar
get passive vs. be passive
Passive sentences usually use subject + be + past participle:

Some murderers are sentenced to only 10 years.

People who speed aren't usually arrested.

You can also use get + past participle in passive statements:

Some murderers get sentenced to only 10 years.

People who speed don't usually get arrested.

After should, the be passive is more common:

Some murderers should be sentenced to life in prison.

People who speed should be arrested if they cause an accident.

Cambridge University Press 2014 Unit 5, Lesson B, Page 3

Touchstone 2nd Edition Language summary Level 4

Catch + verb (+ person) + -ing

After the verb catch, use verb + -ing:

Active

Subject + catch + object + verb + -ing:

What happens if they catch you shoplifting?

Passive

Subject + get caught + verb + -ing:

What happens if you get caught shoplifting?

Cambridge University Press 2014 Unit 5, Lesson B, Page 4