Part 1: Crime Collocations
Collocations are words that naturally go together. Master these to talk about crime like a native!
Verbs + Crime
| Collocation | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| commit a crime | "He committed a serious crime." | Do something illegal |
| solve a crime | "The police solved the crime." | Find who did it |
| report a crime | "I need to report a crime." | Tell police about crime |
| witness a crime | "Did you witness the crime?" | See crime happen |
| arrest someone | "They arrested the suspect." | Take into police custody |
| serve time | "He's serving time in prison." | Be in prison |
Adjectives + Crime
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| serious crime | "Murder is a serious crime." |
| petty crime | "Shoplifting is a petty crime." |
| violent crime | "Violent crime is increasing." |
| organized crime | "He's involved in organized crime." |
| crime scene | "Don't touch the crime scene!" |
Practice: Collocations
Exercise 1: Complete the collocations
1. He a serious crime.
2. The police the crime quickly.
3. I need to a crime.
4. They the suspect yesterday.
5. He's time in prison.
Part 2: Crime Idioms
Idioms are expressions with meanings different from the literal words. These crime idioms are used all the time!
Common Crime Idioms:
- Caught red-handed - Caught in the act
"He was caught red-handed stealing!" - Get away with murder - Do something bad without punishment
"She gets away with murder at work!" - Behind bars - In prison
"He's behind bars for 10 years." - Take the law into your own hands - Act without police
"Don't take the law into your own hands!" - Partners in crime - Close friends/accomplices
"We're partners in crime!" - Highway robbery - Extremely expensive
"£10 for coffee? That's highway robbery!" - Cook the books - Falsify financial records
"The accountant was cooking the books." - Clean slate - Fresh start with no record
"He wants to start with a clean slate."
Practice: Idioms
Exercise 2: Complete the idioms
1. He was caught red-!
2. She gets away with !
3. He's behind now.
4. We're partners in !
5. That's highway !
Part 3: Crime Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are verbs combined with prepositions or adverbs that create new meanings!
| Phrasal Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| break into | Enter illegally | "Someone broke into my house!" |
| get away with | Escape punishment | "He got away with the crime." |
| lock up | Put in prison | "They locked him up for 5 years." |
| track down | Find after searching | "Police tracked down the suspect." |
| turn in | Report to police | "He turned himself in." |
| cover up | Hide evidence | "They tried to cover up the crime." |
| let off | Not punish/release | "The judge let him off with a warning." |
| run away | Escape/flee | "The thief ran away quickly." |
Usage Tips:
Break into - Very common for burglary
Get away with - Can be used literally or figuratively
Turn in - Can mean report yourself or report someone else
Practice: Phrasal Verbs
Exercise 3: Complete with the correct phrasal verb
1. Someone into my car!
2. He got with the crime.
3. They him up for 10 years.
4. Police down the suspect.
5. He himself in to police.
Excellent! Now you can talk about crime like a native speaker!