Lesson 5: Crime & Punishment – Writing Band 8 Vocabulary

Lesson 5: Crime & Punishment

1. appreciate – to recognize how good someone or something is and to value him, her, or it
2. arson – the crime of intentionally starting a fire in order to damage or destroy something, especially a building
3. authority – the official power to make decisions for other people
4. convict – someone who is in prison because they are guilty of a crime
5. criminal – someone who commits a crime
6. deterrent – a thing that discourages or is intended to discourage someone from doing something
7. fine – an amount of money that has to be paid as a punishment for not obeying a rule or law
8. fraud – the crime of getting money by deceiving people
9. imprisonment – the state of being in prison, or the time someone spends there
10. inequality – an unfair situation, in which some groups in society have more money, opportunities, power etc than others
11. intent – the fact that you want and plan to do something
12. intrusion – an occasion when someone goes into a place or situation where they are not wanted or expected to be
13. kidnap – to take someone somewhere illegally by force, often in order to get money for returning them; ransom
14. motive – a reason for doing something
15. offense – a specific act that breaks the law
16. pickpocketing – the crime of stealing things out of people’s pockets or bags, especially in a crowd
17. prosecutor – a person, especially a public official, who institutes legal proceedings against someone.
18. recklessness – lack of regard for the danger or consequences of one’s actions
19. smuggling – the crime of taking goods or people into or out of a country illegally
20. swearing – rude or offensive language that someone uses, especially when they are angry
21. the accused – the person who is on trial in a law court
22. vandalism – the crime of intentionally damaging property belonging to other people
23. violation – an action that breaks a law, agreement, rule, etc.
24. evil – morally bad, cruel, or very unpleasant
25. harsh – unpleasant, unkind, cruel, or more severe than is necessary
26. intentional – planned or intended; done on purpose; deliberate
27. law-abiding – someone who obeys the law
28. offensive – very rude or insulting and likely to upset people
29. petty – not important and not worth giving attention to
30. punishable – (of an act) subject to a judicial punishment
31. strict – limiting people’s freedom to behave as they wish beyond what is usual
32. victimless – (of a crime) lacking a victim, or thought not to involve a victim
33. abide – accept and follow out; remain faithful to; dwell; endure
34. abolish – to put an end to something, such as an organization, rule, or custom
35. combat – to try to stop something unpleasant or harmful
36. deter – to prevent or discourage someone from doing something
37. enforce – to make people obey a rule or law
38. imprison – to put someone in prison
39. offend – to make someone upset or angry
40. perpetrate – to commit a crime or a violent or harmful act
41. resent – to dislike or be angry at something or someone because you have been hurt or not treated fairly
42. sanction – a strong action taken in order to make people obey a law or rule, or a punishment given when they do not obey
43. on behalf of – for somebody; instead of somebody
44. insane – mentally ill
45. elusive – difficult to describe, find, achieve, or remember
46. deem – to consider or judge
47. bully – a person who threatens to hurt someone, often forcing that person to do something

Some questions asked in previous IELTS Writing Paper that you would be able to write with the help of the vocabulary in this lesson:

1. Nowadays you can find instructional videos for just about any crime you can think of. What possible effects can this have on individuals and society? Provide specific reasons and examples to support your answer.
2. In many countries the age of criminals is getting lower. Give reasons and solutions to the problem. Support your position with relevant examples.
3. In most countries military officers retire at the age of 45 while other people work as long as 65 to 70. Compare these two approaches. Provide specific reasons and examples to support your position.
4. Some people believe that once a person becomes a criminal, he will always be a criminal. Do you agree with this statement? Provide specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.
5. In some countries prisons are overcrowded which leads to many expenses for the government. To lessen the cost for prisoners’ cost of living, reduced sentences are implemented. What do you suggest could be done? Provide specific reasons and examples to support your answer.