Crime and punishment

Passive voice

arson (The building was set on fire by an unknown person last night)

the criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property

burglary (The house was burgled while the owners were on holiday)

the crime of entering a building illegally to steal things

drug dealing (Drugs are being sold in that area by a local gang)

the activity of selling illegal drugs

mugging (He was mugged in a dark alley two nights ago)

an attack in a public place in order to steal from someone

murder (The victim was murdered in her own home)

the crime of intentionally killing someone

piracy (Thousands of copies of the film have been pirated online)

the act of illegally copying and selling media

robbery (The bank was robbed in broad daylight)

the crime of stealing from a place or person using violence or threats

shoplifting (Several items were stolen from the store by shoplifters)

the act of stealing goods from a shop while pretending to be a customer

theft (Her bike has been stolen from outside the school)

the crime of taking something that does not belong to you

vandalism (Several cars were damaged during the night)

the crime of damaging public or private property

criminal (The suspect is known to be a dangerous criminal)

someone who commits crimes

judge (The case will be judged by a highly experienced lawyer)

the person in court who decides how criminals should be punished

detective (A crime scene is being investigated by the detective)

a person whose job is to find out who has committed a crime

suspect (The man was suspected of committing the robbery)

someone who may have committed a crime

accused (The accused was found guilty after a long trial)

the person who is on trial in court

victim (The victim was taken to hospital immediately)

someone who has suffered because of a crime

witness (The witness was questioned by the police)

someone who has seen a crime

evidence (All evidence was collected by the investigation team)

information or objects used to prove if someone is guilty

charged (The suspect was charged with fraud)

formally accused of committing a crime

court (The case will be heard in the Supreme Court)

a place where legal trials take place

guilty (He was found guilty by the jury)

having committed a crime

innocent (She was declared innocent by the judge)

not guilty of a crime

sentenced (He was sentenced to five years in prison)

officially given a punishment by a court

trial (The trial was held in the city court)

the process of examining a case in a court of law

break (The law was broken by the gang)

to fail to follow a rule or law

punish (The thief was punished severely)

to cause someone to suffer for a crime

lock (The prisoner was locked up in a cell)

to put someone in a closed place they cannot leave

serve (He was serving a sentence in prison)

to spend time in prison as punishment

release (The prisoner was released after ten years)

to set someone free

anonymous (The letter was sent anonymously)

unknown in name

cynical (The decision was seen as cynical by the public)

distrustful of people’s motives

major (The event was considered a major success)

very important

suspicious (His behaviour was considered suspicious by the police)

making people think something is wrong

trivial (The issue was dismissed as trivial)

not important

welcome (The change was welcomed by everyone)

appreciated

taking that into account (Taking that into account, the decision was changed)

considering something before making a decision

thunderstorm (The football match was delayed because a thunderstorm was expected)

a storm with thunder, lightning, and rain

thunder (Loud thunder was heard after the flash)

a loud noise in the sky during a storm

lightning (The tree was struck by lightning)

a flash of light in the sky during a storm

in general (In general, the rule is followed by most people)

usually, in most cases

in particular (This rule was designed for students in particular)

especially, specifically

subscription (The magazine is delivered to people who have subscribed)

an arrangement to receive something regularly

capable of (She is capable of being trusted with important tasks)

having the ability to do something

threat (The village was threatened by flooding)

a danger or risk

to remain (The building remains protected by the authorities)

to stay in the same state or condition

severely (He was severely punished for the offence)

in a very serious or strict way

to investigate (The case is being investigated by the police)

to examine a situation or crime carefully

to press charges (Charges were pressed against the suspect)

to officially accuse someone of a crime

to destroy (The documents were destroyed after the meeting)

to damage something so badly that it no longer exists

to throw away (Several items were thrown away by mistake)

to get rid of something

approach (The new approach was adopted by the management)

a way of doing something

reoffending rate (The reoffending rate has been reduced in recent years)

the percentage of criminals who commit crimes again after being punished

death penalty (The death penalty was abolished in many countries)

legal punishment by death

to abolish (Slavery was abolished in the 19th century)

to officially end a system or law

on average (On average, the law is broken less often in rural areas)

as a usual number or amount

bad conditions (Prisoners were kept in bad conditions)

unpleasant or dangerous situations

admission team (The applications were reviewed by the admission team)

a group responsible for accepting people into an institution

stuffy nose (His nose was blocked because of a cold)

a condition where the nose is full and breathing is difficult

prospective student (Several prospective students were invited to the open day)

someone who may join a school or university in the future

complications (Several complications were caused by the delay)

difficulties that make a situation worse

generosity (Her generosity was appreciated by everyone)

the quality of being kind and willing to give

indeed (The theory was indeed supported by the results)

used to emphasise a statement

weakness (His weakness was exploited by his opponents)

a fault or lack of strength