Vocabulary for crime, law, and justice. Grammar: the second conditional — if + past simple, would + infinitive for imaginary situations.
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Vocabulary
Crime, law enforcement, and the justice system.
Offence
An act that breaks the law; a crime
Driving without a licence is a criminal offence in most countries.
Suspect
A person believed to have committed a crime but not yet charged
The police arrested a suspect early this morning.
Verdict
The official decision reached by a judge or jury in a trial
The jury took two days to reach a verdict of not guilty.
Penalty
A punishment given to someone who breaks a rule or law
The penalty for tax fraud can include a large fine and a prison sentence.
Witness
A person who sees a crime or gives evidence in court
The witness described exactly what she had seen from her window.
Burglary
The crime of illegally entering a building to steal
There were several burglaries in the area last winter.
Fraud
The crime of deceiving someone to gain money or an advantage
He was convicted of fraud after stealing from his clients for years.
Rehabilitation
The process of helping someone return to a normal, law-abiding life
Some experts argue that rehabilitation is more effective than punishment.
Deterrent
Something that discourages a person from doing something
Longer prison sentences are sometimes used as a deterrent against serious crime.
Acquit
To formally declare that someone is not guilty of a crime
The court acquitted her after new evidence emerged.
Juvenile
A young person below the age of adult legal responsibility
Juvenile offenders are treated differently from adults in most legal systems.
Bail
Money paid to allow a suspect to remain free until their trial
The judge refused bail because he considered the suspect a flight risk.
Vocabulary exercises
Grammar
Second conditional — if + past simple, would + infinitive
Use the second conditional to talk about imaginary or hypothetical situations in the present or future — situations that are unlikely, impossible, or contrary to reality.
If I were a judge, I would focus on rehabilitation. If the penalty were higher, fewer people would commit that crime. What would you do if you witnessed a crime?
Part
Form
Example
If-clause
if + subject + past simple
If he knew the truth…
Main clause
subject + would + infinitive
…he would tell the police.
Question form
What / How + would + subject + infinitive + if…?
What would you do if you saw a crime?
Negative
wouldn't + infinitive
I wouldn't report it if I were scared.
In formal English, use were for all subjects in the if-clause: If I were a police officer… In informal English, was is also common: If I was there… Both are acceptable at B1 level.
Grammar exercises
Reading
Read the article carefully, then answer the questions.
Does punishment reduce crime?
One of the oldest debates in criminal justice is whether harsher punishments lead to lower crime rates. Supporters of tough sentencing argue that if penalties were more severe, potential offenders would think twice before breaking the law. A long prison sentence, they suggest, acts as a powerful deterrent.
However, the evidence does not consistently support this view. Studies from several countries suggest that the certainty of being caught matters more than the severity of the punishment. If people believed they would definitely be caught, crime rates would fall significantly — regardless of whether the penalty was a fine, community service, or imprisonment.
An alternative approach focuses on rehabilitation. Rather than simply punishing offenders, rehabilitation programmes aim to address the root causes of criminal behaviour — poverty, lack of education, mental health problems, and addiction. Countries such as Norway, where rehabilitation is central to the prison system, report some of the lowest reoffending rates in the world.
Critics of rehabilitation argue that it is unfair to victims and sends the wrong message to society. But supporters point out that if the goal is to reduce crime in the long term, helping offenders reintegrate into society is far more effective than punishment alone. The debate is unlikely to be resolved soon, but most experts now agree that a combination of both approaches produces the best results.
Comprehension questions
Writing
Guided writing task.
Task: Crime and punishment paragraph
Write a paragraph (80-120 words) giving your opinion on how society should deal with crime. Use second conditional sentences.
Give your opinion on punishment vs rehabilitation
Use at least two second conditional sentences
Use crime and justice vocabulary from this unit
Explain what would happen if your approach were used
0 words
Model answer
I believe that rehabilitation is more effective than punishment alone. If offenders were given better access to education and job training in prison, they would be less likely to reoffend after release. If society invested more in youth programmes, fewer young people would turn to crime in the first place. Currently, the justice system focuses too much on penalties rather than addressing the root causes of criminal behaviour. If judges had more flexibility in sentencing, they would be able to tailor punishments to individual circumstances. A more balanced approach would reduce crime and save public money in the long term.