Talk about crime

Unit 13

I CAN name types of crime
I CAN say how safe my area is

Speaking

7 cards

When we talk about crime in conversation, we need more than just the names of crimes. We also need the phrases that help us describe a situation, give an opinion and ask questions politely. In this section, you will learn some of the most common expressions used in British English when discussing safety in your area, and you will have the chance to practise them in a model conversation and a roleplay.

A good way to start the topic is with a general statement. Useful openings include "I've been reading about crime in the news", "I heard that crime has gone up around here" and "Have you seen anything about the recent robberies?". These phrases invite the other person to share their view and create a natural opening for discussion. They are especially common in British small talk, where neighbours often compare notes about local safety over a cup of tea or at the local shop.

To describe your own area, you can use a few simple patterns. You can say, "My area is very safe" or "It's a bit rough, to be honest". You can also use comparison: "It's safer than it used to be" or "It's not as bad as people think". If you want to give a reason, you can use "because" or "since": "It's quite safe because there's a lot of police presence" or "It's not as safe as it was, since several shops have closed down". These patterns are flexible and can be used for almost any neighbourhood, city or country, and they let you sound natural and considered.

You will also need words for changes in crime over time. The verbs rise, fall, increase, decrease, drop and go up are all useful. You can pair them with time expressions such as "in recent years", "over the last few months" and "since the pandemic". A common structure is "There has been a rise in muggings" or "Shoplifting has increased by 10%". This is the kind of sentence you might hear on the radio or read in a newspaper, and using it in your own speech will make you sound more fluent and informed.

When you give an opinion, it is a good idea to qualify it. Instead of saying "This is a dangerous area", you can say "In my opinion, this is a fairly dangerous area" or "I think it can be risky at night". You can also mention personal experience: "I've never had any problems" or "My bike was stolen last year, so I'm a bit more careful now". These phrases make your speech sound natural, considered and British. They also help you avoid sounding too strong or aggressive about a sensitive subject.

Asking questions is another important part of any conversation about crime. You can ask, "Is it safe to walk around at night?", "How do you feel about the police presence here?", "Have you ever had anything stolen?" or "Do you know if there have been any burglaries recently?". These questions help you gather information and keep the conversation going. In British English, people often add "by any chance" or "at all" to soften questions: "Have you heard of any problems at all, by any chance?" This politeness is typical of British conversation style.

Listening to the news is a great way to pick up these phrases in context. When you watch or listen to a British news report about crime, try to notice the verbs the reporter uses, the time expressions and the way experts qualify their opinions. You can copy some of these phrases into a notebook and use them in your own conversations. Over time, this will help you sound more natural and confident when you talk about sensitive topics.

Below, you will hear a model conversation between two neighbours, Emma and Tom, discussing safety in their area. Listen to the phrases they use, then practise saying some of them yourself. After that, you will have a chance to take part in a roleplay with your AI conversation partner.

Generating translation…

Two neighbours, Emma and Tom, discuss local safety and recent burglaries.

E
Emma Have you seen the news, Tom? They say burglary has gone up in this part of town.
T
Tom Really? I hadn't noticed. I usually feel quite safe around here.
E
Emma Well, my colleague said her flat was broken into last weekend. She lost her laptop and some jewellery.
T
Tom That's awful. Was anyone hurt?
E
Emma No, luckily. But she's been quite shaken. I think she's going to move now.
T
Tom I can understand that. I've lived here for ten years and nothing has ever happened to me, but you do hear stories.

I think the area is still mostly safe, but I do lock my door twice now, just in case.

A model phrase from the dialogue. Notice the use of 'I do' for emphasis and 'just in case' to soften the opinion.

Required

Read this sentence aloud. Focus on the rhythm and try to sound natural and considered.

I think my area is quite safe, although there have been some burglaries recently.

Required

Read this sentence aloud. Notice the verb form 'has increased' and the percentage expression.

Shoplifting has increased by ten per cent in the city centre over the last year.

Required

A new neighbour has moved in next door and is asking about safety in the area. Describe how safe the area is, mention any crime issues you know about, and answer their questions politely.

Required

I CAN name types of crime
I CAN say how safe my area is

Vocabulary

6 cards

Crime is a topic we see in the news every day, and having the right vocabulary helps us discuss it clearly and accurately. In English, there are many specific words for different types of crime, and using the correct one shows that you understand the situation. For example, theft is a general word for taking something that belongs to someone else, but shoplifting is more specific — it means stealing goods from a shop while it is open. Similarly, burglary is the crime of entering a building illegally in order to steal things, while mugging describes a violent attack in a public place, usually to take money or a bag.

In British English, the police and the courts use particular terms. The Metropolitan Police, for example, publishes crime statistics every quarter for the whole of London. When you read these reports, you will come across words like assault (a physical attack on someone), fraud (cheating someone in order to get money or something valuable), and vandalism (damaging property on purpose, for example breaking windows or spraying paint on walls). Understanding these terms will help you follow news reports and discuss real events with confidence.

One useful way to organise crime vocabulary is by thinking about what the crime affects. Crimes against property damage or take things — for example theft, burglary, shoplifting and vandalism. Crimes against people involve harm or the threat of harm — for example mugging and assault. Crimes involving deception trick people in order to get something — for example fraud and pickpocketing. Knowing this grouping will help you remember the words and choose the right one in conversation. The police often describe pickpocketing as a "deception crime" because the thief uses skill and distraction rather than force.

When you talk about safety, you can use adjectives such as safe, unsafe, dangerous and secure. A neighbourhood can be described as "very safe" or "a bit rough". You can also talk about crime rates with verbs and phrases like "go up", "fall", "increase" or "drop". A common sentence you will hear on the news is: "Burglaries have fallen by 15% in the last year." This is a useful pattern to learn: subject + have/has + past participle + by + percentage. Other common patterns include "There has been a rise in muggings" and "Shoplifting is on the increase."

In a sentence, you can also describe who committed the crime. We usually add a noun ending in -er: a thief, a burglar, a mugger, a vandal, a pickpocket, a shoplifter. Notice that the suffix -er is the most common way to form the person, while fraud uses -ster, giving us fraudster. In British English, people also use informal words like crook for any criminal, and the adjective petty to describe small or unimportant crimes. You might hear someone say, "He was a petty thief before he got involved in something bigger."

It is also important to be careful with collocations. We say "commit a crime", "report a crime to the police", "investigate a crime" and "solve a crime". We say a criminal "is arrested", "is charged" or "is convicted". The victim of a crime "reports it" or "makes a statement". If you are a witness, you may be asked to "give evidence" or "identify the suspect". These collocations are natural and common, and they will make your spoken English sound more fluent in a British context.

Finally, remember that talking about crime can be a sensitive subject. In a real conversation, you might want to soften your opinion with phrases like "I think", "In my experience" or "From what I've read". For example, "In my experience, the area is quite safe, but I have heard about some burglaries recently." This is a polite, balanced way to share your view. Below is a table with the key vocabulary for this lesson, including the part of speech, an Arabic gloss and a model sentence for each word.

Word	Part of speech	Arabic gloss	Example sentence
theft	noun	سَرِقَة	Theft is a serious problem in some city centres.
burglary	noun	سَرِقَة مَنَازِل	Police are investigating three burglaries on our street.
shoplifting	noun	سَرِقَة مِنَ الْمَحَلاَّت	Shoplifting often increases during the sales.
mugging	noun	سَرِقَة بِالْاِكْرَاه	There has been a rise in muggings near the station.
vandalism	noun	تَخْرِيب	Vandalism in the park has made people angry.
fraud	noun	اِحْتِيَال	Online fraud is now more common than ever.
pickpocketing	noun	سَرِقَة الْجُيُوب	Pickpocketing is common in crowded tourist areas.
assault	noun	اِعْتِدَاء	The victim of the assault was taken to hospital.

Generating translation…

Meet the key vocabulary for talking about crime in English. Listen to each word and notice how it is pronounced.

assault əˈsɔːlt
A violent physical attack on another person. In legal contexts, it can also refer to threatening behavior that
burglary ˈbɜːɡləri
The crime of entering a building illegally, usually to steal something. It involves breaking into a property w
fraud frɔːd
Fraud is the crime of deceiving someone in order to obtain money, property, or other benefits illegally. It in
mugging ˈmʌɡɪŋ
An act of attacking someone in order to steal their money or belongings, typically in a public place.
pickpocketing ˈpɪkˌpɒkɪtɪŋ
The criminal act of stealing items from someone's pocket or bag without them noticing, typically done in crowd
shoplifting ˈʃɒplɪftɪŋ
The act of stealing goods from a shop by hiding them on your person or in a bag.
theft θeft
The act of stealing; the criminal taking of another person's property without their permission.
vandalism ˈvændəlɪzəm
The act of deliberately destroying or damaging public or private property, especially buildings, monuments, or