Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0+: Crime and Punishment (Part 1)
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Improve your IELTS Speaking and Writing with advanced vocabulary on Crime and Punishment. Learn definitions, collocations, sample usage, and exercises tailored to help you achieve Band 7.0+ in the IELTS test.
Table of Contents
- Why Learn Crime and Punishment Vocabulary for IELTS?
- Types of Crime – IELTS Vocabulary Exercise
- Perpetrators of Crime – Who Commits These Crimes?
- Answer Key for the Practice Exercises in Crime and Punishment (Part 1)
- IELTS Usage: Sample Sentences with Crime Vocabulary
- Common IELTS Essay and Speaking Questions on Crime
- Practice Exercise: Use the Vocabulary


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Understanding and using advanced topic-specific vocabulary is key to scoring a Band 7.0 or above in IELTS Speaking and Writing. One frequently tested topic is Crime and Punishment. Whether you’re tackling Task 2 essays about justice or responding to speaking questions about law enforcement, this vocabulary will help you respond with confidence, coherence, and lexical range.
In this guide, we’ll explore vocabulary related to crime, types of punishment, and perpetrators, along with practice exercises to help you consolidate your learning for the IELTS Exam.
Why Learn Crime and Punishment Vocabulary for IELTS?
The topic of crime appears frequently in IELTS Speaking Part 3 and Writing Task 2. Examiners are looking for candidates who can:
- Use precise legal and criminal terminology
- Showcase their ability to paraphrase
- Demonstrate lexical resource by using synonyms and topic-related collocations
Types of Crime – IELTS Vocabulary Exercise
Task: Match the crime to its correct definition. These terms are commonly used in essay questions or speaking prompts about criminal behavior and social issues.
(a) abduction | (i) the striking of a person with intent to do them harm |
(b) affray | (ii) a threat or attempt to strike someone, whether or not successful |
(c) assault | (iii) deliberate destruction or damage of property |
(d) battery | (iv) fighting in a public place |
(e) blackmail | (v) breaking into a house with intent to steal from it |
(f) burglary | (vi) acts of abuse against a person living in your household |
(g) domestic violence | (vii) following someone around persistently when not invited to |
(h) embezzlement | (viii) involvement in a dishonest scheme to trick people |
(i) extortion | (ix) obtaining money or something else by abusing your power |
(j) forgery | (x) dividing a voting area so as to give one party an unfair advantage |
(k) fraud | (xi) repeatedly troubling or tormenting another person |
(l) gerrymandering | (xii) acts of general lawlessness, often associated with football |
(m) harassment | (xiii) the killing of one person by another |
(n) hijacking | (xiv) not very serious crime |
(o) homicide | (xv) importing or exporting goods in a way that breaks the law |
(p) hooliganism | (xvi) robbing someone under threat of violence in a public place |
(q) manslaughter | (xvii) lying under oath in court |
(r) money laundering | (xviii) hiding the source of money gained illegally |
(s) mugging | (xix) seizing a vehicle by force or threat of force |
(t) perjury | (xx) falsely making or altering a piece of writing that has legal standing |
(u) petty crime | (xxi) forcing a person into a particular action by use of threats |
(v) racketeering | (xxii) theft of money or property a person has put in your care |
(w) smuggling | (xxiii) the carrying, taking or enticing away of a person, esp. a child |
(x) stalking | (xxiv) general acts of deceit or trickery |
(y) vandalism | (xxv) the unlawful killing of a person without forethought or malice |
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Perpetrators of Crime – Who Commits These Crimes?
Knowing the noun form or agent noun (the person who does the crime) is useful in essays and Part 3 of the Speaking test.
(a) abduction | (n) hijacking |
(b) affray | (o) homicide |
(c) assault | (p) hooliganism |
(d) battery | (q) manslaughter |
(e) blackmail | (r) money laundering |
(f) burglary | (s) mugging |
(g) domestic violence | (t) perjury |
(h) embezzlement | (u) petty crime |
(i) extortion | (v) racketeering |
(j) forgery | (w) smuggling |
(k) fraud | (x) stalking |
(l) gerrymandering | (y) vandalism |
(m) harassment | – |
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Answer Key for the Practice Exercises in Crime and Punishment (Part 1)
Now that you’ve taken some exercises to test your IELTS Vocabulary knowledge related to crime and punishment, it’s time to check your score and see if you can use them effectively in IELTS Writing and Speaking modules.
Types of Crime
- xxiii
- iv
- ii
- i
- xxi
- v
- vi
- xxii
- ix
- xx
- xxiv
- x
- xi
- xix
- xiii
- xii
- xxv
- xviii
- xvi
- xvii
- xiv
- viii
- xv
- vii
- iii
Perpetrators of Crime
- abductor
- affrayer
- assaulter
- batterer
- blackmailer
- burglar
- /
- embezzler
- extortioner/ extortionist
- forger
- fraudster/ fraud
- gerrymanderer
- harasser
- hijacker
- /
- hooligan
- /
- money launderer
- mugger
- perjurer
- petty criminal
- racketeer
- smuggler
- stalker
- vandal
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IELTS Usage: Sample Sentences with Crime Vocabulary
Here are a few high-band examples of how to incorporate this vocabulary into your IELTS responses:
-
Writing Task 2:
“To deter serious crimes such as homicide and extortion, governments must enforce strict punitive measures.” -
Speaking Part 3:
“I believe that rehabilitation is more effective than imprisonment, especially for those convicted of petty crimes.” -
Writing Task 2 (Problem/Solution):
“The rise in online fraud highlights the need for better cybersecurity infrastructure.”
Common IELTS Essay and Speaking Questions on Crime
- “Do you think longer prison sentences reduce crime?”
- “What are the causes of youth crime?”
- “Should first-time offenders be treated more leniently?”
- “Is capital punishment ever justified?”
To tackle these confidently, you’ll need a solid grasp of collocations like:
- commit a crime
- serve a sentence
- enforce the law
- deter criminal behavior
- criminal record
- repeat offender
- white-collar crime
Practice Exercise: Use the Vocabulary
Try rewriting this sentence with more advanced vocabulary:
Basic: “People who do small crimes should not be punished too harshly.”
Band 8 version: “Those who commit petty crimes should not receive disproportionately severe penalties.”
To conclude, Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS 7.0+: Crime and Punishment (Part 1) is an essential tool for anyone aiming to excel in the IELTS exam. With comprehensive practice exercises and a detailed answer key, this resource helps you build a robust vocabulary and confidently tackle topics related to Crime and Punishment. Use this guide to enhance your preparation and achieve a higher IELTS band score. For those aiming for top scores, following the IELTS Exam Preparation Tips for Band Score of 8+ can further enhance your vocabulary and overall test performance.
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