Past and present crime vocabulary and speaking

crime vocabulary/ history vocabulary/ past modals

Decide if each section below is mainly connected to crime and punishment in the past or the present:

A

Banditry                                              Piracy                                                  Sheep rustling

Pillaging                                              Slave revolts                                        Witchcraft

Usury                                                  Apostasy                                             Horse theft

B

White collar crime                                Hacking                                               Phishing scams

Shoplifting                                           Human trafficking                                 Suicide bombing

Sexual harassment

C

Stocks                                     Beheading                                           The rack

Witch trials                                          Ordeal                                     Ducking stool

The Inquisition                         Heresy                                    Banishment

D

Electric chair                                       Lie detector                                         CSI

Pathologist                                          Electronic tagging                                Open prison

Community service                              DNA analysis                           Breathalyser

Speed camera                         CCTV

E

Outlaw                                    Mobster                                               Poacher

Buccaneer                                           Runaway slave                         Adulterer

Rum smuggler                         Highwayman

F

Branding                                             Excommunication                                 Crucifixion

Impaling                                              Burning at the stake                 Torture chambers

Lynch mob                                          Whipping                                             Pillory

Transportation                         Guillotine

Which sections are crimes, which are criminals and which sections are connected to crime detection and punishments?

What are the names for the criminals who do the crimes in the crime sections?

Discussion

  • Are any of the crimes or punishments in the past sections above still relevant to the present?
  • Do you think any of the punishments that don’t exist in your country (anymore) should be (re)instated?
  • Which historical crimes and punishments above have you seen in movies and TV?

Crazy laws

Discuss with your partner if you think the rules below are present rules or only in the past:

UK/ pregnant woman/ go to toilet anywhere including/ policeman’s helmet

Europe/ dead bodies/ criminals/ hung up in public

York/ legal/ murder a Scotsman if/ carry/ bow and arrow

In Europe animals/ put on trial

Scandinavia/ trial by combat

Germany/ jury/ all freeborn men

Illegal/ carry/ dead pig/ London cab

France/ forbidden/ call/ pig Napoleon

Rome / all witnesses/ male

UK/ nagging woman/ ducked in water

Toronto/ illegal/ ride/ streetcar/ eating garlic

Check under the fold, making any which you were wrong about into sentences.

———————-fold, cover or cut————————

UK/ pregnant woman/ go to toilet anywhere including/ policeman’s helmet – present

Europe/ dead bodies/ criminals/ hung up in public – past

York/ legal/ murder a Scotsman if/ carry/ bow and arrow – present

In Europe animals/ put on trial – past

Scandinavia/ trial by combat – past

Germany/ jury/ all freeborn men – past

Illegal/ carry/ dead pig/ London cab – present

France/ forbidden/ call/ pig Napoleon – present

Rome / all witnesses/ male – past

UK/ nagging woman/ ducked in water – past

Toronto/ illegal/ ride/ streetcar/ eating garlic – present

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Related pages

History page

Crime vocabulary page

Past modals page

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