Crime and Punishment

1. Introduction
Read the message below, paying special attention to the tenses.

Welcome to the nine o’clock news. Mason’s Store at the corner of Post and Green Street
was broken into late last night. An amount of $45,600 was stolen from the store safe during
the holdup. Mr. Joe Wong, who was managing the store at the time, said two people
held him at gunpoint until he handed over the cash. Witnesses said they saw a man and a woman
running from the scene. Please call the police on 911 with any information.

Which narrative forms do you recognize?

…was broken into…
…was stolen…
…was managing…
…held him at gunpoint until he handed over the cash.
…they saw…

Why do we use these narrative forms? Give 2 examples.

We use narrative forms to describe actions in the past, such as
‘’was broken into’’ and ‘’was stolen’’.

2. Narrative Tenses
● Narrative Tenses are tenses used to recount a story in the past.
● We usually use the past simple, past continuous and past perfect tenses.
● When we use the past simple, past progressive and past perfect tenses, we can use both
active and passive voices.
● This adds variety to your written expression and prevents redundancy and repetition in
your writing style.

3. Narrative Tenses
Past event / action that is completely finished:

I lived in Dubai from 2010 to 2015.

Continuous action in the past:

I was living in Dubai from 2006 to 2008.

Repeated past actions which do not happen anymore:

We would go to the beach every summer when we were kids.

Past habits, situations or actions that no longer occur:

Julie used to smoke, but she doesn’t anymore.

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Events that happened before another past event:

By the time I was 21, I had already left college.

4. Select the correct narrative form to complete the sentences.

1. I (had gone / went) to the lake one lovely summer morning.
2. The children (were playing / would play) happily with a large dog when an incident
occurred.
3. I heard a loud splash and noticed a boy struggling in the lake – he (was falling / had fallen)
into the water.
4. The dog (jumped / used to jump) into the lake and swam to the young boy.
5. The boy (was grabbing / grabbed) the dog and they both swam to safety.

5. Complete the text with the correct narrative form of the verb:

It was about twenty years ago that I traveled / had traveled to the southwest of Ireland. I had read
/ was reading of the haunted lighthouse on Valencia Island, a barren and desolate region. The
legend is that the spirit of a woman murdered by her husband still wanders the lighthouse. I
decided / used to decide to visit the lighthouse to discover if this notorious story was true. The trip
to the island was / had been full of twists and turns. I landed / was landing in Shannon airport with
my dog Rusty in the county of Clare at the crack of dawn. I arrived / used to arrive at the
lighthouse by evening, and darkness had started / would start to fall.

6. Circle the sentences with the correct word.

1. I had been living / had lived in London when I set my sights on Los Angeles.
2. Once I arrived / was arriving in Los Angeles, I met up with my old friend Todd.
3. We got an apartment together in the hills, and I started / had started working at a TV
channel.
4. I had been working / I worked at NYC Television for five years when I met the beautiful
Alexis.
5. We had fallen / fell in love immediately and started dating.
6. Within days, I was proposing / had proposed and we married in two weeks.
7. After a year, Alexis used to begin / began to miss her ex-boyfriend Richard.
8. One morning, I was waking up / woke up and realized she wasn’t there anymore.
9. She had left / was leaving a note that simply read, ‘’Can’t do it anymore.’’
10. I was deciding / decided to stay in Los Angeles and make the most of what I had left.

7. Crime and punishment

Here are the steps in a criminal trial process:

1. A person is suspected of a crime.

2. The person of interest is called in for questioning to the police station.
3. The police gather proof to justify an arrest.

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 4. If there is sufficient evidence, the person is arrested on suspicion and becomes ‘the
accused’.
5. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. The accused has the right to legal counsel and a
trial.
6. A trial takes place where the prosecutor attempts to prove the accused is guilty.
7. The accused’s defense lawyer tries to prove the accused person’s innocence.
8. In some cases, a jury participates in coming to a verdict.
9. At the end of the trial, the judge and jury give a sentence to the accused or he/she is
released from custody.

8. Now, find the words in the criminal trial process that match the words below.

1. Believed to be Suspected
2. Investigation Questioning
3. Advice Counsel
4. Court case Trial
5. Lawyer who conducts the
case against the defense Prosecutor
6. Outcome of the case Verdict
7. Sentence Punishment / fine

9. Where’s Billy?
Read the message.

Hi Jimmy,
Our neighbor Billy was arrested last night for disorderly conduct. Isn’t it awful? He was taken into
custody last week.
I talked to his brother Rick who said he’d be out on bail tomorrow. I don’t know if he’s guilty or not.
He’s accused of being drunk and disorderly.
The prosecutor said that he’s responsible for vandalism beyond a reasonable doubt. It’s hard to
believe because Billy is normally such a quiet guy!
So, he’s on trial next week. The prosecutor, however, doesn’t seem to have any evidence. I reckon
it’s a case of mistaken identity, but I couldn’t be sure. His defense attorney will present a case and
the jury will decide on an appropriate sentence. I don’t know if he’ll be fined or imprisoned.
Hopefully, he will be let go just with a fine. The prosecutor says he’s not innocent and he doesn’t
have a leg to stand on as two witnesses claim he broke the window.
See you at the trial,
David

10. Sentence completion

Based on the text, complete the sentences.

1. Billy was arrested on suspicion of being drunk and disorderly.

2. Billy has also been accused of vandalism.
3. The court case will take place next week.
4. David seems confident that Billy won’t be put in prison.
5. The lawyer who conducts the case against the defense claims that Billy is guilty of the crime.

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11. Matching!
Find the expressions in the text that match the meanings below.

1. Disorderly (e)
2. Conduct (a)
3. Mistaken identity (d)
4. Beyond a reasonable doubt (f)
5. Jury (b)
6. Out on bail (c)

a. Behaviour
b. Group of civilians chosen to participate in a trial
c. Released from police custody in exchange for money
d. Wrong person identified
e. Disruptive
f. Without any doubt or suspicion whatsoever

12. Complete the defense attorney’s speech with the correct phrase.

Good morning. I’m Peter Winters, defense attorney for Billy Dawson, the man accused of drunk
and disorderly conduct in the city center on Friday, May 5th. He has also been accused of attacking
another man. As his lawyer, I can assure you that this is a case of mistaken identity, as Mr. Dawson
greatly resembles another man of the same description. It is beyond a reasonable doubt that he is
not guilty as there is no evidence supporting his involvement in this crime, and therefore, I would
like to remind the jury that he is completely innocent. As he is currently out on bail, I plead with
you to consider the validity of this case and to be objective in your assessment of this man’s
character and behavior.

13. VIDEO
Watch the video:
Why should you read “Crime and Punishment”? - Alex Gendler

14. Crime and Punishment

Summarize the plot in Dostoyevsky's book, Crime and Punishment.
A young man murders a pawnbroker for practical reasons.

How did Dostoyevsky's background influence him?

His experience with oppression in Russia influenced him to adopt a spiritual, rather than a social,
position on the human condition.

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How do Dostoyevsky’s ideas manifest in the story?
There is a critique of egoism and utilitarianism through the portrayal of the main character, who
‘cuts himself off’ from his own sense of morality and humanity.

Why is ‘Crime and Punishment’ a great book?

It’s a thrilling story as well as a novel with a great moral lesson.

15. Definitions
What’s the meaning of the following phrases in the video?

1. run out of (h)

2. sacrifice (c)
3. pawnbroker (g)
4. scope (f)
5. unhinged (e)
6. intertwined (b)
7. bleak (d)
8. reform (a)

a) change for the better

b) interconnected
c) giving up something to achieve or gain something else
d) barren, desolate
e) unstable
f) range, extent
g) person who gives loans in exchange for objects as a deposit
h) have no more of

16. Interactive discussion

Now, discuss these questions.
Is it better to imprison or give a fine to people convicted of small crimes?
Small crimes often lead to more serious crimes. How can small crimes be prevented?
Do you agree or disagree with rehabilitation programs in prisons?

17. The benefits of imprisonment

A study conducted in Norway by a team of researchers showed that imprisonment of criminals is
much more effective in reducing
the recurrence of crime than other types of sentencing. A team of researchers from a top
Norwegian university studied two groups of criminals:
those who were imprisoned after sentencing, and who were given fines or lenient types of
punishments.
Among the criminals who were not imprisoned, there was a much higher rate of return to criminal
life and unemployment.
Criminals who were imprisoned, however, underwent rehabilitation training within the prison
system. After their release, most of these prisoners secured employment and did not return to a
life of crime. The research team safely concluded that rehabilitation during imprisonment only is a
key strategy in reducing crime recurrence and criminal activity within society at large.

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18. Reading comprehension
Complete the sentences with the correct words, based on the text.

The goal of the Norwegian research team was to study the effect of sentencing on prisoners.
There was a higher rate of crime recurrence among prisoners who were given lenient sentences.
Rehabilitation is a technique used in prisons to help criminals turn their lives around.
The conclusion of the research is that crime is reduced by using rehabilitation within the prison
system.

19. Types of crime

Complete the categories with the crimes.

Organized crime White-collar Crimes against property Crimes against

crime people
Illegal gambling Embezzlement Arson Murder

Drug smuggling Insider trading Auto theft Domestic

violence
Money Tax evasion Vandalism
laundering Assault

Embezzlement
Insider trading
Murder
Arson
Domestic violence
Auto theft
Vandalism
Illegal gambling
Tax evasion
Drug smuggling
Assault
Money laundering

20. Match the consequence to the crime!

1. Murder in the first degree a)

2. Domestic violence d)
3. Pickpocketing b)
4. Driving without insurance e)
5. Arson c)
6. Drunk driving f)

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 a) Life imprisonment
b) Fine and/or one year in prison
c) Fine and imprisonment for a few years
d) Restraining order
e) Fine and penalty points
f) Loss of driver’s licence

21. Word families 1

Complete the word family chart
Noun Adjective
effect effective
recurrence recurrent
punishment punished
crime criminal
rehabilitation rehabilitated
imprisonment imprisoned
society social

22. Read the passage.

England
The legal system of Great Britain is based on common law. This is similar to the systems of the
United States and Ireland. However, the legal system in the UK greatly differs to the American
system in the way criminal prosecutions are handled and the types of sentences given out. For
example, capital punishment still occurs in certain states in the United States, whereas in England
and all European countries, the death penalty no longer exists.

China
China operates under a civil law that dates back centuries. Because of the communist system,
people are prohibited from speaking out against the government and dissent is not tolerated.
Many journalists and writers have been arrested and imprisoned in China for speaking out against
the political system.

Saudi Arabia
Like many Muslim countries, Saudi Arabia has a religious law. This means that religious ideas and
documents can influence legal proceedings and trials. In contrast to common law countries, moral
and ethical issues such as adultery can be prosecuted by the legal system.

23. Discussion
Discuss, based on the short reading passage.

1. What type of penalty does the writer use to illustrate the difference between the law in the
USA and the UK? Capital punishment
2. In which country is freedom of speech penalized? China

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 3. In which country (mentioned in this text) would the Quran be referred to in a trial? Saudi
Arabia
4. What type of law operates in the UK? Common law
5. Why are some journalists in jail in China? Because of their criticism of the government.

24. Synonyms/definitions
Press on the button with the best synonym/definition

1. Easy on the champagne! You don’t want to be drunk when you make your speech to your
colleagues this evening.
2. The accused remains in custody while I search for evidence.
3. Before proceeding with the case, the prosecution is trying to find evidence to prove the
accused is guilty.
4. The police use handcuffs when arresting an accused person.
5. I was given a fine by the police officer for speeding.

25. Word Family 2

Complete the word family puzzle

Verb Noun
prosecute prosecution
defend defense
tolerate tolerance
investigate investigation
prohibit prohibition
legal law
moral morality

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