Phrasal Verbs about Crime and the Law 1

Phrasal verbs often Be aware that many of

include another these phrasal verbs also
preposition if they take an have other meanings.
object.

Phrasal Verb Mix and Match

Connect each of the phrasal verbs below with the correct definition.

1) abide by a) bail out to pay for the temporary liberty of a suspect from detention

2) account for b) abide by to obey or accept a law or rule

3) act for c) to escape from inside a place of detention

4) bail out d) to bribe (soborno, pay off solo con dinero)

5) bang up e) let off to not punish

6) beat up f) blow up to destroy with an explosion

7) blow up g) account for to give a satisfactory explanation

8) break out h) act for to defend in court or represent in a specialised capacity

9) break in/into (with object) i) come forward=to give information to the authorities, to be a
witness

10) buy off j) pat down to search somebody’s body by touching and feeling

11) come forward k) t make off with to steal something and escape

12) do in l) beat up to assault with excessive violence

13) get away m)hold up= to rob a person or institution with threats of violence

14) go off n) bang up to imprison, to incarcerate

15) hold up o) to go off=to explode

16) let off (with) p) to force an entry

17) make off with q) get away=to escape from the scene of a crime

18) pat down r) to murder

LET’S PLAY BINGO!

Text here
 Phrasal Verbs about Crime and the Law 1
Insert the phrasal verbs that fit best into the gaps in the sentences below.
You will need to conjugate them appropriately.

abide by account for act for bail out bang up beat up blow up break out break in/into
buy off come forward do in get away go off hold up let off (with) make off with pat down

1) She lost her keys and had to __break into________ _________ her flat.

2) If you live in another country you must be prepared to abide by their laws and rules.

3) Some people say that the president was done in by the Mafia. His assassination is still a mystery.

4) He was convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and ___banged up for 6 years. Luckily, he won the appeal
and they had to let him go.

5) There was a violent assault in the shopping centre. The police are asking for witnesses to come forward
with any information that will catch the perpetrators.

6) Even though he had the best lawyer in the city _acting for him, the jury still found him guilty.
7) The mafia has ___bougth off the police on the island and can operate with no interference.

8) Several armed robber held up the bank and took more than five hundred thousand euros with them.

9) The prisoner __ broke out by climbing over the wall on a rope ladder he had made in secret.

10) A group of young men attacked him and he was badly ___beaten up__.

11) The police stopped the suspect in the street and __patted_______ him down ___________ but could
find no weapons or drugs on him.

12) He was caught stealing a bottle of whisky but as it was his first offence the judge ____let _______ him
______off___ and warned him not to do it again.

13) The terrorists _____blew______ ___up______ a car in the city centre.

14) The robbers _____got away______ _________ in a stolen car which was later found abandoned in the
countryside.

15) Her father _______bail _____ her __out________ for the sum of two thousand pounds on the condition
that she didn’t leave the family home until the trial.

16) They had a lot of evidence against him and he couldn’t ___account for_________ _________ his
whereabouts on the night of the crime.

17) The bomb ______went off____ __________ at 8pm and caused extensive damage although, luckily,
nobody was killed.

18) The thieves _________made off__ ________ ________ more than two hundred thousand pounds.

Text here
 Robin Banks: Master Criminal
Insert the phrasal verbs that fit best into the gaps in the story below.
You will need to conjugate the verbs appropriately.

abide by account for act for bail out bang up beat up blow up break out break in/into
buy off come forward do in get away go off hold up let off (with) make off with pat down

Robin Banks was once a typical citizen in the town of West Walton who worked 5 days a week,
paid his taxes and ___________ _________ the law just the same as everybody else. And then one
day, as he was coming through a supermarket checkout after finishing his shopping the theft alarm
started beeping and he was ___________ ________ by a security guard. They found a bar of
chocolate in one of his pockets. Robin explained that he had answered a call on his cell phone while
looking at the chocolate and accidently put it in his pocket without thinking. The security guard was
going to _________ him ________ but the supermarket manager insisted that they call the police.
Banks was very angry by the time the police arrived and a very heated argument had started
between him and the manager of the supermarket. The manager insulted Banks’ mother and Banks
lost his temper and __________ the manager _________. It took 4 police officers and the security
guard to restrain him and the manager had to be taken to hospital. Banks was taken to the police
station and charged with theft and GBH. He was remanded in custody but was ___________
_________ for five thousand pounds by his wife and children.
On the day of the trial, the lawyer __________ ________ him told the judge that Robin Banks
was truly sorry for attacking the manager but he did not steal the chocolate on purpose. The judge
sympathised but decided to __________ banks ________ for 1 year anyway because he said that
violent crime could not be tolerated. Banks lost his temper once more and threatened to ___________
the judge ________. Threatening the life of a judge got Banks an extra three years added to his
sentence.
Robin Banks was in prison for less than a week before he __________ _________ and
escaped. He made an explosive device and ____________ __________ one of the walls in the prison
library which overlooked the street outside. He jumped through the hole in the wall created by the
explosion and ___________ _________ in a waiting car. His wife was interviewed by police and when
she couldn’t ___________ __________ her movements at the time of the escape, the police arrested
her for aiding and abetting a fugitive from justice although they never had enough evidence to charge
her.
Banks went into hiding and started to ___________ ________ banks, shops and businesses,
stealing as much as half a million pounds in less than two months. He used the money wisely and
bought weapons and sophisticated equipment to help him in his work. He used a special kind of bomb
for blowing the doors off of safes. When the bomb ___________ ________, it made very little noise
and concentrated the explosion to the sides so that the money inside would remain intact. In one bank
in Norwich, he ___________ ________ ________ a total off six hundred and fifty thousand pounds
after getting into the main safe.
The police offered a very high reward for his capture but nobody ___________ _________ as
the public seemed inclined to support him after a financial crisis had left everybody with a low opinion
of banks. He also had so much money that he was able to __________ _________ some of the local
politicians who instructed the police to concentrate their resources on traffic violations rather than
chasing bank robbers. However, his luck ran out when he was caught, completely by accident, when he
tried to ___________ _________ a bank at night. He got stuck in a window and could not move until
the police came and rescued him.
The police have charged him with multiple crimes and he is to stand trial next month.
 Pre-Trial Debate
Read the memo below and then read your personality card. After that, attend the
meeting and debate what the board should do next regarding the issue at hand. Each
person should spend at least 1 minute stating their opinion and a further 5 minutes
debating what should be done once everybody has had their say. A vote must be taken
at the end of the meeting.

Fill in the gaps in the sentences below with the most appropriate prepositions.
Sometimes more than one answer is possible.

CPS Norfolk Division

To: All concerned parties

From: DPP Sir Hugh Dunnit

Date: 14/01/19

Re: Robin Banks case concerns

Dear Sirs/Madams,

As you all may well know, the case ________ the Crown versus Robin Banks is due _____ start shortly
and there have been concerns raised ____ the media. Many media outlets, ______ screen _____ print
media, have suggested that some _______ the evidence against Mr Banks has been manipulated ______
persons unknown. There was a documentary ______ TV only the other night that pointed _____ a
relationship between Mr Banks and a minister ______ the highest level _____ government. A recent book
has also explained Mr Banks criminal know-how by suggesting that he was _____ fact a high-level spy for
British intelligence and that he has actually robbed some banks to extract information to give to our
intelligence services that have been stowed in the bank vaults _____ safe-keeping by foreign powers.

As such, we need to make a decision as _____ where to hold the trial. Should we proceed with the
original plan to hold the trial _____ Norwich, the capital of Norfolk? Or should we go _____ trial in the
country’s capital, London?

If we go ______ trial in the capital, there could still be interference ______ outside influences by
governmental agents. However, ______ a county level, the forces allied ______ Mr Banks could prove to be
even more powerful and make a successful conviction just as difficult. The ball is in your court. The meeting
will take place ______ Norfolk CPS offices in Norwich next Monday at 10am.

Warmest regards

Hugh Dunnit

DPP
Phrasal Verbs about Crime and the Law 1
abide by account for act for bail out bang up beat up blow up break out break in/into
buy off come forward do in get away go off hold up let off (with) make off with pat down

Insert the phrasal verbs that fit best into the gaps in the story below.
You will need to conjugate the verbs appropriately.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

IN PAIRS CREATE A GAP-FILL EXERCISE FOR THE 18 PHRASAL

VERBS IN THE BOX AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.
 Trial Debate – Personality Cards
You are a judge for the county of Norfolk and
do not trust the local justice system. You know
from sources inside the government and from
people inside the intelligence services that
Robin Banks has been operating undercover
to get information for the country’s security
services. You think he stands a better chance
of getting a lighter sentence in London.
You are a politician for the county of Norfolk.
You know don’t think he should have been
imprisoned in the first place. You do not think
he should have beaten up the supermarket
manager but you have met the manager and
know that he is a very unpleasant person. You
think that Mr Banks should have been given a
warning instead of a prison sentence. You think
he would get a lighter sentence in London.
You are a high ranking police officer for the
Norfolk Constabulary. You grew up with Mr
Banks and have been a firm friend of his since
childhood. You know him to be an honourable
man and think the current situation has got
completely out of control. You believe he
should be given a lighter sentence so that he
can start his life again. You think he will have a
better chance if the trial is in London.
You are an important lawyer for the county of
Norfolk. You represented Mr Banks in the first
trial and you are still angry about the result and
sentence of the first trial. As far as you are
concerned, the law is responsible for taking a
law-abiding citizen and turning him into a
criminal by delivering an unjust verdict and
sentence. You think the trial should take place in
London where you believe he will get a fairer
hearing.
CHOOSE ONE OF THE PERSONALITY CARDS ABOVE AND THEN USE THIS AS
YOUR MOTIVATION DURING THE ROLE-PLAY.
You are a high ranking police officer for the
Norfolk Constabulary. You think that the trial
should take place in Norwich because you
believe there will be less interference from the
government who you suspect of wanting him to
stay free. Before you became a police officer you
were a member of the armed forces and served
with Robin Banks. You thought he was bad
news. You think he should go to prison for a long
time.
You are an important lawyer for the county of
Norfolk. You have also heard that Robin Banks
has been working for the intelligence
community and has targeted banks that had
sensitive information relating to other
countries. To you, that doesn’t matter. The law
is the law. As such, you think the trial should
take place in Norwich so that there will be less
interference from the government.
You are a politician for the county of Norfolk and
are also on the board of two banks from the
region. You do not like the fact that people have
been supporting Mr Banks and his activities and
feel strongly that he should get a long sentence
as a message to other people thinking of
committing the same kind of crimes. You believe
he would get a longer sentence in Norwich as
there would be less interference from the
government.
You are a judge for the county of Norfolk. You
are the judge that sent him to prison the first
time. You did that because he violently attacked
the supermarket manager. You think that there
should be zero tolerance to all forms of
violence. To you, Mr Banks is a born criminal
and his list of crimes only proves it. You think he
should be trialled in Norwich away from outside
interference.
 Phrasal Verbs: Bingo Game
Cut out and place the definition slips in a cup or envelope. Cut out the bingo cards and give to the students. Take a definition slip
from the cup one at a time and read the definition. Students tick off the corresponding phrasal verbs. Once a student has crossed
out 5 words on a card they shout “bingo” and the round starts again with fresh cards. Repeat the process 3 times.

Definition Slips
abide by = account for = act for = bail out = bang up =
to obey or accept a law to defend in court or to pay for the to imprison, to
to give a temporary liberty of a incarcerate
or rule represent in a specialised
satisfactory capacity suspect from
explanation detention
beat up = blow up = break out = break in/into = buy off =
to assault with excessive to destroy with an to escape from inside a place to force an entry to bribe
violence explosion of detention

come forward = do in = get away = go off = hold up =

to give information to the to murder to escape from the scene of to explode to rob a person or
authorities, to be a witness a crime institution with threats
of violence
let off = make off with = pat down =
to not punish to steal something to search somebody’s body
and escape by touching and feeling

Bingo Cards Bingo Cards

blow up break out
abide by bail out hold up
buy off
let off abide by
bang up get away
break out blow up
account for pat down bail out
blow up
let off pat down
hold up make off with
break in/into pat down
act for hold up
do in
beat up
beat up go off
get away do in
pat down bang up
bang up act for
come forward
break in/into
bail out act for
come forward make off with
come forward break in/into
beat up abide by bang up
get away act for get away
make off with bail out
beat up account for
account for hold up act for
let off make off with come forward
break out do in
go off get away
abide by bang up account for
break out do in blow up
break in/into do in
do in let off
buy off account for abide by
go off buy off break out
hold up let off
 Answers

Phrasal Verb Mix and Match

1) abide by a) to pay for the temporary liberty of a suspect from detention

2) account for b) to obey or accept a law or rule

3) act for c) to escape from inside a place of detention

4) bail out d) to bribe

5) bang up e) to not punish

6) beat up f) to destroy with an explosion

7) blow up g) to give a satisfactory explanation

8) break out h) to defend in court or represent in a specialised capacity

9) break in/into (with object) i) to give information to the authorities, to be a witness

10) buy off j) to search somebody’s body by touching and feeling

11) come forward k) to steal something and escape

12) do in l) to assault with excessive violence

13) get away m) to rob a person or institution with threats of violence

14) go off n) to imprison, to incarcerate

15) hold up o) to explode

16) let off (with) p) to force an entry

17) make off with q) to escape from the scene of a crime

18) pat down r) to murder

Answers
1) = b)
2) = g)
3) = h)
4) = a)
5) = n)
6) = l)
7) = f)
8) = c)
9) = p)
10) = d)
11) = i)
12) = r)
13) = q)
14) = o)
15 = m)
16) = e)
17) = k)
18) = j)
 Answer
s

1) She lost her keys and had to break into her flat.

2) If you live in another country you must be prepared to abide by their laws and rules.

3) Some people say that the president was done in by the Mafia. His assassination is still a mystery.

4) He was convicted of a crime he didn’t commit and banged up for 6 years. Luckily, he won the appeal and
they had to let him go.

5) There was a violent assault in the shopping centre. The police are asking for witnesses to come forward
with any information that will catch the perpetrators.

6) Even though he had the best lawyer in the city acting for him, the jury still found him guilty.

7) The mafia has bought off the police on the island and can operate with no interference.

8) Several armed robber held up the bank and took more than five hundred thousand euros with them.

9) The prisoner broke out by climbing over the wall on a rope ladder he had made in secret.

10) A group of young men attacked him and he was badly beaten up.

11) The police stopped the suspect in the street and patted him down but could find no weapons or drugs
on him.

12) He was caught stealing a bottle of whisky but as it was his first offence the judge let him off and warned
him not to do it again.

13) The terrorists blew up a car in the city centre.

14) The robbers got away in a stolen car which was later found abandoned in the countryside.

15) Her father bailed her out for the sum of two thousand pounds on the condition that she didn’t leave the
family home until the trial.

16) They had a lot of evidence against him and he couldn’t account for his whereabouts on the night of the
crime.

17) The bomb went off at 8pm and caused extensive damage although, luckily, nobody was killed.

18) The thieves made off with more than two hundred thousand pounds.
 Answer
s

Robin Banks was once a typical citizen in the town of West Walton who worked 5 days a
week, paid his taxes and abided by the law just the same as everybody else. And then one day, as
he was coming through a supermarket checkout after finishing his shopping the theft alarm
started beeping and he was patted down by a security guard. They found a bar of chocolate in
one of his pockets. Robin explained that he had answered a call on his cell phone while looking at
the chocolate and accidently put it in his pocket without thinking. The security guard was going to
let him off but the supermarket manager insisted they call the police.
Banks was very angry by the time the police arrived and a very heated argument had
started between him and the manager of the supermarket. The manager insulted Banks’ mother
and Banks lost his temper and beat the manager up. It took 4 police officers and the security
guard to restrain him and the manager had to be taken to hospital. Banks was taken to the police
station and charged with theft and GBH. He was remanded in custody but was bailed out for five
thousand pounds by his wife and children.
On the day of the trial, the lawyer acting for him told the judge that Robin Banks was truly
sorry for attacking the manager but he did not steal the chocolate on purpose. The judge
sympathised but decided to bang banks up for 1 year anyway because he said that violent crime
could not be tolerated. Banks lost his temper once more and threatened to do the judge in.
Threatening the life of a judge got Banks an extra three years added to his sentence.
Robin Banks was in prison for less than a week before he broke out and escaped. He made
an explosive device and blew up one of the walls in the prison library which overlooked the street
outside. He jumped through the hole in the wall created by the explosion and got away in a
waiting car. His wife was interviewed by police and when she couldn’t account for her movements
at the time of the escape, the police arrested her for aiding and abetting a fugitive from justice
although they never had enough evidence to charge her.
Banks went into hiding and started to hold up banks, shops and businesses, stealing as
much as half a million pounds in less than two months. He used the money wisely and bought
weapons and sophisticated equipment to help him in his work. He used a special kind of bomb for
blowing the doors off of safes. When the bomb went off, it made very little noise and
concentrated the explosion to the sides so that the money inside would remain intact. In one
bank in Norwich, he made off with a total off six hundred and fifty thousand pounds after getting
into the main safe.
The police offered a very high reward for his capture but nobody came forward as the
public seemed inclined to support him after a financial crisis had left everybody with a low
opinion of banks. He also had so much money that he was able to buy off some of the local
politicians who instructed the police to concentrate their resources on traffic violations rather
than chasing bank robbers. However, his luck ran out when he was caught, completely by
accident, when he tried to break into a bank at night. He got stuck in a window and could not
move until the police came and rescued him.
The police have charged him with multiple crimes and he is to stand trial next month.
CPS Norfolk Division
To: All concerned parties

From: DPP Sir Hugh Dunnit

Date: 14/01/19

Re: Robin Banks case concerns

Dear Sirs/Madams,

As you all may well know, the case for/of the Crown versus Robin Banks is due to start shortly and
there have been concerns raised in the media. Many media outlets, from screen to print media, have
suggested that some of the evidence against Mr Banks has been manipulated by persons unknown. There
was a documentary on TV only the other night that pointed to a relationship between Mr Banks and a
minister at the highest level of government. A recent book has also explained Mr Banks criminal know-how
by suggesting that he was in fact a high-level spy for British intelligence and that he has actually robbed
some banks to extract information to give to our intelligence services that have been stowed in the bank
vaults for safe-keeping by foreign powers.

As such, we need to make a decision as to where to hold the trial. Should we proceed with the
original plan to hold the trial in Norwich, the capital of Norfolk? Or should we go for/to trial in the country’s
capital, London?

If we go for/to trial in the capital, there could still be interference from outside influences by
governmental agents. However, at a county level, the forces allied to/with Mr Banks could prove to be even
more powerful and make a successful conviction just as difficult. The ball is in your court. The meeting will
take place at/in Norfolk CPS offices in Norwich next Monday at 10am.

Warmest regards

Hugh Dunnit

DPP
Bingo Cards
act for break out
hold up
let off abide by

bail out go off

break out
let off pat down

break in/into pat down

do in
beat up go off

pat down bang up

come forward
bail out act for

come forward break in/into

hold up
act for get away

beat up account for

make off with
pat down come forward

go off come forward

let off
do in bang up

break in/ into let off

pat down
buy off break out
Crime FCE Practice Reading and Use of English
Part 4
For these questions complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using
the word given.
Do not change the word given. You must use between TWO and FIVE words, INCLUDING the word given.
Here is an example (0).
Example:
0 His doctor advised him to stop smoking.
UP
His doctor told him ________________________________cigarettes.
The gap can be filled with the words “to give/pack up,” so you write:

Example: 0 TO GIVE/PACK UP
Write only the missing words IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.

1 They asked the accused to give a satisfactory explanation of his movements on the night of the crime.
ACCOUNT
The accused was asked to __________________________________________ for that night.

2 They believe that the thief stole about 500,000 pounds and escaped undetected.
WITH
The robber is thought to have ______________________________ approximately half a million pounds.

3 There was a fire and the car exploded.

BLEW
The car _____________________________ after it caught fire.

4 The police were called when an attempt was made to bribe local politicians.
OFF
After somebody tried to ___________________________________, the police were called in to investigate.

5 The bank was robbed by men using guns.

HELD
The robbers _______________________________________ with guns.

6 They tried to escape using the sewers.

AWAY
The suspects attempted to ____________________________________________ the sewers.
 Answers
1 They asked the accused to give a satisfactory explanation of his movements on the night of the crime.
ACCOUNT
The accused was asked to ACCOUNT FOR HIS MOVEMENTS for that night.

2 They believe that the thief stole about 500,000 pounds and escaped undetected.
WITH
The robber is thought to have MADE OFF WITH approximately half a million pounds.

3 There was a fire and the car exploded.

BLEW
The car BLEW UP after it caught fire.

4 The police were called when an attempt was made to bribe local politicians.
OFF
After somebody tried to BUY OFF LOCAL POLITICIANS, the police were called in to investigate.

5 The bank was robbed by men using guns.

HELD
The robbers HELD UP THE BANK with guns.

6 They tried to escape using the sewers.

AWAY
The suspects attempted to GET AWAY IN/THROUGH/USING the sewers.