A: Rank the following crimes from the most to the least serious.
mugging slander blackmail accepting bribes
manslaughter buying drugs drug trafficking assault
kidnapping arson forgery rape
burglary hi-jacking
B: What are the punishments for the crimes above in your country (e.g. fine, flogging, death penalty, prison, suspended sentence, electronic tagging, community service, compensation)? Discuss with a partner.
1. Barbara May: Aged 47.
She stole a 4 month old baby from a pushchair parked outside a shop. Despite appeals from the baby’s parents on national TV, the baby was
only returned when Barbara’s husband came back from working on an oil rig in the North Sea a month later. The baby had been well looked after. Barbara had been trying to have a baby for 10 years.
2. June Mayfield: Aged 29.
She stabbed her husband to death. Her husband had persistently beaten her for many years. Police had been called in several times by neighbours worried about her, but she refused to press charges. She says she only picked up the knife in self-defence. She has no previous convictions.
3. Robert Peel: Aged 36.
He robbed an old lady in the street. He threatened violence but didn’t use any. He has a long record of previous arrests, mainly for shoplifting and pick pocketing but he hadn’t been in trouble for a while before this incident. He has an ill mother and five children and says that he steals to support them.
4. Frank Gordon. Aged 31.
He was arrested for drunk driving. He was found after he had driven his car off the road, but no-one was hurt. He had nearly hit another car 10 minutes before the accident. His team had won the Champion’s League and he had been celebrating in a pub with friends, but he is also a regular heavy drinker. He is a travelling salesman and so needs to drive for his job, and has a wife and two children to support.
5. Matthew Barnyard. Aged 21.
He was arrested and convicted for possession of heroin. After the conviction new evidence was discovered that supports his claim that he bought the drugs only to ease the pain of his dying mother. He is therefore appealing his sentence. In the initial case, a previous conviction for possession of cannabis was used in evidence against him.
6.David Badiell: Aged 17.
He is an animal rights activist. He was arrested for breaking a security guard’s nose. The security guard tried to remove him from the shop when he was walking around verbally abusing customers in the fur department of a large department store. He claims the security guard was to blame.
7. Roger Delfry: Aged 29.
He was arrested for blackmail. He found out that his boss had recently had an affair and threatened to tell his boss’s wife. He used the money his boss gave him to buy a luxury flat and a fast car for him and his young wife. He is not at all apologetic, and says that his boss is the real criminal for cheating on his wife.
8. Fred Daybrey: Aged 42.
Editor of a newspaper. After his paper printed a story about Danny ‘Funny Man’ Grim, which later turned out to be untrue, Danny’s TV show was cancelled and he lost his home in Barcelona.
C: Decide what you think the punishment should be for each case above. Prepare to give arguments for one case you feel strongly about.
D: Without looking at the completed versions on the previous page, try to fill the gaps below with the right active and passive tenses.
1. Barbara May: Aged 47.
She stole a 4 month old baby from a pushchair parked outside a shop. Despite appeals from the baby’s parents on national TV, the baby ____
only ___________ (return) when Barbara’s husband came back from working on an oil rig in the North Sea a month later. The baby _______ well _________ (look after). Barbara ____________ (try) to have a baby for 10 years.
2. June Mayfield: Aged 29.
She stabbed her husband to death. Her husband _______ (persistently beat) her for many years. Police _____________ (call in) several times by neighbours worried about her, but she refused to press charges. She says she only ________ (pick up) the knife in self-defence. She has no previous convictions.
3. Robert Peel: Aged 36.
He robbed an old lady in the street. He threatened violence but didn’t use any. He has a long record of previous arrests, mainly for shoplifting and pick pocketing but he ___________ (not be) in trouble for a while before this incident. He __________ (have) an ill mother and five children and says that he steals to support them.
4. Frank Gordon. Aged 31.
He _____________ (arrest) for drunk driving. He __________ (find) after he __________ (drive) his car off the road, but no-one was hurt. He ______ nearly _______ (hit) another car 10 minutes before the accident. His team __________ (win) the Champion’s League and he _______________ (celebrate) in a pub with friends, but he is also a regular heavy drinker. He is a travelling salesman and so needs to drive for his job, and has a wife and two children to support.
5. Matthew Barnyard. Aged 21.
He was arrested and convicted for possession of heroin. After the conviction new evidence ___________ (discover) that supports his claim that he bought the drugs only to ease the pain of his dying mother. He is therefore appealing his sentence. In the initial case, a previous conviction for possession of cannabis _____________ (use) in evidence against him.
6. David Badiell: Aged 17.
He is an animal rights activist. He ___________ (arrest) for breaking a security guard’s nose. The security guard tried to remove him from the shop when he ______________ (walk) around verbally abusing customers in the fur department of a large department store. He claims the security guard was to blame.
7. Roger Delfry: Aged 29.
He was arrested for blackmail. He found out that his boss _______ recently _________ (have) an affair and threatened to tell his boss’s wife. He used the money his boss gave him to buy a luxury flat and a fast car for him and his young wife. He is not at all apologetic, and says that his boss is the real criminal for cheating on his wife.
8. Fred Daybrey: Aged 42.
Editor of a newspaper. After his paper printed a story about Danny ‘Funny Man’ Grim, which later ____________ (turn out) to be untrue, Danny’s TV show _________________ (cancel) and he lost his home in Barcelona.
Check your answers with the previous page. Other tenses might be possible in the gaps- check with your teacher.
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PDF version for easy saving and printing: Punishment Passive Tense review
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