IELTS vocabulary for crime and punishment topics
Band 6.5–7 vocabulary for IELTS crime and punishment questions, with collocations and example sentences for Writing and Speaking.
By English Grader study guides · AI-assisted educational content · Official sources linked below
The short answer
Learn collocations, not single words: 'reduce reoffending', 'a custodial sentence', 'act as a deterrent'.
Key collocations
- commit a crime
- act as a deterrent
- a custodial / lenient sentence
- reduce reoffending rates
- rehabilitate offenders
In a sentence
Example
Longer prison sentences may act as a deterrent, but education programmes appear more effective at reducing reoffending.
Use it in essays
Crime is a common problem-solution topic.
Related guide: Problem-solution essays
Put this into practice
Open the crime and punishment word list and practise with matching.
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Official sources and further reading
Practice examples and study routines are illustrative advice, not official band-scored answers or predictions of exam questions.