Types of crimes against property or theft exercise

The most commonly committed crimes in the world are those of theft of objects (also called larceny). But not all crimes where theft occurs are called theft in the law. Depending on what is taken, how it is taken and when it is taken determines what the name of the action is called.

In this online exercise you will not only learn, understand and remember the names of the different crimes where theft occurs, but you will also learn the names of crimes where there is damage to people's property or possessions. These are the names of the crimes in the common law legal system, the system of law which is used in the majority of English-speaking countries.

Do the quiz at the end of the exercise to both ensure you correctly understand the different criminal offences and to help you to remember them in the future.

However, before you start, you need to be aware that although the names of most criminal offences are the same or very similar in all countries which have a legal system based on common law, some crimes do have different names in different countries (or even states in America). For example, aggravated burglary in the English legal system is generally called home invasion in the American legal system. Where a criminal offence has different names to that in the exercise, this name (or names) will be given in the learn more section for each question in the exercise quiz at the end of the web page.

To learn the names of crimes which involve stealing in financial and business situations, do our online exercise on the types of financial crimes.

To learn the names of violent crimes, do our online exercise on types of crimes against people part 1.

Exercise: Crimes against property

Read the following conversation between two friends, Peter and Juan, who are talking about crimes where theft occurs or against property.

The words in bold are the names of different types of criminal offences. Remember them because at the end of the text there is a quiz to check your understanding.

Peter:'Have you heard what happened to Julie?'

Juan:'No! Nothing bad I hope.'

Peter:'Well, there was a burglary at her house last week.'

Juan:'That's terrible! I hope she wasn't attacked when it happened.'

Peter:'It was just a burglary. Fortunately, she or her family weren't there when it happened. They stole the TV, jewellery and money from her house. If she was there and was attacked or threatened with violence by the criminal when it was happening, then it would be called an aggravated burglary. But fortunately that didn't happen.'

Juan:'I'm pleased that didn't happen. Would it be called a burglary if you entered somebody's property without their permission, but you have no intention to do anything criminal, like steal something, while you are there.'

Peter:'No, it isn't. For it to be considered burglary, there has to be either the intention or the act of doing something else illegal whilst you are there. The most common reason for committing a burglary is stealing things from the property, which is called theft in English.

But even if you have no intention of doing or don't do another crime whilst you are on someone's property without their permission, it is still a crime. That is called trespass in English. You would be trespassing even if you enter somebody's private garden without their permission. But if you damage their property (e.g. force a lock or damage a fence) or possessions whilst you are there, then you would be committing the additional crime of criminal damage.'

Juan:'So, what If I was on the street and I broke the window of someone's house without entering the property. Would that be committing the crime of trespass and criminal damage?'

Peter:'Trespass, no. But criminal damage, yes. You would probably be charged with a type of criminal damage called vandalism. It is a type of criminal damage where you damage someone's property. Graffiti or even throwing eggs at someone's house or car are acts of vandalism.'

Juan:'OK. So if I set fire to somebody's property, would that be called vandalism?'

Peter:'Like vandalism, it is a type of criminal damage, but it isn't an act of vandalism. Setting fire to someone's property is called arson.'

Juan:'I didn't know that before. Oh, I didn't tell you that I saw someone committing a crime in the supermarket yesterday. She was hiding things from the supermarket in her coat.'

Peter:'Well, if she left the supermarket without paying, she was committing the crime of shoplifting. Not a serious or a violent crime but it is still theft like pickpocketing.'

Juan:'What's that?'

Peter:'Pickpocketing is when somebody steals something like a wallet, a watch, a bag from you without initially knowing that it has been stolen. It often happens in public places like in the street, on trains or in bars.'

Juan:'Somebody I know had their wallet and phone stolen in the street by somebody with a knife in central London.'

Peter:'When someone threatens or uses violence to get you to give them your possessions, that is not pickpocketing, it is called mugging. Unlike pickpocketing, you know the theft is happening at the time and you are afraid.'

Juan:'They are very different.'

Peter:'A mugging is a type of robbery. A theft can happen without a threat or use of violence or fear. Whereas with a robbery, there is always the use or threat of use of violence or fear. Like for example, a bank robbery or a carjacking (where someone forces a person out of their car and then steals it).'

Juan:'I have heard people use the word extortion, is that the same as robbery?'

Peter:'They are similar, but different. A robbery is when you force somebody to give you something at the moment it is happening, whereas with extortion the victim often promises to give the criminal what they want to take from them at some time in the future. With robbery, the criminal always uses or threatens to use violence or fear. Whereas, in extortion, they can do that (e.g. threaten to burn somebody's house if they don't do what they want), but they can also threaten to hurt somebody else or threaten to reveal information about the victim, which they don't want others to know.'

Juan:'When you either force someone to do something or give you something by threatening to reveal information about the person which they don't want others to know, isn't that called blackmail?'

Peter:'Yes, it is. It is a type of extortion where although the person doesn't want to do or give what the criminal wants, they kind of agree to do or give it. That is basically what extortion is.'

Click to see more legal English exercises

Quiz:

Below is a definition/description of each of the crimes in bold from the above text. Now choose the crime from the question's selection box which you believe answers each question. Only use one crime once. Click on the "Check Answers" button at the bottom of the quiz to check your answers.

When the answer is correct, two icons will appear next to the question which you can press/click on. In the first icon, , you can find extra information about the word/phrase (e.g. when, where and how to use etc...). In the second, , is where you can listen to the word/phrase.

1. A type of criminal damage where's parts of a person's property (e.g. house) are damaged or destroyed, is called

Vandalism:
(noun) It is a type of criminal damage. It is the action which involves the deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property. This can include defacement of property (e.g. graffiti or throwing eggs at a property), cutting down trees without permission, breaking windows, arson etc...

Vandalism:

2. Intentionally setting fire to a person's property (e.g. a house, a car etc...), is called

Arson:
(noun) It is a type of criminal damage which involves the intentional and malicious act of burning or setting fire (or attempting to) to another person's property. It can be with or without intent to defraud (e.g. for insurance). This not only refers to the burning of a building, it can also be the burning of a vehicle or even a forest or a field on a farm.

Arson:

3. A type of theft (normally in a public place) where a person's possessions are secretly stolen from them, is called

Pickpocketing:
(noun) It is a type of theft which involves the stealing of money or other valuables from a person (from their pocket or bag for example) without them noticing the theft at the time. Taking someone's bag without them noticing could also be regarded as pickpocketing in some countries. If it isn't, it would be regarded as theft or theft by unlawful taking.

Pickpocketing:

4. Entering into somebody's property without their knowledge or permission to steal or take something, is called

Burglary:
(noun) A type of theft in which a person enters a property/building without the owner's permission with the intent to perform a crime (normally like the theft or something or obtaining some information). If someone is present during the act of the crime and the perpetrator uses force or the threat of force with them then the person committing the crime can be charged with aggravated burglary / home invasion which is a more severe crime.

Burglary:

5. The general name of stealing a person's possessions, money or property, is called

Theft:
(noun) It is also called "larceny" (when it is only physical objects). It is the taking of another person's property, possessions, money, services or identity without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. It is often done when the person being robbed is unaware at the time of it happening. So it is without the threat or use of violence. Examples of theft include: burglary, shoplifting, pickpocketing, car theft etc... Where a theft occurs with the threat or use of violence, it is called a robbery or aggravated is added to the crime, e.g. aggravated burglary.

Theft:

6. Knowingly takings items for sale from a retail business or store without paying for them, is called

Shoplifting:
(noun) Also called "retail theft" in America. It is a type of theft where a person intentionally takes goods from a retail establishment in which they are displayed for sale, without paying for them.

Shoplifting:

7. Entering into somebody's property without their permission to steal or take something and then using or threatening violence while there, is called

Aggravated burglary:
(noun) It is also called "home invasion" in America. A type of burglary in which a person not only enters a property/building without the owner's permission to commit theft, but also encounters somebody when they are there. It is called an aggravated burglary if the perpetrator then uses force/violence or the threat of force/violence against the victim(s) when committing the burglary. Being charged with committing an aggravated burglary/home invasion is a much more severe crime than a simple burglary.

Aggravated burglary:

8. Breaking another person's window, destroying another person's television or smashing another person's plates and cups, are all examples of

Criminal damage:
(noun) Crimes where damage is caused to the property or possessions of another person. Examples of criminal damage include arson, forced entry into a property, graffiti on a public building, and destruction/damage of items belonging to another.

Criminal damage:

9. Entering into or onto somebody's property without their knowledge or permission without any intention to commit another criminal act, is called

Trespass:
(noun) A minor crime when a person enters someone's property without permission to do so where there is no intention to commit a further crime (like with a burglary) and no damage is done to the property while entering or there. If damage is done while entering the property, it is called breaking and entering in US law, while in UK law it is called trespass with criminal damage.

Trespass:

10. A type of extortion where the perpetrator forces the victim to do something for them by threatening to reveal some information to others which the victim wants to keep hidden, is called

Blackmail:
(noun) A type of extortion where threats are made of revealing secret information (e.g. a person having an affair, nude photos of a person) about the victim to others. The perpetrator of blackmail can then either use this information to demand payment from the victim or force them to do action which they are unwilling to do.

Blackmail:

11. The common name for a type of robbery which happens in a public place where a person is forced through the use or threat of violence to give the perpetrator their money or possessions, is called

Mugging:
(noun) It is the popular name for a type of robbery in which a person is robbed in a public place of personal belongings, such as money, jewellery, or electronic devices. It involves the use of violence or the threat of violence. A person who performs a mugging, would be charged or convicted of robbery, not mugging by law enforcement agencies or the courts.

Mugging:

12. Where the use of violence or the threat of doing something bad to the victim is used to force the victim to agree to do something often at some time in future, it is called

Extortion:
(noun) It is the act of getting something, usually money, through the threat or use of violence or through threatening to do something if the person doesn't agree to do or give the perpetrator something. In many ways, it is similar to robbery. However, unlike robbery, there is a degree of consent from the victim and the things are given to the perpetrators at some time in the future, whereas with robbery the things are always given/taken at the time the robbery is taking place. Examples of extortion are blackmail and also protection rackets (where someone forces a property owner to pay them money in order to prevent something bad happening to their property in the future).

Extortion:

13. The general name for crimes where violence or the threat of violence is used at the time of stealing something, is called

Robbery:
(noun) It is a form of theft where just before or while the theft is occurring the perpetrator threatens or uses violence in order to force a person to give their property, possessions or money to them unwillingly. As a result, it is regarded as a more serious crime than simple theft. Examples of robberies are bank robberies, armed robbery, home invasions/aggravated burglaries and muggings.

Robbery:

To learn the names of crimes which involve stealing in financial and business situations, do our online exercise on the types of financial crimes.

To learn the names of violent crimes, do our online exercise on types of crimes against people part 1.

Click to see more legal English exercises

Practice

Now that you understand the new vocabulary, practise it by creating your own sentences with the new words/phrases.

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