1.

Language Builder - Calling 911

Almost everywhere in the U.S., the number 911 can be called in case of
emergency. When you call this number, the two major questions that need to be
answered are:
"What is your emergency?" and "Where are you located?"

EMERGENCIES
Here we have more examples of questions a dispatcher asks when getting an
emergency call.

911. How can I help you?

Where is your apartment complex located?
Alright, the fire department is on its way. Are you okay?
Do you know where the fire is?
Where are you right now?
Is there anyone else in the house?
Ma'am, if there is a window in your room, open it and stay by it. If not, stay
down on the floor until a fireman reaches you. Do you understand?

Now, let's see the callers replies for the situations above.

My complex is on fire and I'm trapped on the third floor.

130 North 340 West, in South City.
Yes, I'm fine, but I am really scared.
It's in the hallway.
In my bedroom. There's no other way out.
Yes, my little girl is here with me. She's scared.
Yes, I understand.

Why are you calling 911?

They are on the way.

Are you inside the building?

Is there anyone else with you?

How can I help you?

Can you do that?

So I have the address.

What is your address?

PRESENT SIMPLE FOR CUSTOMS AND HABITS

We use the Present Simple to talk about customs and habits.

Affirmative sentences

e.g.: In my country, men go to restaurants on their own. They take their shoes
off.
I drive to work every weekday.

Negatives

e.g.: He doesn't live here.

You don't take wine.
questions.
I don't eat breakfast.

We don't ask personal

Questions

There are two types of questions:

1. With question words: who, what, how, when, where, why, how often,
which etc.
e.g.: What's your first name? How are you? (with the verb "to be" in the
Present)
e.g.: Where do you live?
How often do you work out?
does she smoke? (with other verbs)

Why

2. Without a question word

e.g.: Are you married? Is she happy? (with the verb "to be")
You can answer this type of questions with "Yes" or "No".
e.g.: Do you have any brothers and sisters?
morning?

Does she drink cofee in the

You can answer this type of questions with "Yes" /"No" or by using the
auxiliary verb " Yes, I do."/ "No, I don't." or "Yes, she does."/ "No, she
doesn't."

Adverbs of frequency

You can use adverbs of frequency to say how often things happen.
e.g.:
- The dispatchers are always polite with the callers.
- We usually call for help.
- We often ask someone for help.
- We sometimes receive wrong calls.
- We never ask personal questions.

KINDS OF EMERGENCIES

These are some examples of emergencies you are about to find in the
activity below.

drought - a long period when there is little or no rain;

poisoning - an illness caused by eating, drinking or breathing a dangerous
substance;
landslide - also 'landslip' is when a mass of rock and earth is moving
suddenly and quickly down a steep slope;
rioting - when people go in the street and become violent and aggresive,
harming each other or destroying things and buildings in the city and they
can hardly be controlled by the police;
flash flood - a sudden and severe flood;
depression- a period in which there is very little business activity and not
many jobs;
- a mental illness in which a
person is very unhappy and anxious for long periods and cannot have a
normal life during these periods;
epidemic - the appearance of a particular disease in a large number of
people at the same time.

THE ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY

The frequency adverbs indicate the frequency of an action (how often they
happen).

ALWAYS (100%): Tim always wears jeans.

USUALLY (80%): I usually go to bed at 9.30.
OFTEN (60%): Do you often go to the cinema?
SOMETIMES (40%): Sam sometimes walks to school.
RARELY/ SELDOM (20%): I rarely watch French movies.
NEVER (0%): It never rains here in August.

They usually go between the subject and the verb of a sentence, except the
verbs TO BE and the MODAL VERBS, cases when the adverbs of frequency
go after them.

EX: He always knows what I want.

He is always so nice!

She can usually leave earlier than her coleagues.

'Never' is used only in affirmative sentences because English grammar does not
allow double negation.
Ex: I never walk to work.- the verb is affirmative.
His friends never miss the "Late Show" on TV. - the verb is affirmative.

Exceptions!

Some of the frequency adverbs can change their place. For example, in affirmative
sentences only, the adverb 'sometimes' can go at the beginning of a sentence,
between the subject and the verb or at the end of the sentence.
'Usually' can also go at the beginning of an affirmative sentence.
The place of the frequency adverbs I have just mentioned depend on what
is more important - the frequency or the action.

Ex:
Usually, he drinks coffee in the morning. (the frequency of the action is more
important in this case)
He usually drinks coffee in the morning.

Sometimes, I read in the evening.

I sometimes read in the evening.
I read in the evening sometimes. (the frequency of the action is the least
important)

However, the most important rule you should have in mind when studying
the frequency adverbs is that, no matter the type of a sentence, they stay
before the main verb (except TO BE and the modals).
Ex: I don't usually sleep late. ("sleep" is the main verb of the sentence)
Do you always drink two coffees a day? ("drink" is the main verb of the sentence)
She often leaves town at weekends. ("leave" is the main verb of the sentence)

HEALTH: INJURIES

LANGUAGE BUILDER

1. COMMON INJURIES

An injury is damage to part(s) of your body, ususally caused by an accident at

home, on the roads or during a game, e.g. a football game. Here are some
examples of common injuries:
What's the problem?
Result

How did it happen?

Solution

I cut my finger
bleeding a bit

using a knife
a plaster

I cut my leg quite badly

quite a lot
a bandage

I fell over

I twisted my ankle
on it easily
rest

running for a bus

I broke my arm
it

I fell off my bike

plaster and a sling

it's
it's bleeding
I can't walk
I can't use

Ive got concussion

I burnt my hand
painful

taking smth. out of the oven

special cream/ ointment

Ive got a bruise on my arm

and bluish
ice pack

I hit it on the side of my desk

its very
its swollen

2. HOSPITAL TREATMENT

to knock oneself unconscious - to make someone feel very weak or even

faint;
ambulance - a special vehicle used to take ill or injured people to the
hospital;
unconscious - in the state of having lost consciousness, especially as the
result of a head injury;
to be rushed - taken very quickly;
blood tests - a scientific examination of a person's blood to find out whether
they have any diseases or lack any important substances;
to collide with someone or something - to hit someone or something
violently;
cut - an injury made when the skin is cut with something sharp;
stich - a length of special thread used to join the edges of a deep cut in the
flesh.

3. WOUNDS AND INJURIES

Wound (noun or verb) and injury are both used to describe damage to the body,
but a wound is generally caused by weapons (e.g. gun or knife) and it is usually
intentional.
Examples:
1. He shot the man in the chest. (=a bullet wound or gunshot wound in the
chest, from a gun);
2. He stabbed him in the back.(= a knife wound or stab wound in the back);
3. He got into a fight and got beaten up. He had a black eye and two broken
ribs.

Useful vocabulary:

- jet lag = the feeling of tiredness and confusion which people experience after
making a long journey in an aircraft to a place where the time is different from the
place they left;
- stomach upsets = stomachache or pain in your stomach;
- bite (noun)= a sore place or injury where an animal or insect has bitten you;

- sunstroke = an illness caused by spending too much time in strong heat and light from the
sun.

The Present Simple

You use this tense to talk about:
- a habit - e.g.: He smokes twenty cigarettes a day.
- a personal characteristic - e.g.: She plays the piano.
- a general truth - e.g.: You change money in a bank.

The Earth is round.

There is an idea that the action or state is permanent.

The Present Continuous

You use this tense to say what is happening now or around now.
e.g.: It's raining.

He's drawing a picture.

I'm learning English.

There is an idea that the action or state is temporary.

You form the Present Continuous with is/are + Present Participle (V + ing).
e.g.: I'm looking at the photos.
Questions
Negatives

She's waiting for a bus.

Short

answers

Is he drawing?
isn't drawing.
Are you going home?
going home

Yes, he is. No, he isn't.

Yes, I am. No, I'm not.

He
I'm not

How to talk about health problems

In life one of the most important things you can do is to look after your health.
When we have a health problem we can go and see a doctor.
Now let's see the English you need to discuss bad health.

Symptoms
When you see the doctor he (or she) might ask you 'What's wrong?' or 'What's the
problem?' A more specialised question is 'What are your symptoms?'
Symptoms are any feelings of illness or discomfort which are caused by a health
problem.
e.g. If you had the flu (influenza) your symptoms would be a fever, a runny nose
and coughing.
The doctor might also ask 'When did the symptoms start?'

Diagnosis
After telling the doctor your symptoms he will tell you the name of your problem. A
diagnosis is when a doctor tells you the medical name of your problem.
For example, you tell your doctor your symptoms: 'I have a fever, a runny nose and
I have been sneezing.' Your doctor says: 'My diagnosis is that you have the flu.'

Explaining your problem

Look at this form we can use to talk about our health problems:
'I have a cough.' (PRESENT SIMPLE)
The Present Simple is used to focus on a situation at the present. It is more
common to use the present simple than other tenses when we see a doctor: 'My
head hurts' is more common than 'My head is hurting'.
We also use:

I have + noun

I feel + adjective

'I have a bad back'

'I have a sore throat.'
'I have a fever.'

'I feel dizzy.'

'I feel under the weather.'

Types of illness
Allergy
(adjective - Allergic) To have a bad reaction to animals, dust, foods or plants. The
symptoms are red eyes, runny nose and sneezing.
Cough
(verb - To cough) Pronounced 'coff'. To force air out of the lungs making a loud
and uncomfortable noise:'Smoking makes me cough.'
Dizziness
(adjective - Dizzy). To have the feeling that everything around you is spinning.'I
felt dizzy after standing up too quickly when I was in the bath.'
Fever / Temperature
A rise in body temperature. To feel hot.
The Flu
(also called Influenza) A very strong cold caused by a virus. Symptoms include:
fever, headache, runny nose and sneezing.
Hay Fever
An allergy to plants and the pollen from flowers. The symptoms are red eyes, a
runny nose and sneezing.
Insomnia
Not being able to sleep at night.
Rash
Uncomfortable, itchy, red spots on the skin. A skin condition. 'She got a rash on her
hand after touching a strange plant.'
Rundown / Under the Weather
(idioms) Both of these mean a general feeling of sickness. Rundown usually comes
from living an unhealthy lifestyle. Under the weather means to not feel your
usual, healthy self.
Runny Nose
Mucus coming from the nose. The need to blow your nose a lot.
Sneeze
(verb to Sneeze) An uncontrollable movement of air from the nose and mouth.
'The strong smell of flowers makes me sneeze.'

Sunburn
Red and painful skin that comes from being in the sun too long.

Something ache / sore something / bad something

These three forms are usually used to talk about general problems. These are the
common collocations:

+ ache

bad +

sore +

headache /
backache /
stomachache/
muscle ache

bad back
bad head
bad leg

sore eyes
sore throat
sore feet

FIRST AID

Unfortunately, accidents happen quite often and different emergencies require

different kinds of first aid. That's why we need to know how to give first aid in order
to save a life. But, before giving the first aid, we must assess the condition of the
victim. And, remember, under no circumstances, must we move the victim unless
absolutely necessary, as in the case of fire or traffic.

I. Read carefully the four kinds of First Aid that might be needed in case of
an emergency.

First Aid for severe bleeding

a. Keep the bleeding person lying down and inactive, to slow the flow of blood.
b. Press on the wound firmly with your fingers to flatten the cut blood vessels.
c. If the wound is on an unbroken arm or leg, raise the arm or leg above the level
of the person's heart.

First Aid in case of a broken arm

a. Do not try to move the victim unless you need to move away from further
danger.
b. If the break is an open fracture, you must stop bleeding by applying pressure
directly to the wound.
c. Call for medical help.

First Aid in case of electric shock

a. If possible, switch off the current before approaching the casualty. If this is not
possible, use a piece of wood to move the casualty away from the power source.
b. Never apply water to a burn from an electric shock while the casualty is still in
contact with the electric current.
c. Treat such burns as any other burns described above.
d. After such an accident, the patient will be in shock. Keep him/ her warm and
reassure him/ her by remaining calm.

First Aid in case of poisoning

a. Don't delay if you suspect poisoning. Ring for an ambulance.
b. If the casualty is conscious, but the lips and mouth are stained from swallowing
the substance, dilute the poison by getting the casualty to drink milk or water.
c. Take the casualty to hospital and remember to take with you any empty bottles
or containers to show what has been swallowed.

VOCABULARY STUDY
1. MEDICAL ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

The abbreviations below are widely used in emergency situations,

especially in speaking. Read them carefully and then do the following
activities.
AIDS
ABBREVIATION FOR Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome: a serious disease
caused by a virus which destroys the body's natural protection from infection, and
which usually causes death.
Ex:
In Britain, AIDS tests are now performed on all people who offer to become blood
donors.
Don had full-blown AIDS for over a year before he died.
HIV
ABBREVIATION FOR Human Immunodeficiency Virus: the virus that causes AIDS (=
a serious disease that destroys the body's ability to fight infection)

CPR/ Resuscitation
ABBREVIATION FOR cardiopulmonary resuscitation: a method used to keep
someone alive in a medical emergency, in which you blow into their mouth then
press on their chest and then repeat the process;
to administer/perform CPR

CC- measurement of volume

ABBREVIATION FOR cubic centimetre

E.R./ ER
ABBREVIATION FOR Emergency Room

O.R./ OR
US ABBREVIATION FOR operating room

M.R.I.
ABBREVIATION FOR magnetic resonance imaging: a system for producing electronic
pictures of the organs inside a person's body, using radio waves and a strong
magnetic field

I.V./ IV
ABBREVIATION FOR intravenous:
Ex: IV drug users

2. SERIOUS CONDITIONS

APPENDICITIS - it is an illness in which the appendix is infected and painful and

usually needs to be removed in an operation;
HEPATITIS - it is a serious disease of the liver. There are three main types of
hepatitis: hepatitis A, B and C;
ASTHMA - or respiratory disorder, it's a medical condition which makes breathing
difficult by causing the air passages to become narrow or blocked: an asthma
sufferer/ attack;
ULCER - it consists in a break in the skin or on the surface of an organ inside the
body, which does not heal naturally: a mouth/stomach ulcer;
ARTHRITIS - it is a serious condition in which a person's joints become painful,
swollen and stiff:
Ex: In later life she was crippled with arthritis.
MIGRAINE - a severe continuous pain in the head, often with vomiting and
difficulty in seeing: a migraine headache;
MALARIA - a disease that you can get from the bite of a particular type of
mosquito (= a small flying insect), which causes periods of fever and makes you
feel very cold and shake. It is common in many hotter parts of the world;

CANCER - it is a serious disease that is caused when cells in the body grow in a
way that is uncontrolled and not normal, killing normal cells and often causing
death;
TYPHOID (FEVER) - it is an infectious disease spread by dirty water and food,
causing a high body temperature, red spots on the upper body, severe pains in the
bowels and sometimes death.

PAST TENSE SIMPLE

You use this tense to talk about a past action or event that is finished.

e.g. We walked toward each other.

She turned her head to me.

You form the Past Simple of most regular verbs by adding -ed.

walk

- walked - I walked on by myself.

watch - watched - She watched television all night.

cook

- cooked - My mother cooked a delicious meal yesterday.

Many verbs have an irregular past simple form.

leave left
teach - taught

see - saw

give - gave

Questions

meet - met

Short answers
Negatives

Was the first package trip in 1841?

She didnt/ did not leave.

Yes, it was.

No, it wasnt.

Did Cook live in Leicester?

Jane didnt/ did not cook.

Yes, he did.

No, he didnt.

You can use who, what or which to ask about the subject of the sentence.
You dont use did.

e.g. Who organized the first package trip?

What made him angry?

Thomas Cook.
The meeting.

You can use who, what or which and other question words to ask about the
object of the sentence.
You use did.
e.g. Who did he take on the first package trip?
What did he do on his vacation?

500 workers.
He visited many cities.

Compare:
Subject

Who introduced travelers checks?

Thomas Cook.

Object

What did Thomas Cook introduce? Travelers checks.

LANGUAGE BUILDER
DISASTERS & TRAGEDIES

Global Problems are a major issue the world is facing nowadays. Most of them are
the result of our attitude towards our planet and its resources. That's why we speak
about pollution in big cities, famine in IIIrd World countries, epidemics (diseases
affecting large numbers of people), civil wars and other conflicts. These are
natural disasters and tragedies.
A disaster is when something terrible happens, which often results in death,
destruction and suffering. Here are a few examples of disasters:

volcanic eruption - hot rock and gases pour from a mountain;

earthquake - the earth moves/ trembles;
flood - too much rain;
drought - no rain;
hurricane/ tornado/ typhoon - violent winds/ storms;
forest fire - a result of drought;
tidal wave - an extremely large wave caused by movement of the earth
under the sea, often caused by an earthquake;

Verbs connected with the words above

A volcano has erupted in Indonesia. Hundreds are feared dead. = to explode or
burst out suddenly
The flu epidemic spread rapidly throughout the country. = an infectious illness
which is like a very bad cold, but which causes a fever
Millions are starving as a result of the femine. = become very weak or die
because there is not enough food to eat
A big earthquake shook the city at noon today. = to move backwards and forwards
in quick, short movements

The area is suffering its worst drought for many years.

Civil war broke out in the north of the country. = If something dangerous or
unpleasant breaks out, it suddenly starts
A tornado swept through the islands yesterday. = to remove and/or take in a
particular direction, especially in a fast and powerful way
Remember: injure (people) and damage (things)

Words for people involved in disasters/ tragedies

The explosion resulted in 300 casualties. = dead and injured people
The real victims of the civil war are the children left out without parents. = those
who suffer the result of the disaster
There were only three survivors. All the other passengers died instantly = people
who live through a disaster
Thousand of refugees crossed the border looking for food and shelter. = a person
who has escaped from their own country for political, religious or economic reasons
or because of a war
During the battle, the dead and wounded were flown out in helicopters. = injured
in a battle by a weapon

Headlines
'Rabies out of control in many parts of Asia' = disease can be caused by bite from
a dog, a fox, etc.; very serious
'... yellow fever figures drop' = tropical disease; skin goes yellow
'New Malaria Drug Tested' = usually caught by mosquito bites
'Minister says fight against leprosy goes on' = terrible skin desease; leaves the
skin deformed
'Cholera and typhoid injections not needed says Tourism Minister' = diseases
casusing sickness, diarrohea; often due to infected food or water

PAST TENSE CONTINUOUS OR PROGRESSIVE

1. Past Continuous or Progressive is used with WHEN for interrupted

actions.
Your form the Past Continuous:
WAS/WERE + PRESENT PARTICIPLE of the main verb (VERB + "-ING"
ending)
Ex:
I was watching television.

You were typing a letter.

He was drinking his morning coffee.
They were having a party.
We were walking in the park.

You use the Past Continuous to talk about something that was in progress
at a specific time in the past.

What were you doing at nine o'clock yesterday morning? I was going to work.

You also use the Past Continuous Tense to talk about something that was
in progress at the time something else happened or interrupted it. In this
case you join the two parts of the sentence with WHEN. The verb in the
clause starting with WHEN is usually in the Past Simple. Read the
examples below.
Ex:
I was cooking when he called.
They were swimming when she left.
He was doing his homework when the phone rang.
I was watching TV when I heard a strange noise downstairs.

Remember that you don't usually use the following verbs in the continuous
tenses:
BELIEVE, FEEL, HEAR, KNOW, LIKE, SEE, SMELL, SOUND, TASTE, THINK,
UNDERSTAND, WANT, etc.
For more information study again the list of verbs that are not used in
continuous tenses which is presented in Unit 2, Grammar 1.
2. You can use the Past Continuous with WHILE to talk about something
that was in progress at the time something else happened or interrupted it.
You need a comma at the end of the clause starting with WHILE.
Ex:
While they were visiting the Palace, one of the women had an idea.
You can also put the WHILE clause at the end of the sentence. You don't
need a comma.
Ex:
One of the women had an idea while they were visiting the Palace.

You use WHEN + Past Simple to describe two things which happened one
after the other. The second verb is often in the Past Simple.
Ex:
When the women got closer, they saw some people in eighteenth-century clothes.

You can also say:

The women saw some people in their eighteenth-century clothes when they got
closer.

LANGUAGE BUILDER
A DOMESTIC FIRE

Seven thousand people are injured in kitchen fires each year and that doesnt
include the people who are killed.
Nearly two thirds of all domestic fires happen because of cooking. The kitchen is the
single most dangerous place in your home or in a restaurant, and time and time
again it is the same problems that cause fires. If you know about those problems,
the chances are that you will be less likely to have a fire in your kitchen.
FRYING
Deep fat fryers fires cause one fifth of all accidental dwelling fires attended by the
Fire and Rescue Service in the UK each year. About twenty people are killed or
injured every day in accidental fires that start in their kitchen, the most common of
these are caused by deep fat frying. If you do choose to use a deep fat fryer, make
sure you do it safely.
Think about what youre doing when youre deep fat frying; remember you are
heating several pints of oil to extremely high temperatures. The oil can cause
terrible burns and go up in flames. In fact, its an ideal fuel for a fire, and difficult to
put out.
A few tips:

Never fill a deep fat fryer more than a third full of oil.
The safest way to deep fry is to use a thermostat-controlled electric deep fat
fryer. Its thermostat stops it from overheating, better still choose oven chips.
Never leave your cooking unattended, even if the phone or doorbell rings.
Remember, fires start when your attention stops.
Dry your food in a clean tea towel before putting it in the fryer this is
because water can make the oil erupt violently.
Test the temperature with a small piece of bread or potato. If it crisps
quickly, the oil is too hot so turn off the heat and leave it to cool.
If there are flames, never throw water over the pan, otherwise it will erupt
violently spreading the fire.

USEFUL VOCABULARY

SAFE = not dangerous or unlikely to cause harm.

HEAT= the quality of being hot or warm, or the high temperature of something:
the heat of the sun/ fire
ex: Cook the meat on a high/ low heat (= at a higher/ lower temperature).
TO OVERHEAT = become hotter than necessary or desirable.
ex.: I think the engine is overheating.
TO TURN smth. OFF= to use a control to switch a piece of equipment or a power
or water supply off, or to reduce what it is producing
ex.: Turn off/ out the light/ cooker/ heating a.s.o.
FLAME(S)= burning gas (from something on fire) which usually produces yellow
light.
ex:
The flames grew larger as the fire spread.
When the fire engine arrived, the house was already in flames (= burning).
TO SPREAD = to (cause to) cover, reach or have an effect on a wider or increasing
area.
ex: The fire spread very rapidly because of the strong wind.
TO EVACUATE = to move people from a dangerous place to somewhere safe.
ex: The police evacuated the village shortly before the explosion.
TRAP = a dangerous or unpleasant situation which you have got into and from
which it is difficult or impossible to escape.
RESCUE = to help someone or something out of a dangerous, harmful or
unpleasant situation.
ex: The lifeboat rescued the sailors from the sinking boat.
BURN(S) = a place where fire or heat has hurt or damaged something.
ex:
One rescue worker caught in the explosion sustained severe burns.
I noticed a cigarette burn in the carpet.
1. LANGUAGE BUILDER FOR POLITE REQUESTS

MAKING A REQUEST/

RESPONSES

Would it be all right if ...?

Sure, no problem.

Could we please ...?

All right.

Would you mind if ...?

Ok.

May I ...?

Sure.

Would you please ...?

Yes.

Will you ...? Can you ...?

I'll do it right away.

I'm sorry to ask, but could ...

Yes, of course.

I'm wondering if it's possible to ...

I think we can do that.

OFFERING ASSISTANCE

REFUSING ASSISTANCE

Let me get it for you.

No, don't bother. I can do it myself.

Can I help you with that?

No, it's all right. I can manage.

How about me getting it for you?

Thanks a lot, but I am okay.

Would you like me to get it for you?

If you want, I could get it for you.
Shall I ...?

ASKING FOR PERMISSION

PERMISSION GIVEN

I'm going to ...

OK.

I thought I'd ...

Sure, go ahead.

I'd like to ...

Yes, I guess so.

Is it OK if I ...?

All right.

Anybody mind if I ...?

Do you mind if I ...?/

PERMISSION DENIED

Is it all right if I ...?

That's not a very good idea.

Would it be okay if I ...?

No, please don't.

Would you mind if I ...?

I'd rather you didn't.

I wonder if I could possibly ...?

I'm sorry, but ...

I hope you don't mind, but I ...

2. FORMALLY ASKING FOR PERMISSION

There are several ways of asking, giving and refusing permission. The most
common ways to politely ask for permission is to use 'Can I..?' or 'Could I ...?'.
'May I ...?' sounds very polite and formal and 'Might I ...?' sounds even more
formal. You can add "please" to be more polite.
There are other, more indirect ways of asking for permission to do something. One
of them is the expression 'Would it be all right if ...?', or 'Do you mind if ...?'.
In formal situations you can also add "if I may' after stating your intention to do
something.

There are many words and expressions that you can use to give someone
permission to do something when they have just asked you for it. 'Of course', 'Yes,
do', 'By all means' are formal and emphatic.
If you are not certain or enthusiastic about giving permission, you can say 'I don't
see why not'. You can also give someone permission to do something by simply
saying 'You may ...'.

CRIME
LANGUAGE BUILDER

A. Against the Law

If you do something illegal (= wrong/ against the law), then you have
commited a crime/ felony. Most people commit a crime at some time in their
lives, e.g. driving above the speed limit, parking illegally, stealing sweets from a
shop when they were children, etc.

B. Crimes
Crime/

Criminal (= person)/
Verb

theft (= general word for stealing)

thief
to steal ( also 'to take')
robbery (= steal from people or places)
robber
to rob
burglary (= break into a shop/house and steal)
burglar
to burgle/ break into
shoplifting (= steal from shops when open)
shoplifter
to shoplift
murder (= kill someone by intention)
murderer
to murder
manslaughter (= kill someone by accident)
rape (=force someone to have sexual intercourse)
rapist
to rape

C. Crime Prevention

What can governments do to fight crime (= take action to stop crime)? These
things happen in some countries, although many people may think that this is not a
good idea.
Police carry (= have) guns.
Police are allowed to (= are permitted to) stop anyone in the street and question
them.
The court gives tougher punishments for crimes commited than in the past (e.g.
bigger fines or longer prison sentences than in the past).
There is capital punishment (= death, e.g. by electric chair or hanging) for some
crimes.
What can individuals do to prevent a crime from happening (= stop a crime
happening)?
Here are things some people do to protect themselves and their property (=
home and land), although you may not think they are all a good idea.
Don't walk along dark streets late at night (e.g. midnight) on your own (= alone).
Lock all doors and windows when you go out.
Don't wear expensive jewellery.
Leave lights on at home when you go out.
Fit (= install) a burglar alarm (= a machine which makes a noise if someone
enters your home).
Make sure your money is safe, e.g. wear a money belt.
Put money and valuables (= valuable possessions) in a safe (= a strong, metal
box which is very difficult to open or break).
People should be able to defend themselves. There are self-defense classes that
help a lot.