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⚖️ B2 Grammar • 12 Mins Crime & Justice Focus

Past Regrets & Courtroom Rules

Master past advice, errors, permissions, and forced actions using authentic legal contexts.

A solemn, modern courtroom scene showing a judge

📋 How to Use This Lesson

👨‍🏫 For the Teacher

Allocate roughly 12 minutes: 3 minutes reviewing the 4 grammar patterns and 9 minutes for the 12 items.
Direct students to identify whether each courtroom context shows permission, duty, regret, or compulsion.

🧑‍🎓 For the Learner

Read the 4 key structures in the summary table carefully before attempting the exercises.
Work through all 12 practice items from easy to hard, using the bracketed single-word hints for guidance.

⚖️ Courtroom Grammar Framework

4 Core Rules

should have / ought to have + past participle

The right action to take in the past, but it didn't happen.

Example: "The witness should have called the police at once."

shouldn't have + past participle

A past action was a mistake or wrong decision.

Example: "The suspect shouldn't have lied to the police."

be allowed to + base verb

Had permission or legal authorization to do something.

Example: "The suspect was allowed to speak to a lawyer."

be made to + base verb

Was forced or compelled by an authority to do something.

Example: "The offender was made to clean the park as a penalty."

Stage 1

Choose the Correct Sentence (3 Items)

1. Choose the grammatically correct sentence showing legal rights:

(permission)

Context: The suspect was in police custody before questioning.

____ a. The suspect was allowed make one phone call to his family. ____ b. The suspect was allowed to make one phone call to his family. ____ c. The suspect had allowed to make one phone call to his family.

2. Choose the correct sentence expressing a past mistake:

(mistake)

Context: Members of the jury leaked details to reporters before announcing the verdict.

____ a. The jury shouldn't have leaked details of the case to reporters. ____ b. The jury shouldn't have leak details of the case to reporters. ____ c. The jury shouldn't leaked details of the case to reporters.

3. Choose the correct sentence showing forced action in court:

(obligation)

Context: The judge ordered the reluctant man to respond to the lawyer attempting to prosecute him.

____ a. He was made answer every tough question as lawyers tried to prosecute him. ____ b. He made to answer every tough question as lawyers tried to prosecute him. ____ c. He was made to answer every tough question as lawyers tried to prosecute him.

Stage 2

Rewrite the Sentence (3 Items)

A close up of a stylized, official-looking witness report document on a desk, with a pen resting on top of it. Warm natu

4. Complete the rewrite using "should have":

(duty)

Original: It was necessary for the witness to report the offence immediately, but she stayed silent.

The witness ____ immediately.

Write the missing verb phrase including the words "the offence".

5. Complete the rewrite using "shouldn't have":

(regret)

Original: Putting the teenager in prison was a terrible decision by the court.

The court ____ the young offender.

Use the negative past form of "imprison".

6. Complete the rewrite using "ought to have":

(advice)

Original: It was sensible for the victim to ask for police protection before the trial began, but she didn't.

The victim ____ for protection before the trial.

Fill in the phrase starting with "ought to have".

Stage 3

Fill in the Gaps (3 Items)

7. Supply the correct passive form of "make" + verb:

(force)

After breaking traffic laws, the driver ____ a hefty financial penalty.

Use the prompt: (make / pay) in the past simple passive.

8. Supply the negative past form of "allow":

(rule)

During the murder trial, the main suspect ____ the country.

Use the prompt: (not allow / leave) in the past simple passive.

9. Supply the past modal form of "prosecute":

(action)

The authorities ____ the fraudster before more money disappeared.

Use the prompt: (ought to / prosecute).

Stage 4

Spot & Correct the Chat Errors (3 Items)

Chat: Liam & Sophie discussing yesterday's courtroom hearing

Sophie

Did you watch the trial yesterday? It was chaotic from start to finish!

Liam

Yes! First, [10] the suspect was made wait outside for two hours. Then [11] the jury shouldn't believed his story without proof. And finally [12] the victim was allowed tell her side too late.

10. Correct the underlined mistake in phrase [10]:

(made)

Error: "...the suspect was made wait outside..."

Correction: The suspect ____ outside.

Write the corrected verb phrase.

11. Correct the underlined mistake in phrase [11]:

(should)

Error: "...the jury shouldn't believed his story..."

Correction: The jury ____ his story.

Write the corrected verb phrase.

12. Correct the underlined mistake in phrase [12]:

(allowed)

Error: "...the victim was allowed tell her side..."

Correction: The victim ____ her side.

Write the corrected verb phrase.

Past Regrets & Courtroom Rules

Past Regrets & Courtroom Rules

📋 How to Use This Lesson

⚖️ Courtroom Grammar Framework

Choose the Correct Sentence (3 Items)

Rewrite the Sentence (3 Items)

Fill in the Gaps (3 Items)

Spot & Correct the Chat Errors (3 Items)

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