commit a crime

Meaning

To 'commit a crime' means to do something illegal or perform an act that is punishable by law. It is the standard, natural collocation in English; we rarely say 'make a crime' or 'do a crime.' It is used in everyday discussions, news reports, and legal contexts.

Examples

• He was arrested because the police believed he was about to commit a crime.

  He was arrested because the police believed he was about to commit a crime.

• Desperate financial situations sometimes drive people to commit a crime.

  Desperate financial situations sometimes drive people to commit a crime.

• If you commit a crime in a foreign country, you are still subject to their laws.

  If you commit a crime in a foreign country, you are still subject to their laws.

• The documentary explores why some individuals repeatedly commit crimes.

  The documentary explores why some individuals repeatedly commit crimes.

• She had never committed a crime in her life before that fateful night.

  She had never committed a crime in her life before that fateful night.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ He made a serious crime when he was younger.

  ✓ He committed a serious crime when he was younger.

  In English, we do not 'make' or 'do' crimes. The correct verb collocation is always 'commit'.

• ✗ The suspect was caught committing of a crime.

  ✓ The suspect was caught committing a crime.

  The verb 'commit' is transitive and takes a direct object. Do not use the preposition 'of' after it.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Statistics show that fewer people ___ crimes during the day.

  💡 Use the plural present tense verb.

  Show answer

  commit

• He was sentenced to five years in prison for ___ a crime.

  💡 Use the -ing form of the verb after the preposition 'for'.

  Show answer

  committing