Steal and Rob

By Cecilia Brabin | November 16, 2009

these words are often confused

  • Steal an item from someone or somewhere

    Rob the person or the place

decide whether the sentences are corrrect or incorrect

 

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1. [Multiple choice]

Help we’ve been stolen!

(If the thieves took the speaker away then it would be correct! It’s more likely that items where taken from the speaker.)

Answers for Quiz [1].

  • 1. correct
  • 2. incorrect (correct)

2. [Multiple choice]

The statue was robbed.

(We assume that the statue has been taken so stolen but if the thief took something from the statue (a garment or something it is holding) then it would be possible to use rob.)

Answers for Quiz [2].

  • 1. correct
  • 2. incorrect (correct)

3. [Multiple choice]

She robbed my purse right in front of me!

(Most likely the purse has been taken (steal) (and not just the contents))

Answers for Quiz [3].

  • 1. correct
  • 2. incorrect (correct)

4. [Multiple choice]

I’m afraid they stole the car.

(The car has gone)

Answers for Quiz [4].

  • 1. correct (correct)
  • 2. incorrect

5. [Multiple choice]

Country houses are a good target for thieves and they get robbed often.

(the house has not been taken away so it is, in a sense, a victim and things have been taken from it.)

Answers for Quiz [5].

  • 1. correct (correct)
  • 2. incorrect

6. [Multiple choice]

Can you give me a description of the things that were robbed?

(The ‘things’ have gone so they are stolen, the speaker addresses the victim who has been ‘robbed’)

Answers for Quiz [6].

  • 1. correct
  • 2. incorrect (correct)
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