Robbing an old lady

[pauline hanson]

Test No. errors/advan-3 "The audience went wild", question 1

He was accused of stealing an old lady in the high street just after she had left the bank.

(a) accused
(b) stealing
(c) just after
(d) had left

Test No. errors/advan-3 "The audience went wild", answer 1

He was accused of robbing an old lady in the high street just after she had left the bank.

Correct entry: robbing
The error was: (b) stealing

You have found the error but your entry is incorrect.
He was accused of stealing from an old lady in the high street just after she had left the bank.
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please explain

[Alan]

You only need to replace one word with another - rob in place of steal. Steal is used in a general sense but rob would be used in this particular incident in the street.
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Piginspandex]

When you steal something, you are taking it. He was not stealing the old lady herself; rather, he was stealing something FROM her.

"To rob" is a synonym for "to steal from".