Question 1

What is the difference between rob and steal?

Accepted Answer

The difference is about what follows the verb. "Rob" focuses on the victim — a person or place: "They robbed the bank" (the bank is the victim). "Steal" focuses on the thing that was taken: "They stole the money" (the money is the object). You can add extra information: "rob someone of something" — "They robbed the bank of two million pounds." "Steal something from someone" — "They stole two million pounds from the bank." A simple test: if the word after the verb is a person or place, use "rob." If it is a thing, use "steal." This test prevents the very common error "someone robbed my phone" — a phone is a thing, so you must say "someone stole my phone."

Question 2

Why is "someone robbed my phone" wrong?

Accepted Answer

"Rob" always takes a person or place as its object — the victim of the crime. A phone is neither a person nor a place, so "robbed my phone" breaks the grammar rule. The correct options are: "Someone stole my phone" (steal + thing taken), "Someone robbed me of my phone" (rob + person + of + thing), or "I was robbed of my phone" (passive — I am the victim). This error is extremely common, even among advanced learners, because in many languages the same verb covers both "rob" and "steal." If you remember one rule — you rob people and places, but you steal things — you will avoid this mistake in writing and speaking examinations.

Question 3

How do I use rob and steal in the passive voice?

Accepted Answer

Both verbs are frequently used in passive constructions, especially in news reports. With "rob," the person or place becomes the subject: "The bank was robbed at gunpoint" (the bank is the victim). With "steal," the thing taken becomes the subject: "Over ten thousand pounds was stolen from the safe" (the money is the object of the crime). You can also combine them: "The bank was robbed and thousands of pounds were stolen." In police reports and news articles, the passive is preferred because it sounds more formal and objective. Notice the irregular past participle: "stolen" (not "stealed"). These passive forms are commonly tested in B1 and B2 grammar and vocabulary examinations.

Rob vs Steal Exercises

Quick Rule

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-ed vs -ing Adjectives

Conditionals

Present Perfect

Reported Speech

Passive Voice

Past Simple