Dealing with a Break-In Scare

Rahul comes home late one night to find the back door slightly ajar and a window latch broken, and has to work out, heart racing, whether anyone actually got inside.

Meanings in Rahul, Priya, police officer

Key words and phrases

break-inan act of entering a building illegally, often by forceHe feared there had been a break-in while they were out.

ajarslightly openThe back door was left ajar.

latcha small mechanical fastener used to keep a door or window closedThe window latch was broken, and glass lay on the floor.

heart racinga feeling of the heart beating fast due to fear or anxietyHis heart was racing as he stepped inside.

call the policeto contact law enforcement for helpPriya told him to call the police immediately.

check the premisesto inspect a property to make sure it is safeThe officer checked the premises room by room.

missing itema possession that cannot be found and may have been stolenThey checked the whole house for any missing item.

false alarma warning about danger that turns out to be unnecessaryTo their relief, it turned out to be a false alarm.

file a reportto formally record an incident with the policeThe officer asked if they wanted to file a report.

stray animalan animal without an owner wandering freely, such as a street dog or catIt turned out a stray animal had pushed the door open.

on edgefeeling nervous, tense, or easily startledThe whole family was on edge for a few days afterward.

reinforce the locksto strengthen or upgrade door and window fastenings for better securityThey decided to reinforce the locks the very next day.

double-checkto verify something a second time to be certainHe started to double-check every door before leaving the house.

safe and soundunharmed and in good conditionEverything in the house was safe and sound, thankfully.

shaken upemotionally disturbed or upset by a frightening eventPriya was still a bit shaken up the next morning.

Useful sentences

Ask Why is your heart racing? What's wrong?
Answer The back door was left ajar, I don't remember leaving it like that.
Ask Should we call the police right away?
Answer Yes, let's not take any chances tonight.
Ask Did the officer check the premises thoroughly?
Answer Yes, he went through every room carefully.
Ask Was anything actually stolen?
Answer No missing item so far, thankfully.
Ask So was it just a false alarm in the end?
Answer It looks like a stray animal pushed the door open, actually.
Ask Do you still want to file a report anyway?
Answer Yes, just to have it on record.
Ask Are you feeling on edge after all this?
Answer A little, I'll probably double-check the locks every night now.
Ask Is Priya shaken up by what happened?
Answer A bit, but she's relieved everyone is safe and sound.

Dialogue

RahulPriya, come look at this. The back door is ajar and the window latch is broken.

PriyaOh no. Don't go in, call the police first.

RahulMy heart is racing, but okay, I'll call them right now.

police officerWe'll check the premises first. Please wait outside.

RahulOf course, officer. Please be careful.

police officerGood news, no missing item that we could see. Looks like a stray animal.

PriyaSo it was just a false alarm after all that panic.

police officerWould you still like to file a report for your records?

RahulYes please, and we'll reinforce the locks starting tomorrow.

PriyaI'm still a bit shaken up, but I'm glad everyone is safe and sound.

Common mistakes

Saying "door was ajar open" — "ajar" already means slightly open, don't add "open."
Saying "heart is racing fast" — "racing" already implies fast, just say "heart is racing."
Saying "call to the police" instead of "call the police."
Saying "file the report" as a fixed one-off event, better as "file a report."
Saying "safe and sounds" instead of the fixed phrase "safe and sound."
Saying "shaken" alone for the emotional sense in this context, better as "shaken up."

Quick quiz

1. What does "ajar" mean?

2. What is a "latch"?

3. What does "false alarm" mean?

4. What does it mean to "file a report"?

5. What does "on edge" mean?

6. What does "safe and sound" mean?

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