TODAY'S VISIT: Learn how to use TENSES correctly to describe the patient's visit today

Have you ever thought about the type of tenses that need to be used in OET letter to report today’s visit? It is very important to use the correct tenses while writing OET letter.

Describing a hospital visit, tense to use, OET Letter




Writing a letter to report today’s visit means we are going to discuss an event that has already passed, which means it’s a past event. Even though, the event is in the past we can’t really write the entire letter using past tense because, when writing details such as a patient’s life style choices you would need to use present tense.

It might sound a bit confusing, but let’s get the confusions off.

Here are examples to help you understand the kind of tenses that you can choose for appropriate situations and make the writing interesting to the reader.

Past tense

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If you need to mention about any test results that were done during the day using Past tense would be accurate.

Example

  •  On assessment, she was suspected to have fetal death and diagnosed with gingivitis.

 

Present tense

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When mentioning about life style choices as above mentioned, it is accurate to use present tense.

 

Example

  •  Mr. Murphy lives alone. He doesn’t have contact with neighbours and recently shows social isolation.

 

Present perfect

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Present perfect tense is on point when writing about improvement or deterioration in the patient’s condition.

Example

  •  For maintaining the electrolyte balance he has undergone dialysis, so that a temporary subclavian catheter inserted.

It’s important to use different tenses in your writing but, it’s more important to use the right ones as it may alter the meaning which you are trying to convey. Also it helps you to make your writing not choppy and flat.

 


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