OET Writing is not simply about converting medical information into grammatically correct sentences. It is about communicating relevant patient information clearly, accurately, and professionally to another healthcare professional. One of the most important skills required to achieve this is the ability to transform brief case notes into meaningful clinical sentences.
In the OET Writing sub-test, candidates are provided with case notes containing patient details, medical history, symptoms, investigations, treatments, and care plans. These notes are often presented as fragmented phrases, abbreviations, or keywords rather than complete sentences.
For example:
Case notes:
- Persistent cough × 3 weeks
- SOB on exertion
- Prescribed salbutamol inhaler
- Symptoms improved following treatment
Transformed sentences: “The patient has been experiencing a persistent cough for the past three weeks, accompanied by shortness of breath on exertion. She was prescribed a salbutamol inhaler, following which her symptoms improved.”
The difference lies not only in sentence structure but also in the effective use of clinical verbs such as experience, prescribe, and improve.
Clinical verbs help candidates communicate patient conditions, treatment decisions, clinical findings, and recommendations precisely. Understanding how to use these verbs can significantly improve the clarity, accuracy, and professional tone of an OET letter. This guide explores how to transform OET Writing case notes into well-structured sentences using appropriate clinical verbs, with practical examples, common mistakes, and useful techniques.
Understanding the Role of Clinical Verbs in OET Writing
Clinical verbs are action words commonly used in healthcare communication to describe symptoms, diagnoses, investigations, treatment, patient responses, and ongoing care. Unlike general verbs such as have, do, get, or make, clinical verbs often communicate more specific medical information.
Consider the following examples:
| General expression | More precise clinical expression |
| The patient has chest pain. | The patient is experiencing chest pain. |
| The doctor did a blood test. | Blood tests were performed. |
| The patient got antibiotics. | The patient was prescribed antibiotics. |
| The swelling got better. | The swelling subsided. |
| The patient needs checking. | The patient requires monitoring. |
Both general and clinical expressions can be grammatically correct. However, appropriately selected clinical verbs can make sentences more precise and suitable for professional correspondence.
Importantly, using clinical verbs does not mean replacing every simple word with complicated medical terminology. The aim is to communicate information naturally and accurately. For example, “The patient has diabetes” is perfectly acceptable. There is no need to replace has with an unnecessarily complex expression. The key principle is to choose the verb that best represents the clinical information provided in the case notes.
2. Clinical Verbs for Describing Symptoms and Patient Conditions
When describing symptoms, candidates must communicate what the patient is experiencing, when the symptoms began, and whether they have changed. Common clinical verbs include:
Experience, present with, report, complain of, develop, suffer from, exhibit, demonstrate, persist, worsen, and subside.
i. Experience
The verb experience is useful for describing symptoms experienced by the patient.
Case notes:
- Severe abdominal pain × 2 days
- Nausea and vomiting
Transformed sentence: “The patient has been experiencing severe abdominal pain for the past two days, accompanied by nausea and vomiting.” Here, the present perfect continuous tense indicates that the symptoms began in the past and have continued until the present.
ii. Present with
Present with is commonly used to introduce the symptoms or clinical features observed when a patient seeks medical attention.
Case notes:
- Admitted: 12 August
- Fever, productive cough, breathlessness
Transformed sentence: “On 12 August, the patient presented with fever, a productive cough, and breathlessness.” This expression is particularly useful when describing the patient’s initial presentation.
iii. Report
Report is appropriate when information is communicated by the patient or another individual.
Case notes:
- Patient states dizziness on standing
- Occasional palpitations
Transformed sentence: “The patient reported experiencing dizziness upon standing and occasional palpitations.” The verb reported makes it clear that the information is based on the patient’s account rather than an independently confirmed clinical finding.
iv. Develop
Develop is useful when describing the onset of a new symptom or complication.
Case notes:
- Postoperative day 2
- Fever 38.5°C
- Redness around wound
Transformed sentence: “On the second postoperative day, the patient developed a fever of 38.5°C and redness around the surgical wound.” This verb helps establish the sequence of events in the patient’s clinical history.
v. Persist, worsen, and subside
These verbs describe changes in symptoms over time.
| Case note | Transformed sentence |
| Headache continuing despite medication | The headache has persisted despite medication. |
| Breathlessness increased overnight | The patient’s breathlessness worsened overnight. |
| Swelling reduced after treatment | The swelling subsided following treatment. |
Candidates must distinguish between these verbs carefully. Persist means that a symptom continues, worsen indicates an increase in severity, and subside means that a symptom becomes less intense.
3. Clinical Verbs for Describing Investigations and Findings
Investigations are frequently mentioned in OET case notes. Candidates should be able to describe tests, procedures, and their results accurately. Useful verbs include:
Perform, conduct, obtain, reveal, indicate, demonstrate, confirm, detect, and identify.
i. Perform and conduct
These verbs describe clinical investigations and procedures.
Case notes:
- ECG: 14 March
- Blood tests: same day
Transformed sentence: “An electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood tests were performed on 14 March.” The passive voice is appropriate because the focus is on the investigations rather than the person who performed them.
ii. Reveal and indicate
These verbs introduce the findings of investigations.
Case notes:
- Chest X-ray: right lower lobe consolidation
- Blood test: elevated WBC
Transformed sentences: “The chest X-ray revealed consolidation in the right lower lobe.” “Blood tests indicated an elevated white blood cell count.”
The verb reveal presents a finding, while indicate can suggest evidence of a condition.
iii. Confirm
Confirm should be used only when the information supports a definite diagnosis.
Case notes:
– Urine culture: E. coli infection confirmed
Transformed sentence: “The urine culture confirmed an Escherichia coli infection.”
However, candidates must avoid using confirm when the case notes mention only a suspected condition. For example:
Case notes: Suspected pneumonia; chest X-ray pending.
Incorrect: “The investigations confirmed pneumonia.”
Correct: “Pneumonia is suspected, and a chest X-ray has been requested.”
This distinction is important because OET Writing requires candidates to preserve the accuracy and certainty of clinical information.
4. Clinical Verbs for Describing Treatment and Interventions
Treatment-related case notes often contain the names of medications, dosages, procedures, and nursing interventions. Candidates can use verbs such as:
Prescribe, administer, initiate, commence, provide, undergo, receive, discontinue, adjust, and manage.
i. Prescribe versus administer
Although these verbs are related to medication, they communicate different actions.
- Prescribe refers to authorising or ordering medication.
- Administer refers to giving medication to the patient.
Case notes:
- Doctor prescribed IV antibiotics
- First dose given at 10 a.m.
Transformed sentence: “Intravenous antibiotics were prescribed, and the first dose was administered at 10 a.m.” Using administered for the first action would be inaccurate if the notes only stated that the medication had been prescribed.
ii. Initiate and commence
Both verbs can describe the beginning of treatment.
Case notes:
- Oxygen therapy started
- 2 L/min via nasal cannula
Transformed sentence: “Oxygen therapy was initiated at 2 L/min via a nasal cannula.” This is concise and clearly communicates the intervention.
iii. Undergo
Undergo is commonly used when describing procedures, surgery, or investigations experienced by the patient.
Case notes:
- Laparoscopic appendicectomy: 5 June
- No postoperative complications
Transformed sentence: “The patient underwent a laparoscopic appendicectomy on 5 June, with no postoperative complications reported.”
iv. Discontinue and adjust
These verbs describe changes in treatment.
Case notes:
- Ibuprofen stopped due to gastric irritation
- Paracetamol dose increased
Transformed sentence:
“Ibuprofen was discontinued due to gastric irritation, and the paracetamol dosage was increased.”
Such verbs are especially useful when explaining changes in medication during hospitalisation or ongoing treatment.
5. Clinical Verbs for Describing Patient Progress and Response to Treatment
An OET letter often needs to communicate whether a patient’s condition has improved, deteriorated, or remained stable.Appropriate verbs include:
Improve, recover, respond, resolve, stabilise, deteriorate, tolerate, and progress.
i. Improve and respond
Case notes:
- Respiratory symptoms improved after nebulisation
- Oxygen saturation: 89% → 96%
Transformed sentence: “The patient’s respiratory symptoms improved following nebulisation, with oxygen saturation increasing from 89% to 96%.” This sentence connects the intervention with the documented clinical improvement without introducing unnecessary information.
ii. Resolve
Resolve indicates that a symptom or condition has disappeared.
Case notes:
- Fever absent since yesterday
- Temperature currently normal
Transformed sentence: “The patient’s fever has resolved, and her temperature is currently within the normal range.” Do not use resolved if the symptom has only decreased in severity. In such cases, improved or subsided would be more appropriate.
iii. Stabilise
Case notes:
- BP initially fluctuating
- Stable after treatment
Transformed sentence: “The patient’s blood pressure stabilised following treatment.”
iv. Tolerate
Tolerate is particularly useful when describing a patient’s response to medication, diet, or physical activity.
Case notes:
- Oral fluids started
- No nausea/vomiting
Transformed sentence: “The patient has been tolerating oral fluids without nausea or vomiting.” These verbs allow candidates to communicate patient progress without relying repeatedly on expressions such as “got better” or “is doing well.”
6. Clinical Verbs for Describing Follow-Up Care and Recommendations
In referral and discharge letters, candidates must communicate the actions expected of the receiving healthcare professional.
Useful verbs include: Monitor, assess, review, evaluate, arrange, continue, ensure, encourage, advise, and refer.
i. Monitor
Case notes:
- Regular BP checks required
- Monitor blood glucose
Transformed sentence: “Regular monitoring of the patient’s blood pressure and blood glucose levels is recommended.” Alternatively: “Please monitor the patient’s blood pressure and blood glucose levels regularly.”
Both sentences are appropriate, depending on the tone and purpose of the letter.
ii. Assess and review
Case notes:
- Wound healing: needs assessment
- Medication: review after one week
Transformed sentence: “Please assess the patient’s wound healing and review her medication regimen after one week.”
iii. Encourage and advise
Case notes:
- Increase fluid intake
- Maintain regular physical activity
Transformed sentence: “The patient has been advised to increase her fluid intake and maintain regular physical activity.” However, if these are recommendations for the receiving healthcare professional to communicate, a more appropriate sentence would be: “Please encourage the patient to increase her fluid intake and maintain regular physical activity.”
The difference is important. The first sentence describes advice already provided, whereas the second requests a future action.
7. Choosing the Correct Tense When Using Clinical Verbs
Selecting an appropriate clinical verb is only one part of sentence construction. Candidates must also use the correct tense to reflect the timing of clinical events.
Consider the following examples:
| Clinical information | Appropriate tense | Example |
| Past medical event | Simple past | The patient underwent surgery in 2023. |
| Symptom continuing until now | Present perfect continuous | She has been experiencing dizziness for two weeks. |
| Completed treatment | Simple past | Antibiotics were administered yesterday. |
| Current condition | Simple present | The patient remains clinically stable. |
| Completed event relevant to current care | Present perfect | Her wound has healed satisfactorily. |
| Future care requirement | Modal verb + base verb | Her blood glucose levels should be monitored regularly. |
A common error is using the simple past tense for an ongoing symptom.
Case notes: Back pain × 3 weeks; still present.
Incorrect: “The patient experienced back pain for three weeks.” Better: “The patient has been experiencing back pain for the past three weeks.”
The second sentence clearly communicates that the symptom is ongoing. Candidates should always identify whether an event is completed, ongoing, or planned before choosing the tense.
8. Common Mistakes When Using Clinical Verbs
Even when candidates are familiar with medical terminology, incorrect verb choices can affect the clarity and accuracy of their writing.
Mistake 1: Using an incorrect verb–noun combination
Incorrect: “The patient made a blood test.” Correct: “The patient underwent a blood test.”
Clinical verbs are often associated with specific nouns. Learning these combinations, known as collocations, can improve sentence construction.
Mistake 2: Using informal expressions
Incorrect: “The patient’s fever went down after the medicine.” Better: “The patient’s fever subsided following medication.”
However, simple language is not automatically inappropriate. The priority should always be clarity rather than complexity.
Mistake 3: Confusing active and passive constructions
Incorrect: “The patient was underwent surgery.” Correct: “The patient underwent surgery.”
The verb undergo is used in the active voice when the patient is the subject.
Compare:
“The patient underwent surgery.”
“Surgery was performed on the patient.”
Both are grammatically correct, but the structures are different.
Mistake 4: Changing the meaning of the case notes
Case notes: Patient advised to stop smoking.
Incorrect: “The patient discontinued smoking.”
Correct: “The patient was advised to stop smoking.”
The incorrect sentence suggests that the patient has already stopped smoking, whereas the notes only mention advice. This is a particularly important distinction in OET Writing because candidates must not add unsupported clinical information.
Mistake 5: Overusing sophisticated verbs
Overcomplicated: “The patient manifested symptomatology indicative of gastrointestinal discomfort.” Better: “The patient reported abdominal discomfort.”
OET Writing assesses effective communication, not the ability to use unnecessarily complex vocabulary.
9. Essential Clinical Verb Collocations for OET Writing
Learning clinical verbs alongside the nouns they commonly accompany is more effective than memorising isolated vocabulary.
| Clinical verb | Common collocations |
| Experience | pain, dizziness, nausea, breathlessness |
| Present with | fever, cough, chest pain, symptoms |
| Report | symptoms, discomfort, difficulty sleeping |
| Develop | infection, complications, fever |
| Undergo | surgery, investigations, a procedure |
| Perform | examination, assessment, blood tests |
| Reveal | abnormalities, findings, consolidation |
| Prescribe | medication, antibiotics, analgesics |
| Administer | medication, insulin, oxygen |
| Initiate | treatment, therapy, rehabilitation |
| Discontinue | medication, treatment |
| Improve | mobility, symptoms, condition |
| Resolve | fever, pain, infection |
| Monitor | vital signs, blood glucose, blood pressure |
| Assess | mobility, wound healing, pain |
| Review | medication, progress, treatment plan |
| Encourage | mobilisation, exercise, fluid intake |
| Refer | a patient to a specialist or service |
Practising these combinations regularly can help candidates produce more natural clinical sentences under examination conditions.
10. Practical Strategies for Improving Clinical Sentence Construction
To develop confidence in transforming case notes, candidates should adopt a structured approach.
1. Identify the main clinical information. Determine whether the note describes a symptom, investigation, treatment, response, or recommendation.
2. Choose an appropriate clinical verb. Select a verb that accurately represents the action or condition without exaggerating the information.
3. Determine the correct tense. Consider whether the event occurred in the past, is continuing, or requires future action.
4. Use suitable clinical collocations. Practise combinations such as administer medication, monitor vital signs, and undergo surgery.
5. Combine related information logically. Group connected notes into coherent sentences rather than creating a separate sentence for every keyword.
6. Review the meaning of the completed sentence. Check that no information has been invented, omitted, or changed during the transformation.
Finally, remember that not every case note needs to appear in the final letter. Candidates must first select information relevant to the purpose of writing and the needs of the intended reader.
Conclusion
Transforming OET Writing case notes into clear clinical sentences is an essential skill for producing effective referral, discharge, and transfer letters. Clinical verbs play a significant role in this process by helping candidates communicate symptoms, investigations, treatments, patient progress, and follow-up requirements with greater precision.
However, successful OET Writing involves more than using professional vocabulary. Candidates must also select relevant information, apply appropriate tenses, maintain grammatical accuracy, and organise their sentences logically.
By practising commonly used clinical verbs such as present, report, reveal, administer, improve, monitor, and review, candidates can gradually develop the ability to convert fragmented notes into concise, natural, and clinically accurate sentences.
Remember: The goal is not to make every sentence sound complicated. It is to communicate the patient’s clinical information as clearly, accurately, and professionally as possible.
Read our Recent Blog – “OET Writing Connectors: Which Connections to Use in Different Clinical Situations” – to ensure your journey stays on track.
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