Incorrect use of tenses is a common grammatical error that I encounter when I mark the letters that students write in my OET classes. This series of blog posts will provide a simple outline for using the correct tense in your writing. If you haven’t already, make sure you check out Part 1, which discussed the simple past tense. This blog will discuss the present tense.

You should use the simple present tense for the following situations in your letter:

• To describe the patient’s current social background
  • Mr Smith smokes 20 cigarettes and drinks 2 bottles of wine daily.
  • Ms Rollinson is overweight and has a BMI of 27.8.
  • Mr O’Connor lives in Lake Park with his 70-year-old wife, Mary.
• TO describe anything that occurred during hospitalization that is STILL continuing
  • Mr O’Connor (still) needs assistance with dressing, toileting and transferring.
    • *NOTE: There is no need to include the word ‘still’ in this sentence. However it still makes sense if you do or don’t include it.
  • Ms Simms consumes a low calorie diet in order to maintain her weight.

A particular form of the present tense called the present perfect tense (has/have + past participle) can be used for the following situation:

• To describe ongoing, CHRONIC CONDITIONS in the patient’s medical background
  • Mr White has had hypertension for 20 years and diabetes since 2000.

I hope this clears up some confusion for students. Use internet resources to revise grammar if there are parts you still don’t understand!