Tag
Genre & Style
8 posts tagged Genre & Style from Dr Mariam's OET writing team.
Contractions in OET Writing: Why They Don't Belong in a Clinical Letter
Contractions in OET writing (don't, can't, won't) are grammatically fine but read as the wrong register for a clinical letter. See exactly why examiners notice them and how to remove every one before you submit.
OET WritingGenre & StyleRegisterGrammarUpdated 13 October 2026
Modal Verbs of Obligation in OET Writing: Must, Should, and Need To
Modal verbs of obligation in OET writing carry different instruction strength. Learn when must, have to, should, and need to are each the correct choice — and why the wrong one costs Genre & Style marks.
OET WritingGenre & StyleGrammarModalsUpdated 7 October 2026
"Unwell," Not "Sick": OET Clinical Register
Unwell vs sick in OET writing isn't a style preference — "sick" reads as casual and sometimes ambiguous in a clinical letter. See exactly when to use unwell, when sick is still correct, and why examiners notice the swap.
OET WritingGenre & StyleRegisterVocabularyUpdated 1 October 2026
"Kindly Note" and Other Phrases That Cost You OET Writing Register Marks
OET writing "kindly note" and similar dated-formal phrases quietly lower your Genre & Style band. See exactly which phrases to avoid and the professional alternatives examiners expect.
OET WritingGenre & StyleRegisterGrammarUpdated 19 September 2026
Modals and Hedging in OET Letters: Could You Review vs You Must Review
A grammatically perfect sentence can still cost you marks. Learn the politeness ladder that changes with your reader, and how to hedge clinical certainty correctly.
OET WritingGenre & StyleModalsUpdated 28 July 2026
Who Is Actually Reading Your OET Letter? Audience and Register Explained
Your OET letter is scored partly on how well it fits its reader. Learn who the named recipient really is, and how audience changes register, content and tone.
OET WritingGenre & StyleAudienceUpdated 20 July 2026
Professional Tone in OET Letters: Genre & Style Explained
How to write in the right professional register for OET letters — the specific language patterns, recipient calibration rules, and common errors that determine your Genre & Style band.
OET WritingGenre & StyleProfessional RegisterWriting TipsUpdated 1 July 2026
OET Genre and Style: 6 Register Errors That Cost You Marks
The Genre and Style criterion scores your ability to write in the correct clinical register for the specific recipient. These six mistakes appear consistently in exam scripts and each one pulls the score below Band 5.
OET WritingGenre StyleRegisterExam TechniqueMarking CriteriaUpdated 8 June 2026