Tag
Language
15 posts tagged Language from Dr Mariam's OET writing team.
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Clauses of Contrast: Although, Despite, and However in OET Writing
Although, despite, and however in OET writing each need different punctuation and clause structure. Here's the exact rule for each and the Language-criterion errors they cause when swapped.
OET WritingLanguageGrammarUpdated 6 September 2026
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Parallel Structure: Writing Balanced Sentences in OET Letters
Parallel structure in OET writing: how to match grammatical form across listed symptoms, instructions, and history items so sentences read clean and score well under Language.
OET WritingLanguageGrammarUpdated 1 September 2026
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Relative Clauses in OET Writing: Who, Which, and That
Relative clauses in OET writing: the defining vs non-defining distinction, correct comma placement, and the who/which/that rule clinical letters require.
OET WritingLanguageGrammarUpdated 1 September 2026
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Past Simple vs Present Perfect in OET Letters: Getting Patient History Tenses Right
Past simple present perfect oet writing: the exact rule for choosing between them in patient history, and why the wrong tense misreports the clinical timeline.
OET WritingLanguageGrammarUpdated 31 August 2026
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Passive Voice in OET Writing: When It Helps and When It Hides the Subject
Passive voice oet writing: when the passive is the correct clinical register choice, and when it hides who did what and costs you Content and Clarity marks.
OET WritingLanguageGrammarUpdated 29 August 2026
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Articles in OET Letters: A, An, The (The #1 Language Error)
OET writing articles a, an, the: the sound-based rule for a/an, when 'the' is required, and the errors in clinical letters that cost Language marks.
OET WritingLanguageGrammarUpdated 27 August 2026
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Comma Splices and Run-On Sentences in OET Writing
"The results were abnormal, the patient was admitted" is a comma splice. Learn to spot it, fix it, and catch the run-on sentences that hide inside long clinical descriptions.
OET WritingLanguageSentence StructureUpdated 9 August 2026
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Subject-Verb Agreement with Medical Nouns: The Dose ... Were Adjusted?
"The dose of the two medications were adjusted" — a Language error that catches candidates in every language group. Learn to find the real subject in long clinical noun phrases.
OET WritingLanguageGrammarUpdated 7 August 2026
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Prepositions After Clinical Verbs: referred to, commenced on, compliant with
The grammar errors that survive proofreading because the sentence still makes sense. Learn the four collocation groups that cover almost every clinical letter.
OET WritingLanguagePrepositionsUpdated 30 July 2026
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Connectors and Cohesion in OET Writing: Linking Ideas Without Overloading
How to use connectors and cohesion devices in OET letters to improve Organisation and Language marks — without the over-linking that pushes letters into informal register.
OET WritingOrganisationLanguageCohesionUpdated 30 June 2026
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Abbreviations in OET Writing: What to Use, What to Avoid, and How to Write Them
Which abbreviations are acceptable in OET letters, how to introduce unfamiliar ones, and the clinical punctuation conventions that differ from everyday English — covering the Language and Conciseness criteria.
OET WritingLanguageVocabularyClinical WritingUpdated 29 June 2026
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Punctuation in OET Writing: What Examiners Mark and What They Miss
Punctuation in OET writing affects Language marks and clinical clarity. This guide covers commas, semicolons, colons, and apostrophes in professional OET letters — with before/after examples from common errors.
OET WritingLanguageGrammarPunctuationUpdated 27 June 2026
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Precision in OET Writing: Why Vague Letters Fail and Exact Ones Pass
Precision in OET writing means one clear message per sentence, exact clinical details, and no hedging. This guide shows how examiners spot vague letters and how to write exactly what the recipient needs.
OET WritingConciseness & ClarityLanguageContentUpdated 26 June 2026
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OET Writing Grammar: The 8 Errors That Most Often Cost Language Marks
The 8 grammar errors that most frequently drop OET writing Language bands — with before/after examples from real letter patterns and a checklist for your proofreading pass.
OET WritingLanguageGrammarWriting TipsUpdated 25 June 2026
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How to Proofread OET Letters: A 4-Minute Checking Routine
A systematic 4-minute proofreading routine for OET writing letters — what to check, in what order, and which errors cost the most marks under the 2026 scoring criteria.
OET WritingLanguageExam TechniqueProofreadingUpdated 24 June 2026