Problem: physio letters mix timelines — the injury past, the rehab present, the plan future — into one muddy tense, usually present. Answer in brief: five tenses carry nearly every physio letter (past simple, present simple, present perfect, past perfect, future/modal); assign each its zone and hold it. This guide teaches the five-tense system with a model referral, and OET Writing for Physiotherapists — Course 1 trains tenses, fine distinctions and model answers across 14 topic sections.
The five essential tenses and their zones
Past simple for injury and history (“She fell six weeks ago; X-ray excluded fracture”). Present simple for today’s function (“She walks 50 metres with one crutch; stairs need supervision”). Present perfect for change reaching now (“Range has improved 30 degrees; pain has eased”). Past perfect sparingly for before-history (“She had completed rehab after a 2022 sprain before this fall”). Future/modal for plan (“She will attend hydrotherapy; please review…”). Five zones; assign before drafting and the timeline writes itself.
Fine distinctions that mark the bands
Present perfect vs past simple (“has improved” = still improving; “improved” = done, possibly stalled) — the distinction examiners listen for. “Was walking” vs “walked” (background ability vs completed achievement). “Will” vs “going to” vs “please + infinitive” for plans and requests (intention, arrangement, polite instruction — pick deliberately). One correct fine distinction per letter signals control louder than ten safe simple sentences.
Drill the distinctions supervised? The full OET Writing for Physiotherapists — Course 1 teaches the five tenses with a fine-distinctions workbook and model answers across 14 topic sections with 40 lessons and mock tests. Explore the course →
Model answer: sample referral letter
Fictional case, newly written: Mrs Adeyemi, 58, total knee replacement four weeks ago; flexion 95 degrees (was 70 at discharge — present perfect territory); mobilising with one crutch, stairs supervised; wound healed; keen, lives with husband; community physiotherapy requested.
Model shape: past for surgery and early course; present for today’s measures; present perfect for the 70→95 gain; future/modal for hydrotherapy plan and the review request. “Flexion has improved from 70 to 95 degrees since discharge” — the sentence that shows the system working. Roughly 175 words; zones held throughout.
Four tense mistakes
- Present-tense history. Fix: injury and operations stay past, always.
- Past-tense today. Fix: current function is present — “walks”, not “walked”.
- Perfect inflation. Fix: reserve present perfect for genuine change-to-now.
- Plan in present. Fix: future or modal for anything not yet done.
FAQs
How do I keep zones straight under time?
Mark each planned paragraph H (history), T (today), C (change) or P (plan) before drafting — one letter per paragraph, then write to the marks.
When is past perfect actually needed?
Rarely — only when sequencing two pasts matters (prior rehab before this injury). One correct use beats five forced ones.
What is in the course?
Fourteen topic sections on the five essential tenses with a fine-distinctions workbook and model referral answers, 40 lessons and 5 complete mock tests.
The matching course
OET Writing for Physiotherapists — Course 1 makes tense automatic: five tenses, fine distinctions, model answers — 14 topic sections, 40 lessons, 5 mock tests. If timelines blur in your letters, sharpen them here.
Sources and note
- OET Writing format per the official OET site: oet.com — Writing. Check current format guidance before the exam.
- Course details verified from its public staging page (read-only): 14 topic sections, 40 lessons, 5 mock tests.
- Case and letter lines are newly written and fictional; other valid structures exist.
Put this into practice
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