Problem: grammar study feels endless — twelve tenses, endless rules — with no map of what OET letters actually need. Answer in brief: five systems cover nearly everything (present, past, perfect, future/plans, voice), trained in order, applied immediately from case notes to paragraph. This guide maps the five systems with a worked case-notes conversion, and OET Grammar — Course 1 teaches them across 14 topic sections.
The five-system map
Ignore eleven tenses; master five systems. Present for today’s findings. Past for history. Perfect for change reaching now. Future/plans for actions and requests. Voice for who-acts decisions. In order: present and past first (they carry 70% of any letter), perfect next (the band separator), future and voice last (plans and polish). Study in any other order and effort leaks into rarely-tested corners.
Present, past, perfect: zones recap
Present simple for stable truths and today (“She is alert; the wound is clean”). Past simple for finished events with dates (“He fell on Tuesday; surgery followed”). Present perfect for change-to-now (“Her mobility has improved steadily”). The classic fault is past-tense today — “she was comfortable” suggests she no longer is. Zone discipline first; finesse later.
Build the systems in order? The full OET Grammar — Course 1 teaches tense systems, future and plans, active and passive voice, and case-notes-to-paragraph conversion across 14 topic sections with mock tests. Explore the course →
Future, plans and voice
Future simple for scheduled events (“She will attend clinic Friday”), “going to” for arranged plans, modals for requests and recommendations (“Please review…”, “She should…”). Voice: active default, passive for processes and unknowns with recoverable agents. Future and voice faults cost fewer marks than present/past faults — train them after the big three zones are automatic.
Worked example: case notes to paragraph
Fictional notes, newly written: Fall at home 12 May → R hip pain → X-ray: no fracture → mobilising with frame → today: comfortable, afebrile → physio twice weekly → review GP 2 weeks.
Paragraph: “Mrs Osei fell at home on 12 May with right hip pain; X-ray excluded fracture (past). She is comfortable and afebrile today, mobilising with a frame (present). Her confidence has grown since physiotherapy began (perfect). She will attend physiotherapy twice weekly with GP review in two weeks (future).” Notes converted, zones held — the foundational skill in one paragraph.
Four foundation mistakes
- Studying rare tenses first. Fix: present, past, perfect — in that order.
- One-tense drafts. Fix: mark zones per paragraph before writing.
- Voice before zones. Fix: passive polish only after tense control.
- Notes copied, not converted. Fix: every note fragment becomes a full zoned sentence.
FAQs
How long do foundations take?
Two focused weeks on the five systems with daily paragraph conversion beats two months of rule-memorising. Foundations are skills, not facts.
Which system first?
Present and past together (they contrast), then perfect, then future and voice. Each system needs a week of applied paragraph practice, not a day of reading.
What is in the course?
Fourteen topic sections on tense systems, future and plans, active and passive voice, and case-notes-to-paragraph work, with 5 complete mock tests.
The matching course
OET Grammar — Course 1 builds from zero: five systems in order, applied from case notes to accurate paragraphs — 14 topic sections with 5 mock tests. If grammar feels endless, start with the map here.
Sources and note
- OET Writing criteria 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, 5 mock tests.
- Examples are newly written and fictional; other valid structures exist.
Put this into practice
Compare these course outlines and choose the practice that matches your next goal.
