Problem: past-tense errors cluster in nursing letters — background and events blur, passives appear without formation control. Answer in brief: contrast past simple (events) with past continuous (background in progress) until the distinction is reflex, form passives in every tense on demand, then apply both inside nursing contexts. This guide teaches the contrast with a worked timeline, and OET Grammar — Course 13 trains past tenses and passive across 14 topic sections.
Past simple vs past continuous: the contrast
Simple for completed events (“She fell at 02:00”); continuous for background in progress (“She was sleeping when…”, “Pain was increasing through the night”). The pair works together: continuous sets scenes, simple reports what happened inside them. Fault pattern: continuous for events (“was falling”) or simple for background (“slept when” for ongoing state). Contrast drills — same story both ways with meaning changes stated — fix the pair permanently.
Passive formation across tenses
was/were + done (past events: “was admitted”), has/have been + done (completed with relevance: “has been referred”), will be + done (plans: “will be reviewed”), should be + done (recommendations). Formation ladders from one active sentence through all four, timed. Nursing letters need past and modal passives most — observations recorded, reviews requested.
Train the contrast supervised? The full OET Grammar — Course 13 covers past-tense contrast with passive formation and nursing letter contexts across 14 topic sections and mock tests. Explore the course →
Nursing contexts, letters and special forms
Handover vocabulary with correct verbs (“handed over”, “escalated to”, “chased”), observation reporting (“recorded as”, “noted to be”), special forms (impersonal “it is expected…”, “there has been…”). Contexts decide forms: incident reports favour past simple sequences; handover notes favour present status with perfect trajectories; requests favour modal passives. Learn each form inside its document, not as isolated grammar.
Worked example: night-shift timeline
Fictional notes, newly written: 22:00 settled, pain 2/10 → 01:30 awake, pain 7/10, analgesia given → 03:00 sleeping comfortably → 06:00 alert, pain 1/10, breakfast taken.
Paragraph: “Mrs Osei settled at 22:00 with pain 2/10 (simple event). She was sleeping when observations were due at midnight (continuous background + passive routine). She woke at 01:30 with pain 7/10 and was given prescribed analgesia (event + passive with agent implied by prescription). She has remained comfortable since 03:00 (perfect trajectory) and was alert at 06:00 (past status point).” Contrast, formation and context fused.
FAQs
When is past continuous actually required?
For interrupted background and developing states: “was deteriorating when reviewed”, “was sleeping when…”. Completed events never take it, however narrative the telling.
What are “special forms”?
Impersonal and existential structures of formal handover: “It is expected that…”, “There has been…”, “There remains…”. They depersonalise appropriately — learn five by heart.
What is in the course?
Fourteen topic sections on past-tense contrast with passive formation and nursing letter contexts, plus 5 complete mock tests.
The matching course
OET Grammar — Course 13 contrasts, forms and contextualises: past tenses, passive across tenses, nursing documents — 14 topic sections with 5 mock tests. For night-shift timelines written correctly, train 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.