Verb Tenses used in Academic Texts

Here, we will take a look at some frequently used verb tenses in scientific and technical texts.
First, we will consider the use of the Simple Present Tense. Then, we will compare the use of the
Simple Past Tense and the Present Perfect Tense, as some English learners (especially beginners)
sometimes confuse them. Later, we will see the roles that past participles have in Present
Perfect Tense, Past Perfect Tense, and Passive Voice. Finally, we will briefly review Modal Verbs,
as they are often used to express ability, necessity, obligation, permission, and possibility in
academic texts; and to modulate sentences in Passive Voice.

English Verbal Forms

Here, we will consider three basic forms:
 Infinitive: it is used in simple present and after modal verbs.
 Past: it is used in past tense.
 Past participle: it is used in present perfect tense, past perfect tense and passive voice.

The Simple Present Tense

The Simple Present Tense is used in academic texts to indicate a general fact, a general law, or
to describe an apparatus. When someone says: "Facebook is a very popular social networking
website and company. Mark Elliot Zuckerberg, CEO of the company, has an annual base salary
of one dollar", it means several facts: Facebook is a site in the web that links computers to form
a social net; this site is very popular; and the CEO of Facebook earns a yearly salary equal to one
dollar. Sentences in Present Tense have the following structure:

Affirmative: Subject + verb (infinitive)* + complement.

Negative: Subject + do not (don’t) ** + verb (infinitive) + complement.
Question: Do*** + subject + verb (infinitive) + complement + ?

* For the third person in singular (he, she, it), add an “s” (sometimes “es”) to the verb.
** For the third person in singular (he, she, it), use “does not” (doesn’t).
*** For the third person in singular (he, she, it), use “Does”.

Activity 1
Fill in the blanks with the proper form of the verb.
People who work in Dentistry
1. Top managers (be) are responsible for developing an organization’s strategy. A top
manager (give) gives support and (serve) ______ other employees through a process
called empowerment.
2. A general manager (be) __ in charge of managing a revenue-producing unit.
3. Sometimes General Managers (make) ____ specific decisions, but they (not have)
__________ their rewards tied to the performance of a single unit.
4. A staff manager (deal with) ________ a specific area, such as accounting or marketing.
5. A project manager (have) ___ the responsibility for the planning, execution, and
closing of any project.
6. A manager in a dental practice (not have) ____________ a deep knowledge of all
protocols and dental procedures
7. A receptionist in a dental practice (not be) ______ an oral health professional. She
(book) _____ appointments, (greet) ______ patients and (look after) ___________ the
paper work of a dentist (or other business).

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 8. Dental technologists (be) ___ members of the dental team. They (construct) _______
restorative dental appliances, but they (not perform) _____________ surgeries. For
example, Dental Technologists (manufacture) ___________ dental crowns. A dental
crown (be) __ a dental appliance. It (consist) ______ of an artificial crown for a broken
or decayed tooth.

Activity 2
Translate into English. Use Simple Present Tense.
Ingeniería Mecánica
1. Una máquina es un dispositivo que convierte una forma de movimiento en otra.
2. Un ingeniero mecánico estudia los principios del movimiento, la energía y la fuerza.
3. Los ingenieros mecánicos diseñan máquinas que son seguras, confiables y eficientes.
4. Las herramientas de uso diario de los ingenieros mecánicos son las leyes y principios
científicos.
5. En la industria del automóvil, los ingenieros mecánicos diseñan las diferentes partes de
un automóvil.
6. Un ingeniero mecánico aplica métodos científicos para la solución de problemas
mecánicos.
7. Los ingenieros mecánicos trabajan junto a médicos y terapeutas para el diseño de
nuevos equipos biomédicos.
8. Los ingenieros mecánicos también diseñan materiales y estructuras avanzadas para los
viajes supersónicos y espaciales.
9. Otros ingenieros mecánicos trabajan con entrenadores y atletas para el diseño del
equipamiento deportivo sofisticado.
10. Ellos también participan en la construcción de plantas de energía eléctricas que
funcionan con reactores nucleares y otros componentes especializados.

Activity 3
Translate into English. Use simple present tense.
La primera ley de Newton nos hace la vida más fácil
Los cuerpos tienen una resistencia natural a cambiar su estado de movimiento. Esta resistencia
al cambio de estado de movimiento se llama inercia. La inercia del cuerpo es una de sus
propiedades; para determinarla, calculamos la fuerza que necesitamos para acelerar ese cuerpo.
La cantidad de fuerza que usamos para acelerarlo es una medida de su inercia. Si un cuerpo
tiene mucha inercia, entonces necesitamos mucha fuerza para acelerarlo. Si un cuerpo tiene
poca inercia, entonces no necesitamos mucha fuerza para acelerarlo con ese mismo valor.
La primera ley de Newton dice que “un objeto en reposo tiende a seguir en reposo y todo cuerpo
en movimiento tiende a permanecer en movimiento con la misma velocidad, dirección y sentido
a menos que el cuerpo interactúe con otros cuerpos”. Los cuerpos quietos permanecen quietos,
a menos que les apliquemos alguna fuerza. Los cuerpos en movimiento permanecen en esa
condición, a menos que les apliquemos alguna fuerza para detenerlos.
Los lavarropas con centrifugado facilitan notablemente el proceso de lavado de la ropa. No
necesitamos que el día sea muy soleado para secar la ropa, ya que la centrifuga expulsa casi toda
el agua. La centrifugación es la forma en que usamos la inercia de las gotas de agua para secar
la ropa. El tambor del lavarropas hace girar la ropa a gran velocidad para expulsar el agua. Esta
tiende a salir en línea recta, por el principio de inercia. Por eso el tambor de la lavadora tiene
agujeritos que permiten que las gotas de agua salgan por los agujeritos. De este modo usamos
la inercia de las gotas para desprenderlas de la ropa.

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The Simple Past Tense
The Simple Past Tense is used in health sciences to describe historic events or case reports. If
you say: “John Snow was a physician who lived in Golden Square (London)”, it probably means
that Dr. Snow does not live in that place now (in fact, he died in 1858). Sentences in Past Tense
have the following structure:

Affirmative: Subject + verb (past) + complement.

Negative: Subject + did not (didn’t) + verb (infinitive) + complement.
Question: Did + subject + verb (infinitive) + complement + ?

Activity 4
Fill in the blanks with the proper form of the verb. Use Simple Past Tense.
Snow versus Cholera (I)
Cholera (plague) plagued civilization for many generations. The first intercontinental surge,
referred to as the First Pandemic, (occur) __________ from 1817 to 1823. The Second Pandemic
(bring) ________ cholera to mainland Europe and Britain, then across the Atlantic Ocean to New
York and Montreal between 1826 and 1837. Nine years later, the Third Pandemic (begin) _____,
promptly ravaging southern London. By then, the prevailing view (be) __that the stench arising
from open sewers and rubbish piles (cause) ______ the disease. But John Snow, a fully certified
physician, (believe) __________ that cholera (be) ___ a digestive disease, because the initial
symptoms (be) _______ vomiting and diarrhea. However, the chance to substantiate his
conjectures with statistical proof only (arrive) ________ in 1854 with the Third Pandemic. That
year, a cholera outbreak (affect) ________ Soho district, in Golden Square (London). John Snow,
who (live) ______ in Soho, (knock) _____ on doors all around the Golden Square neighborhood,
stopping at the houses of those who (be) ____ healthy and well as those who (be) ___ ill to
inquire about the family’s consumption of water. He (draw) ________ a map with a small black
mark representing every death. At the center of the affected area (be) ___ a well in Broad Street.
Based on his data, Snow (convince) __________ the city officials to remove the well's pump
handle, which probably (prevent) __________ a second outbreak.
Ref: Ball L. Cholera and the Pump on Broad Street.

Activity 5
Fill in the blanks with the correct information and the proper form of the verb.
Snow versus Cholera (II)
1. The first intercontinental surge (occur) didn’t occur during the last century.
2. The Second Pandemic (cause) ____________ outbreaks in Europe and North America.
3. The Third Pandemic (start) ____________ five years later.
4. By then, people (think) ____________ that the disease was caused by foul smells.
5. John Snow (believe) ____________ that cholera was a pulmonary disease.
6. He (have) ____________ the opportunity to prove his guess shortly after.
7. John Snow (live) ____________ in the Golden Square neighborhood, in London.
8. Snow (knock) ____________ on doors all around the Golden Bridge neighborhood.
9. He (represent) ____________ every cholera victim with a black mark on a map.
10. Snow (persuade) ____________ the local authorities to withdraw the handle of the
pump.
11. This action (prevent) ____________ a second cholestasis outbreak.

Activity 6
Translate into English. Use Simple Past Tense.
Henry Ford

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Henry Ford no inventó el automóvil, pero lo adaptó a una nueva era y transformó por completo
nuestro modo de vida. Él también mejoró el sistema de ensamblaje para producir automóviles
baratos, y transformó el automóvil de un lujo a una necesidad. Ford creó un auto para las
multitudes, y luego esos carros crearon las bases de la cultura del automóvil de hoy.
Henry Ford creció en una granja, e inventó algunas máquinas que redujeron el trabajo agotador
de las tareas agrícolas (de la granja) cuando todavía era un niño. A la edad de dieciséis años,
abandonó la granja y viajó a Detroit, donde encontró trabajo como aprendiz de mecánico.
Durante los siguientes doce años, se convirtió en jefe de máquinas en la Compañía Edison. A los
veinticuatro años, Ford se casó con Clara Bryant.
En 1891, (él) diseñó un motor de combustión interna, porque Ford esperaba construir una nueva
máquina; y en la víspera de Navidad en 1893, él hizo una prueba exitosa de uno de sus motores,
en el fregadero de la cocina. Ford empleó (gastó) muchas noches y fines de semana para
construir el resto del coche. Finalmente, el 4 de junio de 1896, Henry abrió un gran agujero en
la pared de su cobertizo, y emergió conduciendo su nuevo automóvil.
Ford vendió su prototipo por $200. En 1901, él puso toda su experiencia en un par de coches de
carreras grandes, uno de los cuales participó en una carrera de diez millas. La carrera tuvo lugar
en Míchigan, y el coche de Ford ganó. En 1903, (él) formó la Compañía Automovilística Ford, en
asociación con otros inversores. La empresa comenzó con un capital de alrededor de $ 28.000.
Algunos inversionistas contribuyeron con otros tipos de capital; por ejemplo, los hermanos
Dodge (John y Horace) acordaron suministrar los motores.

Past Participles in Scientific Writing

Past participles are widely used in scientific and technical texts. Sometimes, they are
fundamental part in the conjugation of some verb tenses; other times they are used as adjectives
in noun phrases. In this section, we will consider their use in Present Perfect Tense, Past Perfect
Tense and Passive Voice, because these tenses frequently appear in publications in health
sciences.

The Present Perfect Tense

The Present Perfect Tense can be used to describe recent events; or something happened in the
past that in some way still have consequences in the present. If you say: “Ángela Restrepo has
worked on fungi for over 40 years”, that means that she began her studies in the past (over 40
years ago), but she is still working on that field (fungi). Sentences in Present Perfect Tense have
the following structure:
Affirmative: Subject + have/has + main verb (past participle) + complement.
Question: Have/has + subject + main verb (past participle) + complement + ?
Negative: Subject + have not (haven’t) /has not (hasn’t) + main verb (past participle) +
complement.

Activity 7
A systematic study of happiness
Fill in the blanks with the proper form of the verb.
Recently we and other researchers (begin) have begun a systematic study of happiness. During
the past two decades, dozens of investigators throughout the world (ask) ____________ several
hundred thousand representatively sampled people to reflect on their happiness and
satisfaction with life. In the U.S. the National Opinion Research Center at the University of
Chicago (survey) ____________ a representative sample of roughly 1,500 people a year since
1957; the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan (carry out) ____________
out similar studies on a less regular basis, as has the Gallup Organization. Government-funded
efforts (probe) __________ also ____________ the moods of European countries. We (uncover)
______________ some surprising findings. People (not become) ____________ happier over

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time as their cultures have become more affluent. And those whose income (increase)
_____________ over a 10-year period are not happier than those whose income is stagnant.
Ref: The Pursuit of Happiness. Scientific American, May 1996

Past Tense vs. Present Perfect Tense

The simple past tense reports a complete action in the past. The present perfect tense reports
an incomplete action or something that recently happened and that still has consequences in
the present (in some way the action continues now).

Activity 8
Fill in the blanks with the proper form of the verb. Use past tense or present perfect tense.
Work life and happiness
Happy people possess skills and resources that they (build) have built over time. The evidence
(reveal) _____________ that happy workers enjoy multiple advantages over their less happy
peers; they are more likely to be evaluated more positively by their supervisors, and to show
superior performance and productivity. Evidence (also show) _______________ that happy
people are more satisfied with their jobs. And employees who have high dispositional positive
affect receive relatively more favorable evaluations from supervisors and others. For example,
in a study by Staw et al, managers of high positive affect employees of three organizations (give)
_______________ them higher evaluations for work quality, productivity, dependability, and
creativity. Wright and his colleagues (replicate) _______________ this effect, showing that
happy people (receive) _______________ higher ratings from supervisors. Others (find) _____
__________ that those high in dispositional positive affect (perform) _______________
objectively better on a manager assessment task. And a recent study (reveal) _______________
that CEOs of manufacturing companies with high positive affect (be) _____ relatively more likely
to have employees who (rate) _______________ themselves as happy and healthy. In addition,
both positive affect on the job and chronic happiness (be, find) _______________ to predict job
satisfaction. Positive affect at work (also be, associate) _______________ with reduced
absenteeism.
Ref: The Benefits of Frequent Positive Affect. Psychological Bulletin (2005)

The Past Perfect Tense

The past perfect tense expresses an action that occurred before another action in the past.
Sentences in Past Perfect Tense have the following structure:
Affirmative: Subject + had + main verb (past participle) + complement.
Question: Had + subject + main verb (past participle) + complement + ?
Negative: Subject + had not (hadn’t) + main verb (past participle) + complement.

Take a look at this sentence (in past tense):

 Researchers studied the brains of patients who suffered seizures.

When did the patients suffer seizures? Did it happen before or after the study? That’s not clear,
so it’s better to rephrase this using Past Tense and (then) Past Perfect Tense:
 Researchers studied the brains of patients who had suffered seizures.

Here are more examples of sentences in Past Perfect Tense:

 Until 2001, no brain imaging studies had been performed in patients who had PTSD.
 Plaintiff XX sued a hospital claiming that high doses of Pitocin administered during labor
had caused him brain trauma during birth.
 An MR imaging examination showed that the plaintiff’s brain tissue had developed
asymmetrically.

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  But the court held that the plaintiff had failed to prove that this was the cause of his
injuries.

Activity 9
Fill in the blanks with the proper form of the verb. Use present perfect tense, past tense, or past
perfect tense.
Role of Imaging in Courtrooms
1. PET is an imaging technology tool that (be, use) has been used to study brain function
in various neurologic and psychiatric conditions. PET (be, use) __________ also been
__________ to image brain tumors, in particular gliomas. Although PET (make) has
__________ substantial contributions to brain research over the past 20 years, there
are only limited circumstances in which PET imaging (be, show) ____________ to yield
sufficiently high sensitivity and high specificity to warrant its use in clinical patient
management.
2. In the penalty phase of a murder trial, a medical expert (point) __________ to MR
imaging results showing that the ‘‘decision-making area’’ of the defendant’s brain
(shrink) ____________ significantly, that the folds in his brain (be) __________ more
pronounced than normal, and that his brain (atrophy) ___________; an EEG (show)
__________ that his brain’s electrical activity (occur) __________ at a lower than
normal frequency, and a single- photon emission tomography scan (show) __________
abnormal blood flow to the brain. But the court (hold) __________ that a causal link
between the defendant’s violent behavior and his brain abnormalities (be, not
substantiate) ____________, and that these abnormalities (be) __________ not
relevant to his criminal conduct.
Ref: The Role of Imaging in United States Courtrooms. Neuroimag Clin N Am 17 (2007) 557–567

Passive Voice
The passive voice is used to describe situations, methods, procedures, processes, etc. It involves
the following elements:

Object + Verb to be + Main verb (past participle) + Preposition (often, not always)

Main verb
Tense Object To be
(past participle)

Present The liver/livers is/are hurt ...

Present perfect The trial/trials has/have been designed ...

Past The fossil/fossils was/were dug ...

Past perfect The tooth/teeth had been pulled ...

Future The draft/ drafts will be written ...

Future perfect The report/reports will have been forgotten ...

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 Present progressive The wound/wounds is/are being treated ...

Past progressive The ruin/ruins was/were being unearthed ...

Passive voice is especially helpful in scientific or technical writings, where the processes or
principles described are more important or relevant than the writer. Instead of saying “we used
a new ultrasonographic technique to determine the exact location of the lesion; we decided to
stratify patients according to the reason for the procedure”, it is preferable to say “a new
ultrasonographic technique was used to determine the exact location of the lesion; patients
were stratified according to the etiology of their lesions”.
Examples
 In societies where life expectancy has been considerably extended, dementias are
becoming a major public health concern.
 Experts estimate that 22 million people around the world will be afflicted by Alzheimer
in 2025.
 Drugs, which are known as psychostimulants, have been found to improve the behavior
of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
 Panic Disorder is characterized by “a discrete period of intense fear or discomfort that
is accompanied by several somatic or cognitive symptoms. The attack has a sudden
onset and builds to a peak rapidly (usually in 10 minutes or less) and is often
accompanied by a sense of imminent danger or impeding doom and an urge to escape.”
Panic Disorder is distinguished by “recurrent attacks of severe anxiety (panic), which are
not restricted to any particular situation or set of circumstances and are therefore
unpredictable.”

Activity 10
Fill in the blanks with the proper form of the verb. Use only passive voice in past tense.
Prevention of Influenza
Persons with any health condition for which the inactivated vaccine (recommend) was
recommended, and persons for whom either vaccine (contraindicate) _______________,
(exclude) ____________. The study (approve) ____________ by an institutional review board.
At enrollment, written informed consent (obtain) ____________ from potential participants,
and study eligibility (determine) ____________. Preintervention blood specimens (collect)
____________ from eligible participants, who (then randomly assign) _______________
__________ to receive one intervention: the inactivated influenza vaccine or the matching
placebo (physiologic saline). Four site-specific randomization schedules (use) __________ to
assign participants sequentially to receive a vaccine or a placebo as they enrolled... Influenza
surveillance (conduct) ____________ from November 2004 through April 2005. Participants
(contact) _________________ twice monthly by e-mail or telephone and (instruct)
__________________ to contact study staff in the event of illness with at least two respiratory
or systemic signs or symptoms. Throat-swab specimens (collect) ________________ for the
isolation and identification of influenza virus, and participants (follow) _________________ for
collection of data on illness characteristics.
Ref: Ohmit, S.E., Victor, J.C., Rotthoff, J.R.., et. al. Prevention of Antigenically Drifted Influenza
by Inactivated and Live Attenuated Vaccines. N. Engl. J. Med. 355: 2513-2522 (2006)

Modal Auxiliary Verbs

Modal verbs are used to make precise statements and for that reason are very common in
scientific and technical texts. Modal verbs have no meaning by themselves and they cannot be

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conjugated. Modal verbs are always used in conjunction with main verbs (in infinitive form) to
help them express ideas (about the past, the present or the future). There are several categories
of modal verbs. The most commonly used are:

Ability: can, may.

Examples
Common features of living with dementia
 We can forget where we put things.
 We can forget what we have been doing even recently.
 We can forget people’s names, even people close to us.
 We can forget we have done something and so repeat doing or saying things.
 Our strongest memories may be for events from the past.
 We may need to be able to smell, feel and see things.
 People living with dementia may have a sense of loss.
 One person may prefer to do something that may be frustrating or stressful for another.
Ref: Victorian State Government, Department of Health, Australia. Dementia-friendly
environments.

Obligation: must, ought to, should.

Examples
First aid
 Assessments and interventions should be medically sound and based on scientific
evidence.
 The first aid rescuer should assist with administration of bronchodilator therapy.
 Spinal motion restriction should be the goal of early treatment of all patients at risk for
spinal injury.
 The first aid provider should refrain from use of spinal immobilization devices.
 The first aid provider should try to control external bleeding by applying direct pressure.
 Superficial wounds and abrasions should be irrigated with clean tap water.
Ref: Circulation 2005; 112; 115-125. Part 10: First Aid

Defibrillation
 Rescuers must be able to rapidly integrate CPR with use of automated external
defibrillators.
 Healthcare providers must practice efficient coordination between CPR and
defibrillation.
 Defibrillation programs must strive to improve patient survival, not just shock success.
 When using handheld paddles, rescuers must ensure that the paddle is in full contact
with the skin.
 Rescuers must coordinate good CPR with defibrillation to minimize interruptions in
chest compressions.
Ref: Circulation 2005; 112; 35-46. Part 5: Electrical Therapies.

Possibility / probability: can, could, may, might, will, would.

Example
Do You Even Need Health Insurance?
 Although our mathematical model is based upon the rates of hospital admissions for the
population of Singapore, we would expect that these values are close to what they
would be for the U.S. population.
 Just enter your data in our tool below, and we will estimate the odds that you would
need to be admitted to a hospital to treat a significant health condition.

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  The trick is to use this information to assess whether it might make more sense for you
to self-insure, which is what you would really be choosing to do by not acquiring health
insurance. Or you might consider a short term medical plan.
 If your health is impaired, such as might be the case if you're managing a chronic health
condition like diabetes, you will likely benefit from having health insurance coverage.
 If you or someone for whom you would cover on your health insurance have a high
probability of requiring admission to a hospital for the treatment of a serious medical
condition, you will likely benefit from having health insurance coverage.
Ref: Foxworthy J. (Townhall Finance). Do You Even Need Health Insurance?

Modal verbs use: Fighting Ebola

 Giving an experimental vaccine to relatives or other contacts of patients would seem
like the next logical step, but could be difficult and might not yield much information
about the vaccine. Those living amid the Ebola outbreak might well distrust the idea of
getting a shot they may not need, and might not welcome later visits to their homes to
draw blood to test for immune responses.
Ref: Experimental drugs and vaccines poised to take on Ebola. Science News August 20,
2014.

Modal verbs and Passive voice

Sometimes, the passive voice is combined with modal verbs to better express an idea:
 When body fluids have been spilled on equipment, the following actions must be taken:
1. Equipments should be cleaned according to the manufacturer’s
recommendations.
2. Special consideration must be given to carrying eye protection.
3. Wash your hands before and after the procedure. Handwashing may be
accomplished using a commercial water-free cleaning solution.

Notice that in these cases, the structure is: object + modal verb + be + past participle.

Use of adverbs in Present Perfect Tense, Past Perfect Tense and Passive Voice
When you need to use an adverb in any of these tenses, the most advisable is to place it between
the auxiliary verb and the main verb.
Examples:
 Researchers have recently begun a new study of happiness.
 Until 2003, few brain imaging studies had systematically been performed in patients
with PTSD.
 Surgical equipment must always be sterilized according to the manufacturer’s
recommendations.
 Clinical practice guidelines should never be sponsored by pharmaceutical companies.

Activity 11
Fill in the blanks with the proper form of the verb. Whenever possible, use only passive voice in
present tense.
Design of Randomized Trials
Randomized trials (highly recommend) are highly recommended to achieve a valid
determination of the comparative benefit of competing intervention strategies, whether for
prevention, screening, treatment, or management. To make this discussion generically
applicable to all of these settings, the individuals who will (enroll) ____________ into the trial
will (refer) ____________ to as “participants” and the experimental conditions as
“interventions.” In the usual clinical trial, they (usually call) ____________ “patients” and

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“treatments,” respectively. In a prevention or screening trial, the participants may (draw)
____________ from the “normal,” healthy population, or they may (select) ____________
because they are “high risk” based on some known or putative risk factors... The term “phase
IV” (use) ____________ less commonly but refers to studies that evaluate the “effectiveness”
of proven interventions in wide-scale use. Sometimes these are uncontrolled studies, perhaps
part of postmarketing surveillance by the industrial provider of the intervention. However,
randomization should (encourage) ____________ in this setting; such phase IV trials may
(conduct) ____________ in the context of large, simple trials.
Ref: Green S.B. Design of Randomized Trials. Epidemiol. Rev. 24: 4-11 (2002)

Activity 12
Fill in the blanks with the proper form of the verb. Whenever possible, use passive voice in
present tense (for the first paragraph) or past tense (for the second paragraph).
Doctors and the pharmaceutical industry
Medical practice these days (influence) is influenced to a large extent by clinical practice
guidelines. Usually sponsored by professional bodies, these compendia of advice should
(produce) ____________ by groups of experts with broad representation and credibility. These
experts (expect) _____________ to follow clearly defined processes to arrive at
recommendations that (base) ____________ on evidence, and which (unadulterate)
_____________ by other influences, such as commercial considerations. Strict adherence to
this framework underpins the authority and acceptability of the guideline. But these standards
(sometimes not meet) ____________, and there have been calls for reform to ensure reliability
of guidelines, and thereby offer patients protection from treatment based on guidelines whose
content may (affect) ____________ by extraneous influences...
In Australia (2007), the Guidelines for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (publish)
____________ in booklet form by a company part-owned by a member of the Working Party,
and (support) ____________ by a grant from a pharmaceutical company that manufactures
enoxaparin, a low molecular weight heparin recommended in the Guidelines. The NHMRC has
published criteria for developing guidelines, and in doing so has set high standards, including
standards for commercial sponsorship. In light of the NHMRC criteria, the overall process
involved in the Guidelines can (criticise) ____________ for the publication as a booklet that
(initially distribute) ____________ only by the sponsor, and thus not easily or independently
accessible.
Ref: Van Der Weyden M.B. Doctors and the pharmaceutical industry: time for a national
policy?
Martin B Van Der Weyden. MJA 190; 407-408 (2009)

ANSWER KEY
Activity 1
Fill in the blanks with the proper form of the verb.
People who work in Dentistry
1. Dentists (be) are oral health professionals. They (treat) treat and (take) take care for
people's teeth. A general dentist (provide) provides treatments for teeth like fillings
and crowns.
2. A periodontist (be) is another oral health professional. He (specialize) specializes in the
prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of periodontal disease. Periodontists also (place)
place dental implants.
3. Orthodontists (study) study and (treat) treat malocclusions (improper bites). They
(focus) focus on dental displacements and (deal with) deal with the control and
modification of facial growth.

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 4. Dental hygienists (work) work with dentists and (clean) clean people's teeth to (keep)
keep them healthy.
5. A receptionist (not be) is not an oral health professional. She (book) books
appointments, (greet) greets patients and (look after) looks after the paper work of a
dentist (or other business).
6. Dental technologists (be) are members of the dental team. They (construct) construct
restorative dental appliances. For example, Dental Technologists (manufacture)
manufacture dental crowns. A dental crown (be) is a dental appliance. It (consist)
consists of an artificial crown for a broken or decayed tooth.

Activity 2
Translate into English. Use Simple Present Tense.
Mechanical Engineering
1. A machine is a device that converts one form of movement into another.
2. A mechanical engineer studies the principles of motion, energy and force.
3. Mechanical engineers design machines that are safe, reliable and efficient.
4. The everyday tools of mechanical engineers are scientific laws and principles.
5. In the automobile industry, mechanical engineers design the various parts of a car.
6. A mechanical engineer applies scientific methods to the solution of mechanical
problems.
7. Mechanical engineers work alongside physicians and therapists to design new
biomedical equipment.
8. Mechanical engineers also design advanced materials and structures for supersonic and
space travels.
9. Other mechanical engineers work with trainers and athletes to design sophisticated
sporting equipment.
10. They also participate on the building of electrical power plants that work with nuclear
reactors and other specialized components.

Activity 3
Newton's first law makes life easier
Bodies have a natural resistance to change their motion state. This resistance to change of state
of motion is called inertia. The inertia of the body is one of its properties; to determine it, we
calculate the force that we need to accelerate that body. The amount of force that we use to
accelerate it is a measure of its inertia. If a body has a lot of inertia, then we need a lot of force
to accelerate it. If a body has low inertia, then we do not need much force to accelerate it with
that same value.
Newton's first law states that "an object at rest tends to remain at rest and every moving body
tends to remain in motion with the same velocity, direction and sense unless that the body
interacts with other bodies." Quiet bodies remain still unless we apply some force to them. The
bodies in motion remain in that condition, unless we apply some force to stop them.
Washing machines with spinning make the washing process much easier. We do not need a very
sunny day to dry clothes, as the centrifuge expels almost all the water. Centrifugation is the way
we use the inertia of water droplets to dry clothes. The washing machine drum rotates clothes
at high speed to expel water. This tends to come out in a straight line, by the principle of inertia.
That's why the washing machine drum has holes that allow the water droplets to escape through
the holes. In this way we use the inertia of the drops to detach them from the clothes.

Activity 4
Fill in the blanks with the proper form of the verb. Use Simple Past Tense.
Snow versus Cholera (I)

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Cholera (plague) plagued civilization for many generations. The first intercontinental surge,
referred to as the First Pandemic, (occur) occurred from 1817 to 1823. The Second Pandemic
(bring) brought cholera to mainland Europe and Britain, then across the Atlantic Ocean to New
York and Montreal between 1826 and 1837. Nine years later, the Third Pandemic (begin) began,
promptly ravaging southern London. By then, the prevailing view (be) was that the stench arising
from open sewers and rubbish piles (cause) caused the disease. But John Snow, a fully certified
physician, (believe) believed that cholera (be) was a digestive disease, because the initial
symptoms (be) were vomiting and diarrhea. However, the chance to substantiate his
conjectures with statistical proof only (arrive) arrived in 1854 with the Third Pandemic. That
year, a cholera outbreak (affect) affected Soho district, in Golden Square (London). John Snow,
who (live) lived in Soho, (knock) knocked on doors all around the Golden Square neighborhood,
stopping at the houses of those who (be) were healthy and well as those who (be) were ill to
inquire about the family’s consumption of water. He (draw) drew a map with a small black mark
representing every death. At the center of the affected area (be) was a well in Broad Street.
Based on his data, Snow (convince) convinced the city officials to remove the well's pump
handle, which probably (prevent) prevented a second outbreak.
Ref: Ball L. Cholera and the Pump on Broad Street.

Activity 5
Fill in the blanks with the correct information and the proper form of the verb.
Snow versus Cholera (II)
1. The first intercontinental surge (occur) didn’t occur during the last century.
2. The Second Pandemic (cause) caused outbreaks in Europe and North America.
3. The Third Pandemic (start) didn’t start five years later.
4. By then, people (think) thought that the disease was caused by foul smells.
5. John Snow (believe) didn’t believe that cholera was a pulmonary disease.
6. He (have) didn’t have the opportunity to prove his guess shortly after.
7. John Snow (live) lived in the Golden Square neighborhood, in London.
8. Snow (knock) didn’t knock on doors all around the Golden Bridge neighborhood.
9. He (represent) represented every cholera victim with a black mark on a map.
10. Snow (persuade) persuaded the local authorities to withdraw the handle of the pump.
11. This action (prevent) didn’t prevent a second cholestasis outbreak.

Activity 6
Translate into English. Use Simple Past Tense.
Henry Ford
Henry Ford didn’t invent the automobile, but he adapted it to a new era and completely
transformed our way of life. He also improved the assembly system to produce inexpensive cars,
and transformed the automobile from a luxury to a necessity. Ford created an automobile for
the multitudes, and then those cars created the bases of today's car culture.
Henry Ford grew up in a farm, and invented some machines that reduced the exhausting work
of farm chores when he was still a boy. At the age of sixteen, he left the farm and travelled to
Detroit, where he found work as a mechanic's apprentice. Over the next dozen years, he became
chief engineer at the Edison Company. At twenty-four, Ford married Clara Bryant.
In 1891, he designed an internal combustion engine, because Ford hoped to build a new
machine; and on Christmas Eve 1893, he made a successful test of one of his engines, in the
kitchen sink. He spent many nights and weekends to build the rest of the car. Finally, on June 4,
1896, Henry punched a large hole in the wall of his shed, and emerged driving his new
automobile.
Ford sold his prototype for $200. In 1901, he put all his expertise into a pair of big race cars,
one of which participated in a ten-mile race. The race took place in Michigan, and Ford's car
won. In 1903, he formed the Ford Motor Company, in association (partnership) with other

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investors. The company started with a capital of about $28,000. Some investors contributed
with other types of capital; for example, the Dodge brothers (John and Horace) agreed to
supply (provide) the engines.

Activity 7
A systematic study of happiness
Recently we and other researchers (begin) have begun a systematic study of happiness. During
the past two decades, dozens of investigators throughout the world (ask) have asked several
hundred thousand representatively sampled people to reflect on their happiness and
satisfaction with life. In the U.S. the National Opinion Research Center at the University of
Chicago (survey) has surveyed a representative sample of roughly 1,500 people a year since
1957; the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan (carry out) has carried out
similar studies on a less regular basis, as has the Gallup Organization. Government-funded
efforts (probe) have also probed the moods of European countries. We (uncover) have
uncovered some surprising findings. People (not become) have not become happier over time
as their cultures have become more affluent. And those whose income (increase) has increased
over a 10-year period are not happier than those whose income is stagnant.

Activity 8
Fill in the blanks with the proper form of the verb. Use past tense or present perfect tense.
Work life and happiness
Happy people possess skills and resources that they (build) have built over time. The evidence
(reveal) has revealed that happy workers enjoy multiple advantages over their less happy peers;
they are more likely to be evaluated more positively by their supervisors, and to show superior
performance and productivity. Evidence (also show) has also shown that happy people are more
satisfied with their jobs. And employees who have high dispositional positive affect receive
relatively more favorable evaluations from supervisors and others. For example, in a study by
Staw et al, managers of high positive affect employees of three organizations (give) gave them
higher evaluations for work quality, productivity, dependability, and creativity. Wright and his
colleagues (replicate) have replicated this effect, showing that happy people (receive) received
higher ratings from supervisors. Others (find) have found that those high in dispositional positive
affect (perform) performed objectively better on a manager assessment task. And a recent study
(reveal) revealed that CEOs of manufacturing companies with high positive affect (be) were
relatively more likely to have employees who (rate) rated themselves as happy and healthy. In
addition, both positive affect on the job and chronic happiness (be, find) have been found to
predict job satisfaction. Positive affect at work (also be, associate) has also been associated with
reduced absenteeism.

Activity 9
Role of Imaging in Courtrooms
1. PET is an imaging technology tool that (be, use) has been used to study brain function
in various neurologic and psychiatric conditions. PET (be, use) has also been used to
image brain tumors, in particular gliomas. Although PET (make) has made substantial
contributions to brain research over the past 20 years, there are only limited
circumstances in which PET imaging (be, show) has been shown to yield sufficiently high
sensitivity and high specificity to warrant its use in clinical patient management.
2. In the penalty phase of a murder trial, a medical expert (point) pointed to MR imaging
results showing that the ‘‘decision-making area’’ of the defendant’s brain (shrink) had
shrunk significantly, that the folds in his brain (be) were more pronounced than normal,
and that his brain (atrophy) had atrophied; an EEG (show) showed that his brain’s
electrical activity (occur) occurred at a lower than normal frequency, and a single-
photon emission tomography scan (show) showed abnormal blood flow to the brain.

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 But the court (hold) held that a causal link between the defendant’s violent behavior
and his brain abnormalities (be, not substantiate) had not been substantiated, and that
these abnormalities (be) were not relevant to his criminal conduct.

Activity 10
Prevention of Influenza
Persons with any health condition for which the inactivated vaccine (recommend) was
recommended, and persons for whom either vaccine (contraindicate) was contraindicated,
(exclude) were excluded. The study (approve) was approved by an institutional review board.
At enrollment, written informed consent (obtain) was obtained from potential participants, and
study eligibility (determine) was determined. Preintervention blood specimens (collect) were
collected from eligible participants, who (then randomly assign) were then randomly assigned
to receive one intervention: the inactivated influenza vaccine or the matching placebo
(physiologic saline). Four site-specific randomization schedules (use) were used to assign
participants sequentially to receive a vaccine or a placebo as they enrolled... Influenza
surveillance (conduct) was conducted from November 2004 through April 2005. Participants
(contact) were contacted twice monthly by e-mail or telephone and (instruct) were instructed
to contact study staff in the event of illness with at least two respiratory or systemic signs or
symptoms. Throat-swab specimens (collect) were collected for the isolation and identification
of influenza virus, and participants (follow) were followed for collection of data on illness
characteristics.

Activity 11
Design of Randomized Trials
Randomized trials (highly recommend) are highly recommended to achieve a valid
determination of the comparative benefit of competing intervention strategies, whether for
prevention, screening, treatment, or management. To make this discussion generically
applicable to all of these settings, the individuals who will (enroll) be enrolled into the trial will
(refer) be referred to as “participants” and the experimental conditions as “interventions.” In a
clinical trial, they (usually call) are usually called “patients” and “treatments,” respectively. In a
prevention or screening trial, the participants may (draw) be drawn from the “normal,” healthy
population, or they may (select) be selected because they are “high risk” based on some known
or putative risk factors... The term “phase IV” (use) is used less commonly but refers to studies
that evaluate the “effectiveness” of proven interventions in wide-scale use. Sometimes these
are uncontrolled studies, perhaps part of postmarketing surveillance by the industrial provider
of the intervention. However, randomization should (encourage) be encouraged in this setting;
such phase IV trials may (conduct) be conducted in the context of large, simple trials.

Activity 12
Doctors and the pharmaceutical industry
Medical practice these days (influence) is influenced to a large extent by clinical practice
guidelines. Usually sponsored by professional bodies, these compendia of advice should
(produce) be produced by groups of experts with broad representation and credibility. These
experts (expect) are expected to follow clearly defined processes to arrive at recommendations
that (base) are based on evidence, and which (unadulterate) are unadulterated by other
influences, such as commercial considerations. Strict adherence to this framework underpins
the authority and acceptability of the guideline. But these standards (sometimes not meet) are
sometimes not met, and there have been calls for reform to ensure reliability of guidelines, and
thereby offer patients protection from treatment based on guidelines whose content may
(affect) be affected by extraneous influences...
In Australia (2007), the Guidelines for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (publish)
were published in booklet form by a company part-owned by a member of the Working Party,

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and (support) were supported by a grant from a pharmaceutical company that manufactures
enoxaparin, a low molecular weight heparin recommended in the Guidelines. The NHMRC has
published criteria for developing guidelines, and in doing so has set high standards, including
standards for commercial sponsorship. In light of the NHMRC criteria, the overall process
involved in the Guidelines can (criticise) be criticised for the publication as a booklet that
(initially distribute) was initially distributed only by the sponsor, and thus not easily or
independently accessible.

Luis A. Saldarriaga B.
Bacteriólogo y Laboratorista Clínico (Universidad del Valle, 1986)
Especialista en Enseñanza del Inglés (Universidad Santiago de Cali, 2011)
Profesor de Inglés (English ESP) - Universidad del Valle (2002 - 2017)
Traductor: Español-Inglés, Inglés-Español
Cali, February 11, 2017

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