Grammar in Use: Dentistry

Part 6

PASSIVE VOICE

Active Voice Passive Voice

The scientist uses new method New method is used by the scientist

The passive voice is used to show interest in the person or object that experiences an action rather than the person or object that performs the action

The passive verb is formed by putting the verb “to be” into the same tense as the active verb and adding the past participle of the active verb.

PASSIVE FORMSof Simple Tenses

TENSE SUBJECT PREDICATE

SIMPLE

Present I am

V3he, she, it isyou, we, they are

Past I

he, she, it was V3

you, we, they were

Future I

he, she, ityou, we, they

will be V3

Present simple, Passive Voice Active sentence : • Doctor Smith treats this

patient. Passive sentence : • This patient is treated

by doctor Smith. ------------------------------------------------------------ Active sentence : • Doctors review the most

interesting cases every day. Passive sentence : • The most interesting

cases are reviewed every day.

Past simple, Passive Voice Active sentence: • Fleming discovered

penicillin in 1928. Passive sentence: • Penicillin was

discovered in 1928 by Fleming.------------------------------------------------------------ Active sentence : • The doctor examined

these patients yesterday. Passive sentence : • These patients were

examined by the doctor yesterday.

Future simple, Passive Voice Active sentence: • This surgeon will perform

tooth extraction. Passive sentence: • Tooth extraction will be

performed by this surgeon. ------------------------------------------------------------ Active sentence: • The dentist will take X-ray

images. Passive sentence: • X-ray images will be

taken by the dentist.

PASSIVE FORMSof Perfect Tenses

TENSE SUBJECT PREDICATE

PresentI, you, we,

they have beenV3

he, she, it has beenPERFECT

PastI, we

he, she, it, you, they

had been V3

FutureI, we

he, she, it, you, they

will have been

V3

Present Perfect, Passive Voice Active: • The procedure has produced a

beneficial long-term outcome. Passive: • A beneficial long-term outcome

has been produced by the procedure. ------------------------------------------------------------ Active: •The doctor has attended to ten

patients this morning. Passive: •Ten patients have been attended

to this morning.

Past Perfect, Passive Voice

Active: • The dentist had detected the cause of gum bleeding by 3 p.m. yesterday.

Passive: • The cause of gum bleeding had been detected by the dentist by 3 p.m. yesterday.

------------------------------------------------------------Active: •They had sent the X-ray films before the operation started.

Passive: •The X-ray films had been sent before the operation started.

Future Perfect, Passive Voice Active: • They will have estimated the exact

amount of gastric juice before the surgeon comes.

Passive: • The exact amount of gastric juice will have been estimated before the surgeon comes.

PASSIVE FORMSof Continuous Tenses

TENSE SUBJECT PREDICATE

CONTINUOUS

Present

I am being +

V3he, she, it is

we, you, they are

Past

I was being +

V3

he, she, it waswe, you, they were

Future — — —

Present Continuous, Passive Voice

Active: •The surgeon is extracting the necrotic pulp now. Passive: • The necrotic pulp is being extracted by the

surgeon now.------------------------------------------------------------ Active: • The professor is providing instructions at the

moment. Passive: • The instructions are being provided by the

professor.

 

Past Continuous, Passive Voice Active: •They were carrying the injured person

to the hospital. Passive: •The injured person was being

carried to the hospital. ------------------------------------------------------------ Active: • The dentist was questioning the

patients from 2 to 3 p.m. yesterday. Passive: • The patients were being

questioned by the dentist yesterday from 2 to 3 p.m.

NB! Future Continuous is not used in Passive

Voice, we use Future Simple instead: At ten o’clock tomorrow Nick will be writing

the letter. At ten o’clock tomorrow the letter will be

written by Nick.

Contextual Use of Verb Tenses in Academic Writing

The present tense is appropriate for citations of sources, in abstracts and background information (“Most physicians argue that it is reasonable to apply X-ray for early diagnostics”);

The present perfect tense is traditionally used in introduction sections of academic papers (“This method has been considered inappropriate for treating xerostomia”);

The actual research (the results section) is written in the past tense (“Saliva flow in patients was measured by sialometry”)

Passive Voice Constructions in Academic Writing

Passive voice constructions in simple present and simple past tenses are obligatory (e.g., “the tolerability of this surgical technique was examined”).

The passive voice provides the effect of objectivity and scientific detachment. Thus, it constitutes a prevalent feature of academic texts.

Video: Impacted Wisdom Teeth Removal 

Impaction is a general term that is applied to any tooth that does not have room to come into normal position to provide a usable chewing surface.

The crown of the tooth is completely covered with bone. Some wisdom teeth may be removed under local anesthesia. Various techniques are used to remove the impacted tooth. Once this is accomplished the tooth may be removed. Complications may occur following the procedure even though the

procedure itself was performed with reasonable care. Instructions will be given to you regarding other post operative

problems. This complication occurs when the nerve is affected during the

removal of the tooth root.

Video: Impacted Wisdom Teeth Removal 

The lip numbness is usually temporary, but in rare circumstances has been known to be permanent.

Occasionally, during the extraction of the wisdom teeth these nerves can be affected which may cause numbness and a loss of taste to half of tongue.

When the tooth is removed and opening may be present through the tooth socket into the sinus.

On rare occasions a root tip or tooth may be dislodged into the sinus area and may require more surgery.

This is rare and seldom serious but should be reported to your doctor. The joint is protected during surgery by the use of a mouth prop. Root tips may occasionally be left behind if your doctor feels the risk of

complications from the removal outweighs the risk of leaving them behind.

Types of Questions There are four kinds of questions in English: general,

alternative, special, disjunctive. 1. A GENERAL QUESTION requires the answer “Yes”

or “No” and is spoken with a rising intonation. General questions are formed by placing part of the predicate (i.e. the auxiliary or modal verb) before the subject.

E.g. Do you study at the Academy? May I come in? Did he examine this patient yesterday? Are you a doctor? Does this student attend lectures?

Types of Questions 2. A SPECIAL QUESTION begins with an interrogative

word or phrase (Where…, How…, Why…, How many…, What colour…, etc.). The order of words is the same as in general questions but the interrogative word or phrase precedes the auxiliary verb.

E.g. Where do you study? What treatment did the dentist prescribe? How is pulpitis treated? At what age is oral cancer likely to occur? When will this patient visit the dentist?

Special questions

NB! When a special question is put to the subject

or to an attribute of the subject, the order of words is that of a statement (i.e. no inversion is used). The notional verb comes in the 3rd person singular or plural.

E.g. Who studies at the Academy? What causes caries?

Types of Questions 3. An ALTERNATIVE QUESTION denotes

choice. It consists of two general questions connected by means of “or”.

E.g. Are you a first or a second year student? Does pulpitis lead to abscess or cancer? Did he participate in a conference or a

workshop? Is dysgeusia a disorder of taste or of vision?

4. A DISJUNCTIVE QUESTION consists of two parts: an affirmative statement followed by a negative question or a negative statement followed by an affirmative question.

E.g. He is a student, isn’t he? You are not tired, are you? Severe iron deficiency anemia can lead to stomatitis,

cannot it? Patients with xerostomia often complain of problems with

wearing dentures, don’t they? Pulp exposure causes hot and cold sensitivity, doesn’t

it?

QUESTIONS DENTISTS ASK PATIENTS

#1- What brings you in today? #2- What hurts? #3- What are your symptoms? #4- How long has this been going on? #5- Has the pain been getting better or worse? #6- Do you smoke? #7- Do you have a family history of this? #8- Do you take any medicines or supplements? #9- Have you had any previous surgeries? #10- Are you allergic to any medicines?