Introduction
In the OET speaking test, role plays are designed to evaluate how well you can communicate in a healthcare setting. The key to success lies in understanding and effectively responding to the specific verbs that guide each task. This blog post breaks down these verbs and provides essential phrases that align with the test’s expectations.
Understanding Key Verbs and Their Functions in the OET exam
In an OET role play card, tasks are directed by key verbs that outline what is expected of you. Here’s a breakdown of the most common verbs and their functions:
1. Requesting Information
When you need to gather more details from the patient, verbs like “find out” and “ask” are your cues.
Example: “I’d like to find out more about your headaches. Would you mind telling me when they started?”
Key Phrases: “Would you mind…?”, “Could you please…?”, “Do you think you could…?”
2. Checking Understanding
To ensure clarity, verbs such as “check” and “determine” signal the need to confirm the patient’s understanding.
Example: “I’d just like to check whether you are taking any medication.”
Key Phrases: “I’d like to check…”, “Can you tell me about…?”
3. Giving Information
When it’s your turn to provide details or explain something, verbs like “explain,” “advise,” and “recommend” come into play.
Example: “I’d now like to explain to you when and exactly how much medication you should be taking.”
Key Phrases: “I’d like to explain…”, “Is that okay with you?”
4. Changing the Patient’s Mind
Sometimes, you may need to persuade the patient to see things differently. Verbs like “persuade,” “emphasize,” and “convince” are crucial here.
Example: “I want to stress how important this is… The new medication is much better suited.”
Key Phrases: “It’s critical that…”, “I can’t stress how important…”, “I ask you to think about…”
5. Making the Patient Feel Better
Reassuring and comforting the patient is often necessary. Verbs like “allay,” “reassure,” and “encourage” guide these tasks.
Example: “I want to reassure you that the new medication is much safer and will be more effective.”
Key Phrases: “I understand that…”, “I want to reassure you…”, “How does that sound?”
6. Clarifying Information
When you need to clarify any confusion or provide additional detail to the patient, verbs like “clarify” and “elaborate” are essential.
Example: “Let me clarify what I mean by side effects. They are usually mild and temporary.”
Key Phrases: “Just to clarify…”, “Let me explain that further…”, “What I mean is…”
7. Suggesting Alternatives
When offering different options or solutions, verbs such as “suggest” and “propose” are often used.
Example: “I would suggest trying a different type of exercise that might be less strenuous on your joints.”
Key Phrases: “I suggest that…”, “How about we try…?”, “Would you consider…?”
8. Encouraging Patient Involvement
To actively involve the patient in their care, verbs like “encourage” and “motivate” help you prompt the patient to take action.
Example: “I encourage you to keep a daily log of your symptoms so we can track your progress.”
Key Phrases: “I encourage you to…”, “It would be great if you could…”, “Can I motivate you to…?”
9. Gathering Patient History
When it’s necessary to collect a detailed history from the patient, verbs like “elicit” and “gather” direct these tasks.
Example: “I’d like to gather more information about your previous surgeries to better understand your current condition.”
Key Phrases: “Can you tell me about your past…?”, “I’d like to know more about…”, “Please describe…”
10. Summarizing
At the end of the conversation or a particular section, you may need to summarize what has been discussed using verbs like “summarize” or “recap.”
Example: “Let me summarize what we’ve discussed: you’ll start the new medication tonight and monitor your blood pressure daily.”
Key Phrases: “To sum up…”, “In summary…”, “Let’s recap what we’ve gone over…”
11. Offering Reassurance
When the patient is anxious or uncertain, providing reassurance is key. Verbs like “reassure” and “comfort” are used here.
Example: “I want to reassure you that these symptoms are quite common and not usually a cause for concern.”
Key Phrases: “There’s no need to worry…”, “I can assure you that…”, “I want to comfort you by saying…”
12. Confirming Arrangements
If you need to make sure plans or decisions are clear and agreed upon, verbs like “confirm” and “verify” are used.
Example: “I just want to confirm that you’ll be able to attend the follow-up appointment next week.”
Key Phrases: “Can we confirm that…?”, “Let’s make sure that…”, “Just to verify…”
13. Exploring Patient Concerns
When the patient has concerns that need to be explored in more depth, verbs like “explore” and “investigate” are useful.
Example: “I’d like to explore your concerns about this treatment further to ensure we address them properly.”
Key Phrases: “Can we explore that a bit more?”, “Let’s investigate your concerns…”, “I’d like to delve into…”
14. Providing Instructions
When giving specific instructions to a patient, verbs such as “instruct” and “direct” are used.
Example: “I need to instruct you on how to use this inhaler correctly to get the best results.”
Key Phrases: “Please follow these instructions…”, “It’s important that you…”, “You need to…”
15. Expressing Empathy
Empathy is crucial in healthcare, and verbs like “empathize” and “acknowledge” help convey understanding.
Example: “I empathize with your situation; dealing with chronic pain can be incredibly challenging.”
Key Phrases: “I understand how difficult this is…”, “I can see that this is hard for you…”, “I acknowledge your feelings…”
16. Confirming Comprehension
To ensure the patient has understood the information provided, you might use verbs like “confirm” and “verify.”
Example: “Can I just confirm that you understand how to take your medication?”
Key Phrases: “Do you understand that…”, “Can I verify that you know…”, “Please confirm that you…”
17. Offering Choices
When presenting options to a patient, verbs like “offer” and “present” help to clearly communicate choices.
Example: “I can offer you two options: either we proceed with the surgery or we manage with medication.”
Key Phrases: “I can offer…”, “Would you like to choose…”, “I present you with…”
18. Providing Feedback
When giving feedback on the patient’s progress or actions, verbs like “feedback” and “respond” are relevant.
Example: “I’d like to give you some feedback on how well you’ve managed your condition.”
Key Phrases: “Here’s some feedback…”, “I want to respond to your efforts…”, “Let me give you an update on…”
By familiarizing yourself with these key verbs and practicing their associated phrases, you’ll be better equipped to handle a wide range of scenarios in the OET speaking test. Each of these verbs plays a specific role in guiding the interaction and ensuring that you meet the examiners’ expectations.
Mastering these key verbs and their associated phrases is crucial for effective communication in the OET role play. Each verb signals a different type of response, and using the correct phrases will help you meet the test’s expectations and increase your chances of success.
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