Grammar Deep Dive: The Passive Voice in Scientific Writing

The passive voice is a style of writing that makes the action or the result the focus of the sentence, rather than who or what is performing the action. This is particularly useful in scientific writing, including documents in the pharmaceutical field, where what happened is often more important than who made it happen.

Why Use Passive Voice?

Objectivity: The passive voice helps keep the writing neutral, focusing on the facts.

Active: "The research team conducted the experiment."

Passive: "The experiment was conducted by the research team."

Focus on Results: In science, the findings are crucial. The passive voice emphasizes these findings.

Active: "Scientists discovered the drug's effectiveness."

Passive: "The drug's effectiveness was discovered (by scientists)."

Formality: Scientific and pharmaceutical writings are formal. The passive voice adds to this formality.

Active: "We analyzed the data."

Passive: "The data were analyzed."

How to Form the Passive Voice

To form a passive sentence, you typically follow this structure:

Start with the object of the action (what receives the action).

Use the appropriate form of the verb "to be" (am, is, are, was, were, etc.) for the tense you need.

Follow with the past participle of the main verb (the action).

Optionally, include the doer of the action, introduced by the preposition "by."

Formula: Object + form of "to be" + past participle of the main verb + (by + doer)

Forming Passive Sentences

Identify the Object: Determine what the sentence is about. This becomes the subject in the passive voice.

Active: "Scientists synthesize new compounds."

Passive: "New compounds are synthesized (by scientists)."

Choose the Correct Form of "To Be": Match the tense of your active sentence to ensure proper time representation.

Present: "Researchers are developing a vaccine."

Passive: "A vaccine is being developed (by researchers)."

Use the Past Participle Correctly: This is crucial for correctly forming the passive voice.

"The drug was approved."

"Approval was granted to the drug."

Including the Doer: While often omitted in scientific writing to emphasize objectivity and results, you can include the doer if it adds necessary clarity or attribution.

"The procedure was designed by Dr. Smith."

Tense	Form + Past Participle (Singular / Plural)	Examples (Singular / Plural)
Present Simple	is / are + past participle	"The result is analyzed." / "The results are analyzed."
Past Simple	was / were + past participle	"The sample was tested." / "The samples were tested."
Future Simple	will be + past participle (both)	"The vaccine will be produced." / "The vaccines will be produced."
Present Perfect	has been / have been + past participle	"The report has been published." / "The reports have been published."
Past Perfect	had been + past participle (both)	"The drug had been approved." / "The drugs had been approved."
Future Perfect	will have been + past participle (both)	"The study will have been completed." / "The studies will have been completed."
Present Continuous	is being / are being + past participle	"The solution is being applied." / "The solutions are being applied."
Past Continuous	was being / were being + past participle	"The experiment was being conducted." / "The experiments were being conducted."

When to Use Passive Voice

Describing Methods and Procedures: Focus on the procedure, not the person doing it.

Active: "The technician applied the solution."

Passive: "The solution was applied by the technician."

Reporting Results: Talk about the outcomes of experiments or studies.

Active: "The team found a significant increase."

Passive: "A significant increase was found."

Discussing Findings: Keep the tone objective when talking about the implications of your study.

Active: "Our study suggests new treatment options."

Passive: "New treatment options are suggested by our study."

Tips for Using Passive Voice Effectively

Balance: Use both active and passive voices to keep your writing engaging.

Mix it up: Instead of "The serum was created," try "We created the serum," when you want to highlight the team's effort.

Be Clear: Ensure your passive sentences are straightforward.

Avoid: "The medication was prescribed by doctors to patients."

Prefer: "Doctors prescribed the medication to patients."

Use Where Needed: Apply the passive voice where it enhances clarity and formality. Use active voice for discussions or personal commentary.

Method Section: "The compound was synthesized at a controlled temperature."

Discussion: "We believe this synthesis method offers several advantages."

In conclusion

The passive voice is a valuable tool in scientific writing, emphasizing results, processes, and maintaining a formal, objective tone. By carefully choosing where and how to use it, and balancing it with active voice, you can make your scientific documents clearer, more engaging, and more professional. Remember, the goal is to communicate your findings effectively, and understanding when and how to use the passive voice is a key part of that communication.

Presentation Skills in English

Whether you're sharing research findings, pitching a new product, or conducting a training session, your presentation skills can significantly influence your audience's engagement and comprehension. This article will guide you through creating effective presentations, focusing on the use of engaging and persuasive language.

1. Planning Your Presentation:

Before diving into the creation process, it’s crucial to understand your audience and the purpose of your presentation. Are you addressing healthcare professionals, fellow researchers, or potential investors? Tailoring your content to your audience’s interests and knowledge level sets the groundwork for a successful presentation.

Tips:

• Define your objective: Clearly state the purpose of your presentation. Is it to inform, persuade, or instruct?

• Structure your content: Start with an introduction that outlines what you will cover. Follow with the body, where you present your main points, and conclude with a summary or call to action.

Vocabulary:

• Objective (noun): The goal intended to be attained.

• Persuade (verb): To cause someone to do something through reasoning or argument.
  

2. Designing Your Slides:

Visual aids, such as slides, can enhance your presentation, making it more engaging and easier to follow. However, overcrowded slides can overwhelm your audience, detracting from your message.

Tips:

• Keep it simple: Use bullet points to highlight key information. Avoid cluttering slides with excessive text or data.

• Visuals are vital: Incorporate relevant images, graphs, or charts to support your points and maintain audience interest.

Vocabulary:

• Enhance (verb): To improve the quality, amount, or strength of something.

• Relevant (adj): Closely connected or appropriate to what is being done or considered.

3. Delivering Your Presentation:

The way you deliver your presentation is as important as the content itself. A confident, engaging delivery can captivate your audience and help convey your message effectively.

Tips:

• Practice makes perfect: Rehearse your presentation multiple times to become more familiar with the content and reduce nervousness.

• Engage with your audience: Make eye contact, ask rhetorical questions, or include short stories to relate to your points and keep the audience interested.

Vocabulary:

• Captivate (verb): To attract and hold the attention or interest of.

• Rhetorical questions (noun): Questions asked for effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer.

4. Using Persuasive Language:

Persuasive language is a powerful tool in presentations, especially when trying to convince your audience of your argument or persuade them to take action.

Tips:

• Use strong action verbs: Words like “transform,” “innovate,” and “enhance” can make your argument more compelling.

• Build credibility: Support your claims with data, research findings, or expert opinions. This adds weight to your arguments and makes them more convincing.

Vocabulary:

• Compelling (adj): Evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way.

• Credibility (noun): The quality of being trusted and believed in.

To sum up, mastering presentation skills in English requires practice and attention to detail. By planning your content, designing clear and engaging slides, delivering your presentation confidently, and using persuasive language, you can create impactful presentations that resonate with your audience. Remember, the goal is not only to inform but also to inspire and persuade your audience. Keep honing your skills, and you'll become a more effective communicator in the pharmaceutical industry.

Balancing Professional and Conversational Language in Pharmaceutical Communication

It's important to remember that the language you use in the pharmaceutical industry can vary depending on who you're communicating with and what you're discussing.

For instance, if you're discussing a new drug, you can use professional language like "We've developed a groundbreaking treatment for diabetes," or you can use conversational language like "Guess what? We've come up with an amazing new drug for diabetes!" Similarly, when you're negotiating terms, you can use professional language like "We propose a 10% increase in the licensing fee," or you can use conversational language like "How about we raise the licensing fee by 10%?"

The level of formality you use should be determined by the situation and who you're communicating with. For example, when speaking to your boss or a client, it's best to use more professional language, while when chatting with colleagues or team members, conversational language is usually the norm.

Here are some more examples of professional and conversational language to help you communicate with colleagues, partners, and stakeholders.

1. Discussing a new drug

Professional language:

We've developed a groundbreaking treatment for diabetes.

Conversational language:

Guess what? We've come up with an amazing new drug for diabetes!

2. Talking about research

Professional language:

According to the results of our clinical trial, the drug is highly effective.

Conversational language:

Our clinical trial showed that the drug works really well.

3. Describing a product

Professional language:

This device uses cutting-edge technology to deliver the medication.

Conversational language:

This thing has the latest technology and gives you your medicine.

4. Giving an update

Professional language:

I'd like to provide you with an overview of the project's progress.

Conversational language:

I just wanted to let you know how things are going so far.

5. Making a suggestion

Professional language:

Perhaps we could explore alternative solutions to this problem.

Conversational language:

Maybe we should think about other ways to fix this issue.

6. Asking for clarification

Professional language:

Could you please elaborate on that point?

Conversational language:

Can you give me more details about what you mean?

7. Requesting information

Professional language:

I would appreciate it if you could send me the report by Friday.

Conversational language:

Could you get that report to me before the end of the week? Thanks!

8. Negotiating terms

Professional language:

We propose a 10% increase in the licensing fee.

Conversational language:

How about we raise the licensing fee by 10%?

9. Apologizing

Professional language:

We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may have caused.

Conversational language:

Sorry about that. We hope it didn't cause too much trouble.

10. Ending a meeting

Professional language:

Thank you for your time. We'll be in touch soon.

Conversational language:

Great! Thanks for coming. We'll talk again soon.

11. Asking for feedback

Professional language:

We would appreciate any input or hints you might have.

Conversational language:

Let us know if you have any ideas or thoughts on this.

12. Giving instructions

Professional language:

Please ensure that all the necessary documentation is submitted by 5 p.m.

Conversational language:

Just make sure to get all the paperwork in by 5 p.m., okay?

13. Expressing concern

Professional language:

I'm afraid we're experiencing some delays with the production schedule.

Conversational language:

I'm sorry to say that we're running behind on the production.

14. Offering help

Professional language:

If there's anything I can do to assist, please don't hesitate to ask.

Conversational language:

Let me know if you need any help. I'm here for you.

15. Confirming details

Professional language:

To clarify, the meeting will take place at our headquarters on Monday at 2 p.m.

Conversational language:

So just to make sure, we're meeting at our office on Monday at 2 p.m.?

Remember, these examples are not set phrases that you have to use. They're just to give you an idea of the differences between professional and conversational language. In general, professional language tends to be more formal, while conversational language is more casual and relaxed.

Of course, this is just a general guide. Different companies and cultures have different expectations for how people should communicate. It's always a good idea to pay attention to how others talk and adapt your language accordingly.