Papers often make statements about the prevalence of the disease or condition being studied. These statements may be specific to changes in the rate, such as: “There has been a sharp increase in stomach cancer rates in people over the age of 50.” or specific to the age group (or nationality or gender or other patient factor): “Most people diagnosed…
word choice
guess vs. speculate
In daily life, it is common to experience situations where information is unclear or uncertain. And in such cases, we generally express our uncertainty using the word “guess”. For example: “I don’t know his age, but I guess he’s around 30.” or “I’m not sure when we’ll arrive, but I guess it will be after 6 pm.” In science, an…
suffer from, suffer
In daily speech, people often describe themselves, their friends or family members as “suffering from a disease” or “suffering an injury”. For example: “My father suffers from diabetes.” or “My son suffered a broken leg when he fell off his bike” This wording focuses attention on the feelings of distress experienced by the sick person as well as expressing the…
British vs. American English
One of the most frustrating areas for English-language learners is the difference in spelling and grammar rules between British and American English. Native speakers learn a consistent set of grammar and spelling rules that apply in their country and only later learn that other spellings, other grammar rules may be applied elsewhere. Second language-learners are confronted with both systems from…