Doc, is this a placebo?

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Jackson6612

#512444 Sun, 11 May 08 02:25 PM

Please correct the following sentences:

Patient: Doc, is this a placebo?
Doc: No, it's a pharmacologically active.
Patient: I thought it was an inert.

Jackson6612

Joined on Wed, Dec 27 2006

Advanced Member (2,605)

NOTE: When you reply to my post, please look for mistakes in grammar, syntax or punctuation, and let me know of any suggestions you have. Thank you.

Clive

#512487 Sun, 11 May 08 04:25 PM

Hi,

Patient: Doc, is this a placebo?
Doc: No, it's a pharmacologically active.
Patient: I thought it was an inert.

The first remark is OK, but the second and third use terms that most patients would not be familiar with.

Patient:Is this a placebo?
Doc: No, it's actual medicine.
Patient: I thought it wasn't.

Where I live, I'd say that patients don't commonly address their doctor as 'Doctor' or 'Doc'.

Best wishes, Clive

Clive

Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004

Canada

Forum Guru (19,221)

El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo

Yankee

#512488 Sun, 11 May 08 04:27 PM

Jackson6612
Please correct the following sentences:

Patient: Doc, is this a placebo?
Doc: No, it's a pharmacologically active.
Patient: I thought it was an inert.

You should delete the indefinite article in the second and third sentences.

- "pharmacologically active" = adverb + adjective (i.e. there is no noun)

- "inert" = adjective (i.e. there is no noun)

Yankee

Joined on Sat, Apr 15 2006

Connecticut, USA

Pre Guru (3,934)

Amy "You can't depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." - Mark Twain

Adverbs, Articles, Definite articles, Indefinite articles, Nouns, Verbs

Pter

#512500 Sun, 11 May 08 04:48 PM

So, how do they address their doctors? By surname?

Pter

Joined on Wed, Nov 28 2007

Hong Kong

Frequent Poster (416)

Huevos

#512504 Sun, 11 May 08 05:08 PM

Pter
So, how do they address their doctors? By surname?

I doubt it. I think what Clive means is it is not necessary to address the doctor by title or name because it is obvious whom you are talking to. On the other hand if there were several people in the room there is nothing wrong with addressing him as doctor.

Huevos

Joined on Tue, Mar 25 2008

Spain

Regular Member (143)

British Native

Whom

Pter

#512506 Sun, 11 May 08 05:19 PM

I watched a few episodes of House. The shots very often start at the middle of the converstation between Dr House and the patient. But don't they need to say hi or something at the beginning?

By the way, I also think the dialogue posted by Jackson is extremely unlikely to happen. No doctor would use such terms when talking to a patient, unless perhaps the patient is also a doctor!

Pter

Jackson6612

#512527 Sun, 11 May 08 06:14 PM

Thank you, everyone.

Jackson6612