Practice · Dr. Bashir

1 Corrections

How you said it, the natural version, and why. These are your own sentences.

How you said it

I was very occupied because I performed a big operation on Thursday.

The natural version

I was very busy / tied up because I performed a big operation on Thursday.

"Occupied" is grammatically fine but sounds too formal and literal. Native speakers say "busy" or "tied up" when work is keeping them away from other things.

How you said it

My family forced me to go to the Tartous.

The natural version

My family forced me to go to Tartous.

No "the" before city or place names. We say "to Tartous," "to Paris," "to London" — never "the Tartous."

How you said it

Today I also had many operations and I finished only 2 hours ago.

The natural version

Today I also had many operations and I only finished 2 hours ago.

The meaning is clear and correct — just a small word order note: "only finished" flows slightly more naturally than "finished only." Both are fine.

1b Already right

These needed no correction at all.

He doesn't cheat his patients.

Correct. You could also say "He doesn't deceive his patients" or "He doesn't take advantage of his patients" — all very natural alternatives.

I don't make empty promises.

Perfect — this is an excellent and natural phrase. Well done!

I'm scared of lying.

Correct — natural and honest sentence! You could also say "I hate lying" or "I can't bring myself to lie."

2 Grammar tips

Adjective form: -ing and -ful

Many nouns have adjective forms. Add "-ing" for something that causes a feeling, and "-ful" for something that is full of something.

Pain → painful. Exhaust → exhausting. The surgery was exhausting. My knee is very painful.

No article before city/place names

Do not use "the" before the names of cities, towns, or countries (with a few exceptions like "the USA").

I went to Tartous. She lives in Damascus. He moved to London.

Pain tolerance — compound nouns

English often combines two nouns into one idea. The first noun acts like an adjective.

Pain + tolerance = pain tolerance. Soft + skills = soft skills. Hard + skills = hard skills. Personal + brand = personal brand.

"Busy" vs "occupied"

Both mean you have no free time, but "busy" is what people actually say in everyday English. "Occupied" is more formal and can sound stiff.

I was very busy yesterday. He's tied up right now — can he call you back?

Double meaning: "treatment"

"Treatment" has two completely different meanings in English depending on context.

Medical treatment = what a doctor does for a patient. Human treatment = the way you behave toward a person. He received treatment for the infection. The staff complained about the bad treatment from management.

3 New words and phrases

4 Pronunciation

·behaviorbeh-HAYV-yerStress the middle: beh-HAYV-yer. Not "beh-HAV-ee-or" — it flows as three syllables.

Practise these sounds

5 Practice sentences

01I was very busy last week — I only finished my last operation 2 hours ago.
02The patient recovered quickly, but her leg is still a little swollen.
03Being a surgeon requires both hard skills and strong soft skills like communication and diplomacy.
04I never make empty promises to my patients — if I say they will be okay, I mean it.
05His reputation in the hospital is built on honesty and excellent treatment of patients.
06Working 12-hour days is exhausting, but I recharge over the weekend with my family.
07In our society, a middleman with connections can sometimes open doors that talent alone cannot.
08A greedy doctor damages not only his patients — he damages his entire personal brand.
09It's your right to know the reality of your condition — I will always tell you the truth.
10You need both knowledge and soft skills. It's not just what you know — it's who you know.

6 Model sentences

Read these out loud three times.

I was very busy last week — I performed three operations in two days and only finished 2 hours ago.
The patient recovered well, but the leg is still swollen and will need further treatment.
In medicine, hard skills get you through the door, but soft skills — communication, empathy, diplomacy — are what build your reputation.
I don't make empty promises. In my society, your word is your personal brand.
A greedy doctor who treats patients as sources of income will eventually lose everything — trust, reputation, and referrals.
He has a high pain tolerance, which made post-operative recovery easier for him.
It's not just what you know — it's who you know. But in the long run, reality always catches up with empty reputation.

7 Mini-dialogue

A
Dr. Bashir, you look tired. Busy week?
B
Very. I was completely tied up — I performed a big operation on Thursday, and I only finished today 2 hours ago.
A
That's exhausting. How do you recharge after days like that?
B
My family dragged me to Tartous on Friday, which actually helped. A change of scenery is good for the mind.
A
Do you ever find difficult patients hard to deal with?
B
Of course. But you learn to tolerate difficult behavior. Some patients have low pain tolerance and are very anxious — you have to treat them with patience, not frustration.
A
What do you think separates a truly great doctor from a good one?
B
Soft skills. Anyone can study medicine — those are hard skills. But reputation, communication, honesty — not making empty promises — that's what builds a real personal brand.

Read A, say B's line yourself, then check.

8 Homework

Write 5 sentences about your week using at least 5 of today's words: exhausting, recharge, reputation, tolerate, empty promises, personal brand.
Practice the pronunciation of "reputation" (rep-yuh-TAY-shun) and "society" (suh-SY-uh-tee) out loud 5 times each. Record yourself if possible.
Think of a colleague you respect and one you don't — write 2–3 sentences describing each using today's vocabulary (soft skills, behavior, reputation, greedy, honest).
Use "hard skills" and "soft skills" in a real conversation this week — or write an example of each type from your own career.
Read the Mini-Dialogue aloud from start to finish. Then cover role B and try to say those lines from memory.

9 Self-check

The phrase that stuck with me most today is "it's not what you know, it's who you know" — because I've seen this in my own career. Hard skills opened the door, but relationships and reputation are what kept it open.

I want to work on using "busy" and "tied up" instead of "occupied" — and I need to remember: no "the" before city names like Tartous or Damascus.

Today's session made me think about personal brand in medicine. I've been building mine through honesty and keeping my word. The question I want to explore: how do soft skills like diplomacy actually affect patient outcomes?