PCR Grammar question.

[DwayneEMTP]

Nothing else involved here. This PCR was returned as QA believed that it was an obvious error, and our PCRs are expected to contain correct spelling and grammar. That is one of the things that attracted me to this service, their attitude towards quality in all things.

Thanks all for your help. This really was not a big issue. It was sent back to me, I returned it with the explanation "I believe this report to contain proper grammar." and it then just became a fun pissing contest between them and me.

Thanks for your help all! 'Specially those that felt I was right.. :-)

Dwayne

[Lone Star]

The correct word usage should have been either "laid," as chaser said, or "lied." While "lied" doesn't sound right when you read it or speak it... it is not grammatically incorrect. You should not have used "lay" because that word is usually followed by a noun. The other small issue is that you should have only quoted the word "twitching," and left "was" out of the quotations, unless you are quoting what the staff said and you didn't witness the twitching yourself... in which case you should have also added ""staff states patient "was twitching."" If you saw the "twitching" and were making a generalized assessment because a better term was not available for what you saw, then you should have left "was" out of the "'s. Again, like chaser stated, these are particularly small nits we are picking.

Other than my continued misuse of ellipse's, I believe that sentence is grammatically correct.

*edited for grammatical mistake... I meant "lied" not "lie"...I must go flog myself now.*

Staff states that the patient was found "laying in bed and was twitching".

Staff noted the the patient had laid down and "was twitching".

intr.v., lay (lā), lain (lān), ly·ing (lī'ĭng), lies.

To be or place oneself at rest in a flat, horizontal, or recumbent position; recline: He lay under a tree to sleep.

To be placed on or supported by a surface that is usually horizontal: Dirty dishes lay on the table. See Usage Note at lay1.

To be or remain in a specified condition: The dust has lain undisturbed for years. He lay sick in bed.

To exist; reside: Our sympathies lie with the plaintiff.

To consist or have as a basis. Often used with in: The strength of his performance lies in his training.

To occupy a position or place: The lake lies beyond this hill.

To extend: Our land lies between these trees and the river.

To be buried in a specified place.

Law. To be admissible or maintainable.

Archaic. To stay for a night or short while.

n.

The manner or position in which something is situated.

A haunt or hiding place of an animal.

Sports. The position of a golf ball that has come to a stop.

phrasal verbs:

lie down

To do little or nothing: He's lying down on the job.

lie in

To be in confinement for childbirth.

lie to Nautical.

To remain stationary while facing the wind.

lie with

To be decided by, dependent on, or up to: The choice lies with you.

Archaic. To have sexual intercourse with.

idiom:

lie (or lay) low

To keep oneself or one's plans hidden.

To bide one's time but remain ready for action.

[Middle English lien, from Old English licgan.]

lie2 (lī)

n.

A false statement deliberately presented as being true; a falsehood.

Something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression.

v., lied, ly·ing (lī'ĭng), lies.

v.intr.

To present false information with the intention of deceiving.

To convey a false image or impression: Appearances often lie.

v.tr.

To cause to be in a specific condition or affect in a specific way by telling falsehoods: You have lied yourself into trouble.

idiom:

lie through one's teeth

To lie outrageously or brazenly.

[Middle English, from Old English lyge.]

[FireMedic65]

Your grammar is indeed correct (yes, I DO know how to speak and type proper English lol). Although, if that were me, I would have used a comma after "returning to the room".

Just out of curiosity. Who does your Q/A? Is it another paramedic or something like that? Or just an office/secretary worker?

[P_Instructor]

"Upon returning to the room staff discovered that the pt had lay down on the couch and 'was twitching."

....."Upon returning to the room, staff discovered the patient on couch and is now 'twitching'".

Do you do the reports electronically or by hand?

[Richard B the EMT]

Perhaps I was reading this too quickly, but was the patient found prone, R/L recumbent, or supine, while "twitching" on the couch?

[JPINFV]

I find all this talk about PCRs and grammar a little taq-y. You really should buffer it a bit to distance yourself from the heat. Otherwise you'll find you can't characterize the product because you used the wrong primers.

[Eydawn]

Pt. had lay down: Wrong tense.

Pt. had decided to lay down: Right tense, but implies choice...

Pt. had laid down: Right tense.

Right word, wrong tense, and I would have written that sentence differently anyway, but that's because I'm an English major.

"Upon returning to the room staff discovered the patient lying on the couch and "twitching" per their description. Per EMS visual inspection, pt. was lying in left lateral recumbent and displaying intermittent muscular contraction consistent with XYZ seizure activity..." (just inferring seizure for the purposes of writing the sentence.)

Always use active language when you can. Paint the picture. You don't know if the patient in fact voluntarily laid down on the couch, or if they just ended up there, especially if there's "twitching" going on...

Wendy

Grammar Nazi

CO EMT-B

[spenac]

Pt. had lay down: Wrong tense.

Pt. had decided to lay down: Right tense, but implies choice...

Pt. had laid down: Right tense.

Right word, wrong tense, and I would have written that sentence differently anyway, but that's because I'm an English major.

"Upon returning to the room staff discovered the patient lying on the couch and "twitching" per their description. Per EMS visual inspection, pt. was lying in left lateral recumbent and displaying intermittent muscular contraction consistent with XYZ seizure activity..." (just inferring seizure for the purposes of writing the sentence.)

Always use active language when you can. Paint the picture. You don't know if the patient in fact voluntarily laid down on the couch, or if they just ended up there, especially if there's "twitching" going on...

Wendy

Grammar Nazi

CO EMT-B

Just to parrot Wendy, Dwayne you are wrong. Admit your error and move forward.

[Dustdevil]

Just to parrot Wendy, Dwayne you are wrong. Admit your error and move forward.

The best response to this would be no response.

[tniuqs]

Just to parrot Wendy, Dwayne you are wrong. Admit your error and move forward.

As the official village idiots helper of EMT city:

I therefore demand an immediate resignation from the grammar and spelling bee a written apology in Latin in blood and one hundred lines at the grade school chalk board.

j/k

One spelling error and QA/QC is on your case, well there in lays your problem, but no queries into the patient care speaks volumes.

cheers