Some words are used as ‘catch-alls’, when a little thought would suggest a better word. Sometimes associate, involve, concern and regard are appropriate; but often they indicate laziness.

Lavoisier believed it impossible to dissociate language from science or science from language. Sloppy language means sloppy science.

If you find the following words in your first draft, think carefully about whether they could be replaced by more precise ones.

ACHIEVE, ATTAIN

If achieve cannot be replaced by obtain or reach, then it might indicate that the construction of the sentence should be altered. Achieve is commonly superfluous.

Maximum pressures are said to be attained after…

Attain, achieve and reach can all mean to get there, but reach means just that; it is a good simple word that does not colour its surroundings. A guide to the best verb can be the noun formed from it: the achievement of a lifetime's ambition; the attainment of a great, perhaps metaphorical, height. Looked at in this way, these words are not good ones for our rather more mundane purpose. Maximum pressures are said to be attained after … is rather grand for a scientific report. The best verb here, though, is occur: are said to occur after … (even though occur is suffering from overuse (p. 40)).

The only way in which a lower rate can be achieved …

The writers were discussing the settings on a ventilator: obtain is perfectly good.