Thursday, 29 September 2016

Feeling ILL

'Doctor, I don't feel well'

Watch the video and asnwer the questions (in the video)

Explaining your problem

Look at these two forms we can use to talk about our health problems:
'I have been coughing a lot these days / recently / for the last few days / since yesterday.' (PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS)'I have a cough.' (PRESENT SIMPLE)

'I have been sneezing.'
'My head has been hurting.'
'I have been having headaches.'
'I have been feeling tired.'
'I haven't been sleeping well.'

I have + noun

'I have a bad back'
'I have a sore throat.'
'I have a fever/ a temperature.'

I feel + adjective

'I feel dizzy.'
'I feel under the weather.'
'I feel rundown.'

Types of illness


(adjective Allergic) To have a bad reaction to animals, dust, foods or plants. The symptoms are red eyes, runny nose and sneezing.


(verb to Cough) Pronounced 'coff'. To force air out of the lungs making a loud and uncomfortable noise:
'Smoking makes me cough.'


(adjective Dizzy). To have the feeling that everything around you is spinning.
'I felt dizzy after standing up too quickly when I was in the bath.'

Fever / Temperature

A rise in body temperature. To feel hot.

The Flu

(also called Influenza) A very strong cold caused by a virus. Symptoms include: fever, headache, runny nose and sneezing.

 Hay Fever

An allergy to plants and the pollen from flowers. The symptoms are red eyes, a runny nose and sneezing.


Not being able to sleep at night.


Uncomfortable, itchy, red spots on the skin. A skin condition.
'She got a rash on her hand after touching a strange plant.'

Rundown / Under the Weather

(idioms) Both of these mean a general feeling of sickness. Rundown usually comes from living an unhealthy lifestyle. Under the weather means to not feel your usual, healthy self.

Runny Nose

Mucus coming from the nose. The need to blow your nose a lot.


(verb to Sneeze) An uncontrollable movement of air from the nose and mouth.
'The strong smell of flowers makes me sneeze.'


Red and painful skin that comes from being in the sun too long.

- ache / sore -

These three forms are usually used to talk about general problems. These are the common collocations:

+ ache

muscle ache

sore +

sore throat
sore eyes
sore feet

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