English speaking lesson | Talking about illnesses
Use the following expressions to talk about general pains and aches.
General aches and pains
- I’ve a backache.
- I’m getting toothache. OR I’m getting a toothache.
- I’ve got a horrible cold.
- I’ve a pain in the stomach.
- Have you got a headache?
- I’ve an earache.
- I think I’ve got the flu.
- Have you had the measles?
- There’s a lot of flu around at the moment.
- I’ve got a sore throat.
- I’m never sea-sick.
Be sick can mean ‘vomit’.
- I was sick two times in the night. (= I vomited two times in the night.)
- I feel sick. (= I want to vomit.)
- I feel sick to my stomach. (= I want to vomit.)
The expression throw up can also mean ‘vomit’.
- I’m not feeling very well.
- I’ve got a slight headache. (= a headache that isn’t very bad)
- I must be going down with a cold. I’ve got a sore throat.
- I’ve got a splitting headache. (= a very bad headache.)
- I’m feeling sleepy.
- I’ve got a shooting pain in the head.
- I’ve got a dull pain in the head.
- I’m not sleeping very well at the moment.
- I feel a little faint.
- I’ve got a nagging pain in my shoulder. (nagging = a pain that won’t go away)
Sympathetic responses
When people talk about their health problems, you will want to sympathize with them. Here are some sympathetic responses.
- I hope it’s nothing serious.
- I’m sorry to hear that.
- Maybe you’re going down with something. There’s a bug going around.
- You don’t look very well. What happened?
- You look a little pale.
- Don’t worry. All that you need is some rest.
- If you aren’t feeling well, why don’t you go home and get some rest?
- Maybe you should go home and have a lie-down.
- Have a lie-down. It should ease the pain and discomfort.
- Get some rest and take plenty of fluids. You’ll be alright.
Talking about mild illnesses
- I’ve a touch of flu.
- I’m running a temperature.
- I’ve got a bit of temperature.
- I’ve got a nasty cough.
- I’ve got a bit of a stomach bug. (A bug is microorganism that causes illnesses. Examples are: bacteria and virus.)
