PRONUNCIATION
As usual, a
few difficult words appeared in this exercise. Here you have a list with some
of the trickiest words for CA6. As you can see, many of them are related to
health topics. I recommend you use the online audio dictionary http://www.howjsay.com to hear the
pronunciation and practice.
headache
primary
composed
since
 |
| That's very cold! |
fever
pressure
university
plane
temperature
worried
disease
enough
medicine
breathe
retired
eye
patient
EXCELLENT EXPRESSIONS
In this
section, you’ll see many excellent expressions that you used in CA6. In
general, your work for this activity was exceptional! You should all be very
proud! I recommend you have a look at the phrases here because I’m sure you’ll
find something new or useful.
Excellent questions
- Good morning, Doctor. You're new, aren't
you?
- I had an appointment with Dr. Garcia.
Where is he?
- Do you have any allergies?
- Doctor, what's happening to me?
- How long have you been having these
symptoms?
- How long have you had this problem?
- Do you have any health problems or any
previous illness that you have to tell me?
- Do you have a sedentary job?
Excellent sentences
- Dr. Mateo has been transferred to another
hospital. I think I’m going to be your new doctor.
- Perhaps if you have high cholesterol you
should eat lean meat.
- If the symptoms persist, come back in one
week.
- If these pills don't work, you can come
here again and we can try another treatment.
- You only have the flu. It's very common
these days and it's not serious.
- I need to know something about you so I
will ask you some questions.
- Sometimes I'm dizzy and I feel very bad in
general.
- I need to visit the specialist. I want to
visit the cardiologist.
- I feel really bad and sometimes I feel
that I'm going to die.
- I'm starting to think that I won't be able
to fly.
- I have the feeling that my heart is
accelerated.
- I am not convinced.
- I'm going on holidays next week. I need
Calmozene.
- My old doctor always prescribed me
Calmozene.
- I have heart palpitations and a big pain
in my chest.
CORRECTIONS
Finally, we’ve
reached the corrections section! Because this is your last activity, you won’t
have an error correction exercise. Let me simply give you some comments and
corrections for several of the sentences I encountered while listening to your
conversations.
- How
many times you have
the symptoms? --- How long have
you had the symptoms?
REASON: The
expression “how many times” refers to repetition = “quantes vegades.” Here,
however, the doctor wants to ask about a period of time, not a repetition, so
the correct expression is “how long.” // The verb is also incorrect. The
sentence is missing the auxiliary “have” (the verb tense is present perfect).
- Do you follow any treatment actually? --- now, currently,
these days…
REASON:
What do you remember about the word “actually”? It DOES NOT mean “actualment.” It’s
a false friend and it means “en realitat.” There are several correct options to
refer to the present time (you can see them above), but “actually” is not one of them.
- I recommend Tranquil because it is a
natural medicine and it don't affect the stomach. --- …it doesn’t affect…
REASON: The
pronoun “it” uses the auxiliary “does/doesn’t”. Always be careful and make sure
you use the correct verb conjugation with the correct pronouns! Verb
conjugation is actually much easier in English, because the only difference is
that in the present the pronouns “he/she/it” use an “s”!
- You are
married or have
children? --- Are you married or do
you have children?
REASON: The
word order at the beginning of the question is incorrect: when making a question
with the verb “be”, you need to invert the regular order. The verb “be”
goes before the person. // The second part of the question is missing its
auxiliary verb. You need to add its auxiliary verb because it is a different
verb (it’s not the verb “be”). Let me give you an example:
--- Are you hungry or thirsty? --- In this sentence, the verb “are” is the main
verb for both parts of the question. We don’t have to repeat the verb. [Are you hungry or are you thirsty?]
--- Are you tired or do you want
to continue walking? --- In this question, we have one part
with the verb “are” and another part with the main verb “want” so we need to
include the correct auxiliary for “want.”
- I come
here because I go to vacancies I need another pill because the previous
doctor recet me a pill that don't feel good. --- I’m here because I’m going on vacation/holidays and I need another
pill because the previous doctor prescribed me a pill that/which made me
feel sick.
REASON:
There are several mistakes in this sentence. Many of the words aren’t English.
Other parts of the sentence can be improved by using more specific words. I
suggest a complete rewrite.
- Doctor please, could you take me the pressure
and temperature? --- Doctor please, could you take my pressure and
temperature?
REASON:
Somehow, this was a typical mistake in this activity. When we talk about blood
pressure or temperature, we never say “take me the” or “take me my”.
We simply say “take my.”
- I have 31 years old. // I have 25 years old. --- I am XX [years old].
REASON:
This is another mistake some students made--and it's an elementary mistake! Don’t forget! In English we never say “have” an
age. We ARE our age.
- I work for about eight hours
fora day. --- …about eight hours a day.
REASON: The
original sentence had an extra word. We never say “work XX hours for a
day.” Simply eliminate “for.”
- Every week you come to visit me and every
week I say
you the same. --- …and every week I tell you the same.
REASON: We
can’t use the verb say + pronoun. This structure isn’t correct. We can,
however, use the verb “tell.” What’s more, the verb “tell” has a sense of
explanation, so it’s a better option.
Here are a few links with more
information on how to use
say and tell.
- Sorry
to treat you of you, but could you take
memy blood pressure please?
REASON: See
sentence number 6 for the explanation about “take me my blood pressure.” // The first
part of this sentence is a literal translation from Spanish or Catalan: Sento tractor-te de tu. --- Tutejar-te.
This concept doesn’t exist in English! In English, we only have the pronoun “you”
to refer to other people, so this part of the original sentence doesn’t make sense.
- My problem is that I have afraid of flying. Really
I have a
panic of flying. --- My problem is that I am afraid of flying. I feel panic when I fly.
REASON: The
original is a literal translation from Catalan or Spanish (tinc por, tinc pànic).
This structure doesn’t exist in English. You need to use the verb “be” with the
adjective “afraid”: I am afraid.
Another option is to use the noun: I
have a fear of flying. With the word “panic” you also have different
options: I feel panic / I feel panicked.
- I'm sorry but I have afraid needles and
injections. --- I’m sorry but I am afraid of needles and
injections / I have a fear of
needles and injections.
REASON:
Here the same reason applies as number 11. Always remember that English is a different language, so you can't make literal translations from Catalan or Spanish because most of the time these translations will be incorrect.
- Perhaps one day this drug will make you any
secondary effects. --- Perhaps one day this drug will give you side effects. // will cause side effects.
REASON:
This is a typical mistake most of you made, but it’s a simple one to correct!
When talking about the unwanted effects of a medicine, we say side effects, not “secondary effects” (another literal translation).
- I think that I will
gonnafaint from one moment to the next. --- I think that I will faint from one moment to the next.
REASON: The
word “gonna” isn’t really a word. It’s a shortened form of “going to”, and it’s
not an appropriate thing to use in the English classroom because it is very
informal (like slang). In this sentence there are two future forms: “will” and “going
to” (gonna). You only need one future
form. The correct one to use is "will."
- First you have to take the Tranquil and
then the Calmozene if it doesn't play. --- …if it doesn’t work.
REASON: A
medicine doesn’t “play.” A medicine works.
- As you know, I am new in this town and I
would like to meet you better. --- … I would like to know you
better.
REASON: The
verb “meet” has several meanings: to see someone for the first time / to
arrange a meeting with someone. In this sentence, you need the verb “know”
instead of “meet.” The verb “know” means that you learn about the person, and
that’s what the doctor wants to do in this sentence: learn about the patient
and understand him better.
