At the Doctor's Clinic | Spoken English
Updated: Jun 3, 2020
Let's Pull up Our Socks in Interactive English.
Graham: Hello, Lucy ! Please be seated. How are you doing?
Lucy: Not well, doctor. I’ve been down with flue.
Graham: How long have you had this symptom?
Lucy: About three days now. I feel dead tired as well.
Graham: I see. Is cough accompanied with the flu?
Lucy: Not at all. But I’ve got extreme body ache.
Graham: I’ve prescribed aspirin, which you need to take every four hours.
Lucy: Is there any dietary restrictions, doctor?
Graham: Not exactly. Take plenty of rest and make sure you drink lots of fluids.
Lucy: Thanks a lot. Have a Nice Day.
Graham: You are welcome.
Analysis:
1. Please be seated: We use this expression to ask someone to sit. You can also say ‘ Have a Seat’ in this situation.
2. How are you doing? This is another way of asking ‘ How are you’. ‘How are you doing’ is used exclusively in informal situation.
3. down with: This phrase is used in informal situation . This phrase means ‘suffer from’. Instead of saying ‘I’m suffering from’, you can say I’m down with flu…..
4. How long have you had: This expression means that ‘since when have you been suffering from….’. These are typical spoken English terms used informally in daily conversation.
5. dead tired: ‘dead tired’ means absolute tired.
‘Dead’ in this context means 'extremely'
e.g. The car gave a sudden jerk and came to a dead stop.
6. accompanied with: This phrase means ‘ if something else also happens.
e.g. fever accompanied with cold.
She is accompanied by her husband on the trip.
7. dietary restrictions: This phrase means ‘ restrictions about food.’
Lucy here asks whether there is any restriction on her food intake due to flu.
8. make sure: to check something has been done.
e.g. She looked around to make sure that she was alone.
e.g.I think the door's locked, but I'll just go and make sure.
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