Anne tells the receptionist which doctor she has come to see, and the time of the appointment.
ANNE Excuse me. I have an appointment to see Doctor Chang at 2.30.
The receptionist asks for Anne’s name. Instead of saying ‘What is your name please?’ she just says, ‘And your name?’
RECEPTIONIST And your name?
ANNE Lee. Anne Lee.
Listen to what the receptionist says next.
RECEPTIONIST Ms Lee. Yes, please take a seat.
She means that Anne can sit down to wait.
She then says:
RECEPTIONIST
Doctor will see you soon.
She means Anne won’t have to wait long.
Listen to what she says when the doctor is ready to see Anne.
RECEPTIONIST
Ms Lee? Doctor will see you now.
Listen to what Anne tells the Doctor.
ANNE
I’ve been getting some very bad headaches lately. And I feel tense.
Pains in the head are called headaches.
We can also talk about a stomachache, which is a pain in the stomach. Eating unripe fruit gives me a stomachache.
A toothache is a pain in a tooth. You get toothaches if you don’t look after your teeth.
We call these things that we feel symptoms.
They are the signs that we are sick. A runny nose and fever are symptoms of the flu.
A diagnosis is the Doctor’s opinion about what is wrong. Her diagnosis is that you have the flu.
2. PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE
Anne says:
ANNE
I’ve been getting some very bad headaches lately.
Let’s look at the phrase have been getting.
If Anne has a headache now, she would say: I have a headache
If she had a headache yesterday, she would say: I had a headache.
But for an action that started in the past, and is still going on she says I have been getting headaches.
The action is continuous, or still happening, and we call this tense the present perfect continuous.
It combines have or has with been and the ing form of the verb. I have been smoking for years.
He has been smoking for years.
Here is another example from today’s episode:
ANNE
Yes, I’m worried about my brother. He’s been missing for two years.
This is short for he has been missing. He went missing in the past and he is still missing.
Notice that we use the word for to talk about a length of time. I’ve been waiting for an hour.
She’s been studying for three years.
ANNE
Yes, I’m worried about my brother. He’s been missing for two years.
We use the word since when we are talking about a specific time in the past: They have been driving since six in the morning.
We have been flying since yesterday.
To ask questions using the present perfect continuous, we say the pronoun (we, you, they, I, heshe, it) after have or has. Have you been working all day? Has she been working all day?
DOCTOR CHANG
And have you been taking anything for them?
3. PREFERENCE
The Doctor uses the word prefer to ask which sort of medicine Anne likes best.
DOCTOR CHANG
Do you prefer Western or Chinese medicine?
In her answer, Anne says which one she likes more.
ANNE
I prefer Chinese medicine.
In questions about what a person likes we use the word or. Do you prefer staying home or travelling?
When we say which thing we like out of two things we use the word to. I prefer staying home to travelling.
Another way of saying which of two things you like uses the words would, rather and than. I would rather stay home than travel.
We can shorten this to: I’d rather stay home than travel.
Notice that we don’t use the ing form when using would, rather and than. I would rather stay home than travel.
Watch Living English and get to know the characters of our drama 'Sisters and Brothers' as you learn and revise your basic English skills.
