UNIT 2. Doctor, doctor!

TALKING ABOUT HEALTH AND ILLNESSES

MEDICAL MYTHS OR FIRST-AID FACTS?
First aid can help treat a minor injury or even save a life in a medical emergency. However, it’s
important to know what NOT to do. Sometimes incorrect first aid can actually be more harmful
than helpful. So, how useful is the advice you’ve heard? Do the quiz to find out!

For each question, decide which answers are myths (M) and which are facts (F).

1 LISTENING
You’re going to listen to Jane, Daniel and Alison talking about a time when someone needed first aid.

Listen once. When the incident happened, did they help? Why or why not?

Listen again and answer the questions for each story.

1. What was he/she doing when it happened?

2. Who needed first aid? Why?
3. What did he/she do?
4. What happened in the end?
5. How did he / she feel during the event? And afterwards?

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2 VOCABULARY
1.Minor illnesses and conditions

2.Injuries and more serious

conditions

2.Injuries and more serious

conditions

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Match the injuries with their causes or symptoms.

3. Revise
Can you remember the words?

Did you know that…?

In British English, the place where you can go to ask advice from or receive
treatment from a doctor or dentist is called the surgery. Examples:
If you come to the surgery at 10.30, the doctor will see you then.
On Saturday mornings, surgery (= the period of opening of the place where you can go to see
your doctor) is from 9.00 to 12.00.
In American English it’s usually called the doctor’s office.

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3 GRAMMAR: Present perfect simple and continuous
Listen to a conversation between a doctor and a
patient and answer the questions.

1. What symptoms does the patient have?

2. What does he think is wrong with him?
3. What does he think he needs?
4. What does the doctor suggest?

Listen to what the doctor and the receptionist say

after Mr. Payne has left. What do they think of
him? Do you know the name for someone like this?

PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE: have + past participle

He has broken his arm.

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS: have + been + gerund

He has been crying all morning!

We normally use the PRESENT PERFECT SIMPLE to talk about past events that have a connection
with the present; for example, news or past experiences. We can also use the present perfect
to talk about situations that started in the past, but which are still true in the present.

Recent events and news

We use the present perfect to talk about recent events or news. We don’t say when these
events happened.
 I’ve passed the test!
 She’s broken her arm.
 The president has travelled to Cuba.

Just, yet, already

We often use the present perfect with the words just, yet, already.
We use just in (+) sentences to say that something happened very recently (like minutes ago).
 I’ve just seen Peter in the street.
 He looks happy because he’s just got married.
We use yet in (-) and (?) sentences. We put it at the end of the sentence.
 Have you washed the dishes yet?
 I haven’t called him yet.

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We use already in (+) sentences to say that something happened before now (usually, earlier
than we expected).
 I have already finished.
 We have already arrived.

Life experiences
We often use the present perfect to talk about past experiences in our lives. We don’t say
when these experiences happened.
 I’ve run the Boston Marathon twice.
 She’s never been on a cruise.
 I’ve been here before.

Never, ever, before

When we ask about someone’s life experiences we often use the word ever.
 Have you ever read this book?
 Have you ever been to India?
When we talk about life experiences, we often use the words never or before.
 She has never been late.
 I think I have seen this film before.

Unfinished actions We use the present perfect with the words how long, for, since to talk
about actions or situations that started in the past and still continue or are still true now.
 I’ve lived in Oslo since I was born. (=I was born in Oslo and I still live in Oslo)
 They have been married for 25 years. (=They got married 25 years ago and they are
still married)
We use how long in questions to ask about the duration of an action or situation.
 How long has she been a teacher?
 How long has she had her car?
We use for + a period of time, e.g. for two weeks, for ten years, for ten days, for a few hours,
etc.
 We’ve been here for a few hours.
 They’ve been married for 10 years.
We use since + a moment in the past (the beginning of a period of time), e.g. since I was
born, since 10 o’clock, since last Wednesday, etc.
 We’ve been here since 4 o’clock.
 They’ve been married since 2010.

Be careful with these common mistakes!

We use present perfect, and not present simple for actions or situations that started in the
past and are still true now.
 We’ve been friends since first grade. (NOT We are friends since first grade).
We don’t use the word ago with the present perfect.
 They’ve been married for 10 years. (NOT They are married since 10 years ago).

We use the PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS with action verbs (dynamic verbs) to talk about
situations that started in the past and have not finished or have just finished.
 Have you been crying?
 Sorry I am so dirty, but I‘ve been painting.
There is often a present result from doing these actions.
 You‘ve been crying. (Your eyes are red.)
 I am dirty because I‘ve been painting.

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We can use the present perfect continuous to talk about continuous or repeated actions or
situations from the past till now.
 She‘s been calling you for days. (=She has repeated this action for several days.)
 I‘ve been studying since you left. (=I have done this action continuously without
stopping.)

Present perfect simple or continuous?

We can use the present perfect simple and the present perfect continuous to talk about
situations that started in the past and still continue. But we must use the present perfect
simple with non-action verbs (stative verbs), and we normally use the present perfect
continuous with dynamic verbs (although the present perfect simple is also possible.)
 We‘ve had this car for years.
 I haven’t been sleeping well lately.

We use the present perfect continuous (and NOT simple) with dynamic verbs for situations
that started in the past and still continue when we want to emphasize how long the situation
has lasted.
 I have been waiting for hours!
 I couldn’t do the dishes. I’ve been working all day.

Finished and unfinished situations

We use the present perfect simple for finished actions in the past when we don’t say when.
We use the present perfect continuous for actions or situations that maybe have not finished
or that maybe have finished (very recently)
 Who has eaten my cookies? (=We would say this if there are no cookies left. The
action is finished.
 Who has been eating my cookies? (=We would say this if there are some cookies left)
 I‘ve been watching the series you recommended. I’ll tell you about it when I finish
watching it.
 I‘ve watched the series you recommended. I watched the last episode yesterday.

Actions with present results

We can use present perfect simple and present perfect continuous for actions with present
results. We use the present perfect simple if the present results come from completing the
action.
 Look how nice my car looks. I‘ve washed it. (=The car looks nice because I have
finished washing it.)
 Something is different in this house. Have you painted it? (=The house looks different
because you have completed the action of painting it.)
We use the present perfect continuous if the present results come from the process of doing
the action.
 Sorry I’m so sweaty. I‘ve been washing my car. (=I am sweaty because of the physical
activity that washing the car involves.)
 How come you are so dirty? Have you been painting? (=You are dirty because of the
process of painting.)

How long vs how many/much

We use the present perfect continuous to talk about the duration of an action, i.e. about how
long we have been doing something. And we use the present perfect simple to talk about how
many things or how much of something we have done.
 I’ve written twenty e-mails. (I’m talking about how many emails I’ve written.)
 I’ve been writing emails for hours. (=I’m talking about how long I have spend writing
emails)

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GRAMMAR PRACTICE

4 READING

a) Read the article. Complete the summary of each paragraph 1-5 with phrases a-e:

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b) Read each paragraph again carefully and choose c) Match the highlighted phrases in the article
the best answer, a, b, c. related to medicine to definitions 1-7

5 WRITING: AN INFORMAL EMAIL

From: Anna
To: Sue
Subject: News!

Hi Sue,

Sorry that I haven’t been in touch for a while, but I’ve been ill. I got flu last week and I had a
temperatureof 39°C, so I’ve been in bed for four days. I’m feeling a bit better today, so I’ve been
catching up on my emails. Luckily, my classes at university don’t start till next week.

How are you? What have you been doing? Anything exciting? Here everyone is fine (apart from me
and my flu!). My brother Ian has already started his new job with a software company – I think I told
you about it when I last wrote. Anyway, he’s really enjoying it. Oh, and my sister Sarah is getting
married next summer. She and Tony have just got engaged! How about your family? I hope they’re
well.

I have some good news: I’m going to a conference in your town in May, from 16 th to 20th. Could
you recommend a hotel where I can stay in the centre of town? It needs to be somewhere not too
expensive because the university is paying. I’ll have a free day for sightseeing. Do you think you’ll
be able to show me around? That would be great!

Well, that’s all for now. Please give my regards to your family.

Hope to hear from you soon. Take care,

Anna
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Read Anna’s email carefully and find informal expressions that mean:
 emailed, messaged or phoned
 reading and replying to
 Have you been doing anything fun?
 I don’t have any more news.
 Send my best wishes to

USEFUL LANGUAGE
Remember the following useful expressions to write an informal letter or email:

Greetings
In a letter, start with Dear followed by the first name of the person to whom you are writing. In emails,
you can also start with Hello or Hi and the person's name: Dear Ben, Hello Ben, or Hi Ben,
Opening expressions
It’s ages since I’ve heard from you! Sorry for not writing earlier.
Thanks for your email / letter. Sorry that I haven’t been in touch for a while.
It’s great to hear from you. I hope you and your family are well.
Responding to news
Glad to hear (you’re all well). Good luck with (the new job).
Sorry to hear about (your exam results). Hope you feel better soon.
Closing expressions
Anyway, I must go and get on with my work. Take care,
Well, that’s all for now. Best wishes,
Hope to hear from you soon. Regards,
Give my regards / love to your family. Lots of love,
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ANSWER KEY
MEDICAL MYTHS OR FIRST-AID FACTS?
1 a and c are myths. 2 a is a myth. 3 a and b are myths. 4 a is a myth. 5 c is a myth. 6 c is a
myth.
1 LISTENING
Jane: Yes because she used to be a nurse.
Daniel: Yes because it happened right in front of him.
Alison: No because she didn’t know what to do.
Jane
1 She was out shopping with her husband.
2 A man. He was lying on the ground.
3 She felt his pulse and started doing cardiac massage.
4 An ambulance came and took the man to hospital.
5 a) She felt quite calm (because she knew what to do).
b) She felt pleased (because she was able to do something).
Daniel
1 He was cycling to work.
2 An old lady. She tripped and fell into the road.
3 He helped move her and then helped her sit up until the ambulance came.
4 She was taken to hospital and he visited her there.
5 a) He felt worried (because he thought someone might steal his rucksack.
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b) He felt glad (because he was able to do something).
1 She was waiting for the bus.
2 A big, tall man. He fell backwards and hit his head on the pavement.
3 She didn’t really do anything.
4 An ambulance arrived, and the paramedics took him away on a stretcher.
5 a) She felt helpless (because she didn’t know what to do).
b) She felt ashamed of not helping the man (because he was a bit dirty).
2 VOCABULARY
1 a rash 2 sunburn 3 Her ankle’s swollen. 4 a temperature 5 Her finger’s bleeding. 6 a
headache 7 Her back hurts. / Her back aches. 8 She’s being sick. / She’s vomiting. 9 a cough 10
She’s sneezing.
1B2D3E4C5H6F7A8C9I
1 C He’s unconscious. He’s breathing, but his eyes are closed and he can’t hear or feel
anything.
2 G He’s had an allergic reaction. He was stung by a wasp and now he has a rash and has
difficulty breathing.
3 B He’s sprained his ankle. He fell badly and now it’s swollen.
4 D He has high blood pressure. It’s one hundred and eighty over one hundred and forty.
5 E He has food poisoning. He ate some prawns that were off.
6 F He’s choking. He was eating a steak and a piece got stuck in his throat.
7 A He’s burnt himself. He spilt some boiling water on his hand.
REVISE
2 blood pressure 3 sunburn 4 painkillers 5 get over 6 sniff / sneeze, cough 7 allergic reaction 8
lie down 9 faint, pass out, come round 10 flu 11 bleed 12 sprained 13 burn 14 plaster 15 food
poisoning
3 GRAMMAR
1 A cough, headaches, a temperature
2 A brain tumour
3 A blood test
4 He should wait a few days, take paracetamol, and go to bed early.
They think he’s a pain in the neck. We call someone who behaves like this ’a hypochondriac’.
1 I haven’t been feeling 2 I’ve been coughing 3 have you been taking 4 have you taken 5 have
you taken 6 I’ve taken it 7 haven’t had
In 1 and 3, the other option is possible although less common.
Grammar Practice
a 1 Both OK 2 phoned 3 been running 4 seen 5 met 6 been snowing 7 gone 8 Both OK 9 been
reading, read
b 1 We’ve known Jack and Ann for years.
2 You look really hot. Have you been working out at the gym?
3 Emily hasn’t done her homework yet, so I’m afraid she can’t go out.
4 They don’t live in London – they’ve moved.
5 I hope they’re getting on OK. They’ve been arguing a lot recently.
6 We’ve been walking for hours. Is this the right way?
7 Why is my laptop switched on? Have you been using it?
8 Oh no! I’ve cut my finger on this knife.
4 READING
a1 b 2 d 3 a 4 e 5 c
b1b2b3a4a5c
c 1 open-heart surgery 2 miracle cures 3 under the weather 4 scare stories 5 worst-case
scenarios 6 heart rate 7 life-threatening illness
5 WRITING
emailed, messaged, or phoned. = been in touch
reading and replying to = catching up on my emails
Have you been doing anything fun? = What have you been doing? Anything exciting?
I don’t have any more news. = that’s all for now send my best wishes to = give my regards to
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EXTRA PRACTICE
VOCABULARY

 https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/learning-english/activities-for-
learners/b1v052-body-and-health
 https://www.esleschool.com/b2-health-and-medicine-exercise-3/
 https://www.myenglishpages.com/english/vocabulary-lesson-health.php
READING

 https://test-english.com/reading/b2/stay-fit-happy-healthy/
 https://test-english.com/reading/b2/uk-students-protest-covid-19-measures-
reading-test/
 https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/magazine-zone/world-
mental-health-day
LISTENING

 https://test-english.com/listening/b1-b2/cyberchondria/
 https://test-english.com/listening/b2/chronic-fatigue-sydrom-interview/
 https://test-english.com/listening/b2/researchers-investigate-bush-medicine/
 https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/video-series/word-
street/hospital
GRAMMAR

 Grammar Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGw2-p2WuJk

 Grammar Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVVn9MddtmM
 https://test-english.com/grammar-points/a2/present-perfect/
 https://test-english.com/grammar-points/b1/past-simple-present-perfect/
 https://test-english.com/grammar-points/b1/for-since-from-difference/
 https://test-english.com/grammar-points/b1-b2/present-perfect-simple-
continuous/
 https://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-perfect-simple-or-present-
perfect-continuous.html
WRITING

 https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading/b2-reading/an-email-
from-a-friend
 https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/writing/b2-writing/an-informal-
email-to-a-friend
 https://www.rubenvalero.com/learningenglish/b2-first-fce/writing-fce-b2/fce-
informal-letter-or-email/

NOTE: Some of the activities in this unit have been adapted from
material published and copyrighted by Oxford University Press for the
exclusive use of students in this course.

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