Intermediate· B1–B2Health & doctor10 min

Describing symptoms to a doctor

Explain where it hurts, how long it has lasted and what makes it better or worse.

The scene

You are at your appointment with a doctor because of stomach pain. The doctor asks questions to understand what is wrong.

Speaker A
Doctor
Speaker B
You (patient)

Your goals

  • Describe the location, type and timing of pain
  • Answer follow-up questions with useful detail
  • Ask questions about the next steps

Key vocabulary

Press the speaker to hear each word or phrase.

  • symptom

    a sign of illness that you notice in your body

    What are your symptoms?

  • sharp pain

    a sudden, strong pain

    I get a sharp pain after eating.

  • dull ache

    a mild pain that continues

    It's more of a dull ache.

  • to come and go

    to start and stop again and again

    The pain comes and goes.

  • nauseous

    feeling that you might vomit

    I feel nauseous in the morning.

  • to get worse

    to become more serious

    It gets worse at night.

  • blood test

    a test of a small amount of blood

    We'll do a blood test.

  • to rule out

    to decide that something is not the cause

    We need to rule out an infection.

Useful phrases

  • I've been having … for …

    Describing a recent problem

  • It hurts here.

    Showing where the pain is

  • It's more of a … than a …

    Describing the type of pain

  • It gets worse when …

    Explaining what makes it worse

  • On a scale of one to ten, it's about …

    Rating your pain

  • What happens next?

    Asking about next steps

Practice studio: speak the dialogue

Pick your role and press Start. Your partner's lines are read aloud; then say your line into the microphone (or type it) and see which words you got right.

Your role

  1. Doctor

    Hello, have a seat. What brings you in today?

  2. You (patient)

    I've been having stomach pain for about two weeks.

  3. Doctor

    Can you show me where it hurts?

  4. You (patient)

    It hurts here, in the upper part of my stomach.

  5. Doctor

    What kind of pain is it? Sharp, burning or a dull ache?

  6. You (patient)

    It's more of a burning pain than a sharp one, and it comes and goes.

  7. Doctor

    Does anything make it better or worse?

  8. You (patient)

    It gets worse after big meals and coffee, and it's a bit better if I eat smaller meals.

  9. Doctor

    On a scale of one to ten, how bad is it?

  10. You (patient)

    Usually about four, but sometimes six at night. What happens next?

You speak 5 lines as You (patient); Doctor is read aloud for you.

Speech recognition is done by your browser (in Chrome and Edge this uses the browser maker's online service). Nothing is stored by AltFTool.

Your turn: speak freely

Answer out loud in your own words. There is no score here: aim for full sentences and fewer filler words.

  1. 1. Describe a pain or illness you had: where, what kind and for how long.

  2. 2. Explain what made it better and what made it worse.

  3. 3. Ask the doctor two questions about tests or treatment.

Quick quiz

Choose an answer to see if you are right and why.

  1. 1. What does 'it comes and goes' mean?
  2. 2. Which sentence describes a mild, continuous pain?
  3. 3. 'We need to rule out an infection' means…
  4. 4. Which phrase explains what makes pain worse?

0 of 4 answered

Common mistakes

  • Avoid: I have pain in the stomach since two weeks.

    Say: I've had stomach pain for two weeks.

    Use the present perfect with 'for'.

  • Avoid: It's hurting me here very.

    Say: It really hurts here.

    'Very' cannot end a sentence like this; use 'really' before the verb.

  • Avoid: I feel nausea.

    Say: I feel nauseous. / I feel sick.

    After 'feel', use an adjective. 'Nausea' is a noun.

Tips

  • Before the appointment, note when the problem started and what makes it better or worse.
  • Use the pain scale from one to ten; doctors use it to compare changes.
  • This lesson teaches English for appointments; it is not medical advice.

Questions about this lesson

How do you describe pain in English?

Say where it is ('It hurts here'), what kind it is (sharp, dull, burning), how long you've had it and what makes it worse.

What is the difference between 'ache' and 'pain'?

'Ache' is usually a dull, continuous pain, as in headache or backache. 'Pain' is more general and can be sharp or strong.

How do you say you feel like vomiting in English?

Say 'I feel sick' or 'I feel nauseous'. 'I threw up' is informal for 'I vomited'.

Finish the lesson

Finish the practice studio and the quiz and this lesson is marked complete for you.

Next lesson: Calling for help in an emergency

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