At the Doctor: Describing Symptoms
You have had a sore throat and a headache for three days. Practice telling Dr. Parker exactly how you feel and when it started. · B1 · Role-Play
How to practice: first listen to the whole dialogue. Then play BOTH roles out loud — or take one role and answer the other from memory. When it flows, record the full dialogue below.
A Good morning, Emma. What brings you in today?
B Morning, Dr. Parker. I’ve had a sore throat since Monday.
A I see. Do you have any other symptoms?
B Yes, I’ve had a headache, and I feel tired all the time.
A Have you had a fever?
B A little, last night. About a hundred and one.
A Okay. Does it hurt when you swallow?
B Yes, it does. It’s worse in the morning.
A Let me take a look. It seems like a throat infection, nothing serious.
B That’s a relief. Do I need any medicine?
A I’ll prescribe something. Take it twice a day for five days, and drink plenty of water.
B I will. Thank you, Doctor.
The full dialogue with real voices. Listen first, then take your role.
Record yourself, play it back, and compare with the model. Recordings stay in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
Your task
Now invent your own visit: choose two different symptoms (a backache and a cough, for example) and record yourself answering the doctor’s questions from memory.
Coach tips
- Use “I’ve had…” for symptoms that started earlier and are still true now.
- Order matters: say WHAT hurts, then SINCE WHEN, then HOW BAD — doctors listen for that pattern.
- Numbers for temperature: “a hundred and one” is how Americans say 101°F.