Why are these sentences incorrect?

Question

Not long ago I took an online grammar test that had me correct a small sample of grammatically incorrect sentences (10 in all). I managed to get most of them right, but the following two stumped me:

"My brother called to find out if I was over the flu yet."

"As the relationship progressed, I found her facial tic more and more irritating."

I just can't figure out why the above sentences are wrong. Can someone please enlighten me?

Fivejedjon · Accepted Answer

They look OK to me.

Anonymous · Answer

They look OK to me too but are apparently wrong in subtle ways. The sentences were given by the writer David Foster Wallace to his students.

CalifJim · Answer

Anonymousover the flu ... irritating

These are probably the problem areas for nit-picky people.

CJ

Clive · Answer

They are OK to me.

Anonymous · Answer

Including "the" before flu is unnecessary. It's like saying that someone has THE cancer.

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousIncluding "the" before flu is unnecessary. It's like saying that someone has THE cancer.

I have the feeling that the original author of the question was more concerned with "over" than with "the". Wallace was an American, and we tend to say "the flu" over here.

CJ

Why are these sentences incorrect?

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