With a flu coming down on me

This use of "coming down" doesn't sound natural. The usual form of words is "I was coming down with the flu."

Note that it's "the flu" (or just "flu"), not "a flu" (yet "a cold", "a headache"... isn't English fun!)

Hi Mr. Wordy,

Thanks for your corrections.

1. I heard people say "got sick" all the time. If I say I got sick, does that mean I'm still sick, or the sickness is over. I normaly say: I'm sick.

2. If I say: I got sick, with the flu. Is this correct?

3. Can I say: I have flu.

Thank you so much

Tinanam

tinanam0102Hi teachers,

Could you tell me if this sentence is correct?

I got sick again, with a flu coming down on me.

Thank you.

Tinanam

Just say, "I came down with the flu".

CJ

1. I would only ever use "I/he/she/etc. got sick" to talk about events of the definite past -- either when the illness is over, or in relation to the onset, a significant time ago, of a long-term illness that the person is still suffering from. I wouldn't use it in relation to a short-term illness (like flu) that the person is still suffering from. However, I think it is possible for it to be use

Hi Mr. Wordy, hi CalifJim,

Thanks for your help.

Tinanam

Here's my take on the questions.
I'm not aware of any difference between BrE and AmE on these issues except that, as I understand it, BrE prefers "ill" to "sick". As far as I know, in BrE "get sick" means "vomit".

1. ... If I say I got sick, does that mean I'm still sick, or the sickness is over ...

I got sick; I got drunk; I got thirsty;

Hi CalifJim,

Thanks for your help again.

1. I have heard a lot of "got sick; got tired of; got weird" at work from salespersons. Can "got" be replaced by "was" in this case?

My understanding is that "sick", "tired of", "weird" are all adjectives and they need "be".

2. I got sick, with the flu coming down on me. (This is unnatural as you and Mr. Wordy have

Anonymous
1. I have heard a lot of "got sick; got tired of; got weird" at work from salespersons. Can "got" be replaced by "was" in this case?

In all these cases, "got" means "became", not merely "was".

Anonymous
Can "with" be used with verb+ing to mean something happened in the past? For example.

CalifJimI'm not aware of any difference between BrE and AmE on these issues except that, as I understand it, BrE prefers "ill" to "sick". As far as I know, in BrE "get sick" means "vomit".

In BrE, "sick" can refer specifically to vomiting, or it can refer generally to being ill. For example, "I was sick" can mean "I vomited" or "I was ill/unwell".

Hi Mr. Wordy,

Thank you for your help with the usage of "with". Now I see it.

Have a great day.

Tinanam