At the doctor's: GP, pharmacy, 111 and 999 · Past Simple — irregular verbs, questions, negatives

At the doctor's: the doctor, the pharmacy, 111 and 999 · Past Simple — irregular verbs, questions and negatives

Level: A2. Grammar: the Past Simple of irregular verbs; questions and negatives with did. Situation: make an appointment with a GP, describe symptoms, talk to a pharmacist, understand where to call. Builds on u12 (was/were and regular verbs in -ed) and u04 (have got).

1. The situation

On Monday Marina woke up with a sore throat. By the evening she had a temperature, and at night she hardly slept. On Tuesday she calls the surgery — that is what the family doctor's practice (GP, general practitioner) is called in Britain. The receptionist asks questions: What seems to be the problem? When did it start? Did you take anything for it?

Marina understands the questions, but answering is hard: it all happened yesterday and the day before. To talk about it you need the Past Simple, and the verbs you need most — feel, have, sleep, take, go, begin — are irregular.

2. How it works in Britain

Briefly, only what you need for the conversation. The information was checked against nhs.uk on 3 October 2026.

• GP surgery. You don't go to "the clinic for your registered address", you go to your own GP practice. To use it, you need to register (register with a GP). You need your name, date of birth and address. Proof of identity, proof of address and immigration status are not required; an NHS number is helpful but not essential. You can register online, with a paper form or right at the surgery; processing usually takes up to 5 days.
• An appointment — by phone, online or through the NHS App. The receptionist often asks what the problem is. This is not curiosity: it is how they decide how urgently you need to be seen and by whom — a doctor, a nurse or a pharmacist. If you don't want to say, you can say politely: I'd rather speak to the doctor about it, if that's OK.
• Pharmacy (in conversation also chemist's). The pharmacist gives advice free of charge and without an appointment. In England, under the Pharmacy First scheme, they can give you a prescription medicine themselves for some minor problems, for example a sore throat that has come on suddenly.
• 111 — if you need help urgently but your life is not in danger, and the surgery is closed (evening, weekend) or you don't know where to go. The call is free. There is also 111 online. You can ask for an interpreter: Can I have an interpreter, please? Russian.
• 999 — only when there is a threat to life: chest pain, a person can't breathe, is unconscious, heavy bleeding, signs of a stroke. The operator will ask: Which service? — answer Ambulance.

3. Phrases: take them with you

At reception or on the phone

• Hello, I'd like to make an appointment, please. — Hello, I'd like to book an appointment.
• I'm not registered yet. How can I register? — I'm not registered yet. How do I register?
• Is there anything today? / Do you have anything earlier? — Is there anything for today? / Anything earlier?
• It's quite urgent. — It's fairly urgent.
• Sorry, could you say that again more slowly? — Sorry, please repeat that more slowly.
• Could you spell that, please? — Spell it letter by letter, please.

Describing symptoms

• I've got a sore throat / a headache / a cough / a temperature. — My throat hurts / my head hurts, I have a cough, a temperature.
• My back hurts. / It hurts here. — My back hurts. / It hurts right here.
• It started three days ago. — It started three days ago.
• I didn't sleep last night. — I didn't sleep last night.
• I took some paracetamol, but it didn't help. — I took paracetamol, but it didn't help.

Words

4. Grammar: Past Simple — irregular verbs

The pain

In u12 you learned to talk about the past with regular verbs: I called, it started, I booked. But the most common verbs are irregular, and each has its own past form. Without them you can't say either "I felt unwell" or "I went to the pharmacy".

Form

In an affirmative sentence an irregular verb has a second form — you need to memorise it:

Questions and negatives are built the same way for all verbs, regular and irregular: the auxiliary verb did and the base form.

Where it breaks (the cost)

• Double past. Did you took…?, I didn't went. Did already carries the past tense, so the verb after it is in the base form: Did you take…?, I didn't go.
• Was and did together. I was go to the doctor — a mix of two constructions. You need either I went to the doctor's or I was at the doctor's.
• To be doesn't take did. Did you be ill? — wrong. Correct: Were you ill?, I wasn't well.
• "I went to the doctor". In British English it's I went to the doctor's (to the doctor's — like to the chemist's) or I saw the doctor.
• Ago comes after the period: three days ago, not ago three days. With ago — only the Past Simple.

5. Marina's story

Read it and pay attention to the highlighted verbs.

Last Monday Marina woke up with a sore throat. She felt tired, but she went to work. In the evening she had a temperature, and she didn't sleep well. On Tuesday she called the surgery at eight o'clock. The line was busy, so she tried again. The receptionist was very kind. "When did it start?" she asked. "Yesterday morning," Marina said. "Did you take anything?" "Yes, I took some paracetamol, but it didn't help." The receptionist said, "A pharmacist can help with a sore throat. Go to the pharmacy first." Marina went to the pharmacy on the high street. The pharmacist asked some questions and gave her some medicine. On Thursday Marina felt much better.

6. Dialogue: calling the surgery

Receptionist: Good morning, Ashbury Surgery. How can I help? Marina: Hello. I'd like to make an appointment, please. Receptionist: Can I take your name and date of birth? Marina: Marina Petrova, the fifth of March, nineteen eighty-eight. Receptionist: Thank you. What seems to be the problem? Marina: I've got a sore throat and a temperature. It started on Monday. Receptionist: Did you take anything for it? Marina: Yes, I took some paracetamol, but it didn't help. Receptionist: OK. Have you spoken to a pharmacist? Marina: No, I haven't. (For now just recognise this form — the Present Perfect comes in u18.) Receptionist: A pharmacist can often help with a sore throat. If you don't feel better in two days, call us again. Marina: OK, thank you. Sorry, could you say that again more slowly? Receptionist: Of course. Go to the pharmacy first. If it's not better on Thursday, call us back. Marina: Thank you very much. Bye.

Politeness. Compare how this sounds to a Brit:

Softening here is not "humbling yourself" but the ordinary form. Without it a Brit hears an order, even if you meant nothing of the kind.

7. Sound

• Dates are said like this: the fifth of March (or March the fifth), the year in pairs: nineteen eighty-eight, two thousand and five. They are written 05/03/1988: the day, then the month.
• -ed from u12 — revise it: called [д], asked [т], started [ид].
• Did you merges in fast speech: [диджу]. Didn't — [диднт], the t is barely heard.
• Cough [коф], ache [эйк], throat — with th, not [сроут] and not [фроут].

8. Summary

• The irregular verbs of this situation: had, felt, slept, went, took, got, began, said, told, gave, could.
• Questions and negatives: did / didn't + base form — Did you take…? I didn't sleep.
• 999 — a threat to life, 111 — urgent but not life-threatening, or the surgery is closed; with a small problem — go to the pharmacist.
• Three phrases to take with you: I'd like to make an appointment, please. — It started three days ago. — Sorry, could you say that again more slowly?

Sources: NHS — "Register with a GP surgery" (nhs.uk, 2026); NHS — "When to use 111" (nhs.uk, 2026); NHS England — Pharmacy First. Information about the services was checked on 03.10.2026; the rules may change — check on nhs.uk.