NRTC English: Running nose or runny nose?

If you have a runny (or stuffy) nose, you have mucus dripping or “running” out of your nose. It can be caused by colder outdoor temperatures, a cold, flu or allergies. Running nose, therefore, is nonstandard, according to the condition in general.

It is also possible for someone to run or have A temperature (pay attention to the indefinite article before ‘temperature’), in this case your temperature is higher than it usually is. For example, Tade is running a temperature/I had a temperature that day.

In the same vein, you should correctly say ‘I have a headache’ (not, I have headache). Toothache and stomachache also fall under this category. For example, she‘s got a toothache. Headache, toothache, and stomachache are count nouns.

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Take note that we can also say she has a fever/a cold, but she’s got (the) flu or she’s come down with the flu. Some people may have vomiting and diarrhoea (pay attention to the spelling of ‘diarrhoea’) as symptoms of flu, though this is more common in children than adults.

It is interesting to note that ‘flu’ and ‘flew’ /flu:/ are pronounced the same way. NOT the same way you pronounce ‘few’ /fju:/ or ‘dew’ /dju:/.

If you have got any of these symptoms, I may advise you by saying “you had better see (not, seen) a doctor. ‘Had better’ is followed by the base form of a verb, like dance, sing, run, etc. ‘Had better do something’ is used when you mean other people would find it wiser to do something; ought to do something.

After seeing a doctor and you take the prescribed drugs, I am sure you are going to return hale and hearty (very healthy and active). Although ‘hale and hearty’ is often used to describe old people who are in vigorous good health.