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have had/have been having a headache

 
 
Reply Mon 17 Nov, 2008 02:16 am
I have had / have been having a severe headache for the past one week now.

I remember reading that for an illness, we should use 'have had a headache', but a friend of mine told me that 'have been having a headache' is fine if we are referring to a series of headaches.

Is she correct?

Many thanks.
 
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Reply Mon 17 Nov, 2008 03:26 am
yes, she is. "I have had a bad headache for a week now" sounds as if you've had a single headache the entire time (which would be terribly unpleasant). I've been having a bad headache" sounds more like a series, but you'd also be more likely to say "I've benn having bad headaches" for a series. The end of the sentence sounds stilted. Try "for the past week" or "for a week now" or "for one week" or "for one week now" or "for a week", any of which will work.
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Reply Mon 17 Nov, 2008 12:25 pm
I have had a headache for the past week. (The same continuous headache)

I have been having severe headaches for the past week. ( a series of headaches)

Dump "one" and "now".


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