Got sick, has been sick, has gotten sick

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sudarawee

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Jun 18, 2008
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For the sentence: My mother got sick last Wednesday and is still not well.
Can I change it to:
1. My mother has been sick since last Wednesday.
2. My mother has gotten sick since last Wednesday.
3. My mother has become sick since last wednesday.

How about these three sentences? Are they all interchangeable?

He had been ill for a week before he entered the hospital.
He had been sick for a week before he entered the hospital.
He had gotten sick for a week before entered the hospital.

Is there any difference?
 

Anglika

No Longer With Us (RIP)
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Oct 19, 2006
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For the sentence: My mother got sick last Wednesday and is still not well.

Can I change it to:
1. My mother has been sick since last Wednesday. :up:
2. My mother has gotten sick since last Wednesday. The lead sentence states on the day so this is not an equivalent.
3. My mother has become sick since last Wednesday. The same

How about these three sentences? Are they all interchangeable?

He had been ill for a week before he entered the hospital.:up:
He had been sick for a week before he entered the hospital.:up:
He had gotten sick for a week before entered the hospital. No, because "gotten/got sick" implies a point in time.

Is there any difference?
.
 

riverkid

Key Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2006
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English Teacher
For the sentence: My mother got sick last Wednesday and is still not well.
Can I change it to:
1. My mother has been sick since last Wednesday.

'been' says in the state of sickness, so it is similar in meaning to the original.

2. My mother has gotten sick since last Wednesday.

This one describes that the mother got sick sometime between last Wednesday and now.

3. My mother has become sick since last Wednesday.

Getting/becoming sick happens fairly quickly. 'has become' seems to describe more of a progression of sickness than 'gotten sick' does, though this example could be glossed/understood as 'gotten sick'.

How about these three sentences? Are they all interchangeable?

He had been ill for a week before he entered the hospital.
He had been sick for a week before he entered the hospital.
He had gotten sick for a week before he entered the hospital.

Is there any difference?

Again, 'get/got sick' describes more of an event moment while 'been' holds a meaning of existing in a state of something, in this case, 'sickness'. Take out 'for', which gives the sense of progression and it's fine.

He had gotten sick a week before he entered the hospital.
 

David L.

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Nov 7, 2007
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Other
1. My mother has been sick since last Wednesday.
Say, today is Sunday. Then my mother has been sick for 5 days. She became sick on Wednesday and has been sick since then.

3. My mother has become sick since last Wednesday.
I visited my mother last Wednesday and she was well.
Today is Sunday and she is ill. I do not know which day exactly she took ill - Thursday, Friday, or Saturday, or even if it was sudden and happened earlier today (sunday) - I only know it happened since I saw her last Wednesday when she was feeling fine.
 
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