I am having a cold

[Rachel Adams]

Is it wrong to use "I am having a cold" instead of "I have a cold" or is it used by native speakers? I read different discussions some people say it's not wrong, but there were no explanations from teachers of English.

 

[emsr2d2]

It's wrong in the variants that we teach here. We know that the use of "have" in the continuous is commonly used in Indian English but it's not used in BrE, AmE etc. When "have" is used for possession (which is pretty much how it's being used in your sentence), it's not used in the continuous.

I'm having a cold. :cross:
I have a cold. :tick:
I'm having a dog. :cross:
I have a dog. :tick:
Are you having any money? :cross:
Do you have any money? :tick:

Bear in mind that "have" can be used in other contexts, without the idea of possession.

I'm having a party on Saturday. (having = throwing)
She's having dinner with him tonight. (having = eating)
Are you having wine or beer? (having = drinking)
He's having a tantrum. (having = throwing)
I'm having a shower. (having = taking OR having a shower = showering)

 

[Rachel Adams]

It's wrong in the variants that we teach here. We know that the use of "have" in the continuous is commonly used in Indian English but it's not used in BrE, AmE etc. When "have" is used for possession (which is pretty much how it's being used in your sentence), it's not used in the continuous.

I'm having a cold. :cross:
I have a cold. :tick:
I'm having a dog. :cross:
I have a dog. :tick:
Are you having any money? :cross:
Do you have any money? :tick:

Bear in mind that "have" can be used in other contexts, without the idea of possession.

I'm having a party on Saturday. (having = throwing)
She's having dinner with him tonight. (having = eating)
Are you having wine or beer? (having = drinking)
He's having a tantrum. (having = throwing)
I'm having a shower. (having = taking OR having a shower = showering)

This must be an example of Indian English too.
"The correct sentence is “I'm having the cold.” Since the cold virus is going around, we are referring to a specific cold. Here is where we have to use the correct article or determiner THE: the definite article. Note that A, which is the indefinite article, does not refer to a specific cold."
https://www.quora.com/Which-one-is-...rrect sentence is “I,refer to a specific cold.

 

[Rachel Adams]

That is as incorrect as it could possibly be inBrE.

Is "the" required in such a sentence?

 

[jutfrank]

I'll just add this post to support what others have said above. It is wrong to say I'm having a/the cold. The answer on Quora is highly misleading at best.