Suffer from / suffer

[Tom]

Dear All

Please tell the difference between suffer and suffer from .

Are there any spicific rules? I tried a dictionary or two but they only give sentences and not the differences. So please explain.

Tom

[Jamie (K)]

If you say someone suffers, it means that they are enduring physical or emotional pain. If you want to say what is causing the suffering, you add the preposition from and name the cause.

Freddie is really suffering.
(The cause? Nobody knows or they are not saying.)

Freddie is suffering from his injury.
Freddie suffers from an illness.
Freddie suffers from his bad decisions.

[Tom.Archer]

Thank you, Jammie

I am having trouble coming up with a concrete example right now, but I think I have seen a sentence like this,

1- He has suffered a stroke before.( no from)

I am not sure if there is any structure like:

suffer something without from.

Tom

[Jamie (K)]

Yes, this is a normal structure. All it means is that he has had a stroke.

[Guest]

Thank you, Sir for such a prompt response

If I say:

1- He has suffered from a stroke.

Then? Will I be grammatically correct?

Tom

[Yankee]

Hi Tom

You should use suffer from to talk about an illness that goes on for a period of time.

You would use suffer (without the word from) when you talk about something that happens quickly --- as is the case with a stroke or e.g. a concussion.

He suffers from heart disease.
--- BUT ---
He suffered a heart attack.

Amy
_________________
Amy
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ESL teacher, translator, and a native speaker of American English