In the idiomatic expression "Be down with", which option best explains its meaning when used about a person and an illness?

Introduction / Context:
This question tests your understanding of the idiom be down with, which is common in spoken English when talking about illness. The phrase usually appears in sentences like He is down with fever or She is down with the flu. You must choose the option that best captures this meaning in simple words.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Idiom: be down with.
• Usage: typically followed by the name of an illness, such as fever or flu.
• Option A: Suffering from.
• Option B: In grief with.
• Option C: In pain with.
• Option D: Aching with.
• We assume the context is illness, not emotion or general sadness.

Concept / Approach:
When someone is down with an illness, it means that they are suffering from that illness, often to the point of being unable to work or move normally. Among the choices, suffering from is the most direct and accurate paraphrase of this idea. In grief with relates to emotional sorrow, not necessarily illness. In pain with and aching with describe symptoms but do not directly express that the person has that particular disease in general terms.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall typical sentences using the idiom, such as He is down with malaria.Step 2: Replace down with in that sentence with each option and test the meaning.Step 3: He is suffering from malaria is a natural and accurate description of his condition.Step 4: He is in grief with malaria does not make sense because grief refers to sadness, especially after a loss.Step 5: He is in pain with malaria and He is aching with malaria describe discomfort but do not directly stand in for the idiom be down with in general explanatory terms. Therefore, suffering from is the correct choice.

Verification / Alternative check:
Look at dictionary style definitions: be down with an illness means to be ill with it, to be suffering from it. Newspapers might write The player was down with flu and missed the match. If we paraphrase, we would say The player was suffering from flu and missed the match. This paraphrase clearly fits better than being in grief with, in pain with, or aching with, which concentrate on emotional or physical sensations rather than the overall condition.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
In grief with shifts the focus to emotional suffering after an event like a death, which is unrelated to a physical illness. In pain with and aching with focus narrowly on the symptom of pain or ache, but someone can be down with flu without constant pain; the idiom refers more broadly to being taken ill. These options therefore represent only parts of what might happen during an illness rather than the general state of having that illness.

Common Pitfalls:
Many idioms in English use the word down to indicate a negative or weakened state: down with a cold, feeling down, or business is down. Students sometimes over interpret the word down and forget the specific structure be down with plus illness. A good approach is to memorise a few example sentences as a pattern, so that when you see the idiom in isolation, you immediately recall that it means suffering from a particular disease.

Final Answer:
The idiom Be down with, when followed by the name of an illness, means Suffering from that illness, so option A is correct.