B1 Verb Tenses 22 min read Facile

Anglais : Présent Parfait avec 'Lately' et 'Recently'

Connecte le passé récent au présent. C'est comme ça que tu partages tes nouvelles, tes updates, avec le Present Perfect et lately ou recently.

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

Use 'lately' and 'recently' with the Present Perfect to talk about actions that happened in the very near past and still matter.

  • Use 'recently' for single or repeated actions: 'I have recently moved.'
  • Use 'lately' mostly for habits or repeated actions: 'I've been tired lately.'
  • Place both at the end of the sentence for natural flow: 'Have you seen him lately?'
👤 + have/has + 🏁 (V3) + 🕒 (lately/recently)

Overview

T'as déjà fait défiler ton fil Instagram en te disant :
Waouh, tout le monde voyage lately
? Ou peut-être as-tu remarqué que ton YouTuber préféré n'a rien posté recently ? Ces deux mots, lately et recently, sont comme le vibe check de la langue anglaise.
Ils nous disent que quelque chose s'est passé dans un passé très proche, et que c'est toujours pertinent pour nous aujourd'hui. Si le Simple Past est une photo d'un événement terminé, le Present Perfect avec lately ressemble plus à une story TikTok — c'est frais, c'est en train de se passer, et c'est ce dont les gens parlent aujourd'hui. Que tu prennes des nouvelles d'un ami ou que tu te plaignes d'une mise à jour d'appli qui rame, ces mots t'aident à paraître plus naturel et connecté au moment présent.

How This Grammar Works

Le temps Present Perfect (have/has + participe passé) est déjà un peu un voyageur temporel. Il connecte le passé au présent. Quand on ajoute lately ou recently au mélange, on réduit la fenêtre de temps.
On ne parle pas de quelque chose que tu as fait il y a cinq ans ; on parle des derniers jours ou des dernières semaines. Vois ça comme un filtre historique récent sur ta vie. Par exemple, dire "I've started working out" c'est bien, mais "I've started working out lately" donne l'impression que c'est une nouvelle habitude actuelle.
C'est un petit changement qui fait une grande différence sur à quel point tu as l'air à la page. Rappelle-toi juste : ces mots sont les meilleurs potes du Present Perfect parce qu'ils s'intéressent tous les deux au *maintenant*.

Formation Pattern

1
Créer ces phrases est aussi facile que de commander une pizza sur une appli. Tu as juste besoin de trois ingrédients principaux :
2
Commence avec ton sujet (I, you, we, they, he, she, it).
3
Ajoute ton auxiliaire : have (ou 've) pour la plupart, et has (ou 's) pour la troisième personne du singulier.
4
Utilise le Participe Passé (V3) de ton verbe principal.
5
Place lately ou recently à la fin (l'endroit le plus courant) ou parfois au début pour plus d'effet dramatique.

Conjugation Table

Form Example Translation
--- --- ---
Affirmative I have seen her recently. Je l'ai vue recently.
Negative He hasn't called lately. Il n'a pas appelé lately.
Question Have you traveled recently? As-tu voyagé recently ?
Short Answer Yes, I have. / No, I haven't. Oui, c'est le cas. / Non, ce n'est pas le cas.

When To Use It

Tu voudras utiliser ce modèle dans quelques scénarios spécifiques. Premièrement, utilise-le pour des actions répétées qui ont commencé il n'y a pas longtemps. Si tu as bu trois cafés par jour cette semaine, tu pourrais dire : "I've been drinking too much caffeine lately." Deuxièmement, utilise-le pour des changements de situation.
Peut-être que ta ville est devenue plus bondée ou que ton téléphone bugue. Enfin, utilise-le pour les nouvelles et mises à jour. Quand tu rencontres un ami que tu n'as pas vu depuis un mois, tu demanderais :
What have you been up to lately?
C'est le moyen parfait de prendre des nouvelles sans ressembler à un livre d'histoire.
Tout tourne autour du toi récent.

Common Mistakes

Le plus grand piège dans lequel tu pourrais tomber est d'utiliser lately avec le Simple Past. En anglais, on ne dit pas
I went to the gym lately
✗. Ça sonne aussi bizarre que de porter des chaussettes avec des sandales. Si tu utilises le Simple Past, tu devrais utiliser recently ou un moment précis comme yesterday. Une autre erreur courante est d'oublier le have ou has. Tu ne peux pas juste dire
I seen her recently
✗ — à moins que tu n'essaies de ressembler à un personnage d'un très vieux film. Garde toujours ton auxiliaire à proximité ! Aussi, ne te prends pas trop la tête sur la différence entre les deux ; dans 90 % des cas, ils sont interchangeables, alors ne laisse pas ça te figer le cerveau en pleine conversation.

Contrast With Similar Patterns

Alors, quelle est la différence entre recently et lately ? Voici le secret : recently est le flexible. Il peut traîner avec le Simple Past (
I recently bought a car
) OU le Present Perfect ("I've recently bought a car").
Lately, par contre, est un partenaire fidèle du Present Perfect. Il ne sort presque jamais avec le Simple Past. Un autre contraste est avec le mot just.
Alors que "I've just eaten" signifie que c'est arrivé il y a 30 secondes, recently pourrait signifier n'importe quand dans les derniers jours. C'est la différence entre une notification Nouveau Message et un journal d' Activité Récente.

Quick FAQ

Q : Est-ce que je peux mettre lately au début d'une phrase ?

R: Oui, mais ça sonne un peu plus formel ou poétique. "Lately, I've been tired." Habituellement, reste à la fin pour les discussions quotidiennes.

Q : Est-ce que c'est la même chose que soon ?

R: Non ! Soon, c'est pour le futur. Lately et recently sont pour le passé très proche.

Q : Lequel devrais-je utiliser dans un entretien ?

R: Recently fait un tout petit peu plus professionnel, mais les deux sont parfaitement corrects.

Memory Trick

Pense au 'L' de Lately pour 'Long-ish' (une période de temps assez longue) et au 'R' de Recently pour 'Rapid' (un événement rapide). Lately adore les ambiances qui durent, alors que recently est content avec un événement ponctuel.

Present Perfect with Adverbs

Subject Auxiliary Past Participle Adverb
I / You / We / They
have
worked
lately / recently
He / She / It
has
worked
lately / recently
I / You / We / They
have not (haven't)
seen
lately / recently
He / She / It
has not (hasn't)
seen
lately / recently

Common Contractions

Full Form Contraction Example
I have
I've
I've been busy lately.
You have
You've
You've changed recently.
He has
He's
He's worked hard lately.
She has
She's
She's moved recently.
It has
It's
It's rained lately.
We have
We've
We've eaten there recently.
They have
They've
They've arrived recently.

Meanings

The use of 'lately' and 'recently' with the Present Perfect tense indicates that an action occurred in a period of time leading up to the present moment, often implying the situation is still relevant or ongoing.

1

Single Recent Event

Refers to one specific action that happened a short time ago.

“She has recently bought a new car.”

“The company has recently announced a merger.”

2

Repeated Actions/Habits

Refers to a series of actions that have been happening frequently in the near past.

“I haven't been sleeping well lately.”

“Have you been going to the gym lately?”

3

State of Being

Describes a condition or feeling that has characterized the recent period.

“He has been very busy lately.”

“Prices have recently become quite unstable.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Anglais : Présent Parfait avec 'Lately' et 'Recently'
Adverbe Sens Placement (Fréquent) Temps Utilisé Avec
lately
Dans le passé récent, jusqu'à maintenant
Fin de phrase
Present Perfect
recently
Dans un passé proche, jusqu'à maintenant
Fin de phrase / Avant le verbe principal
Present Perfect
yesterday
Le jour avant aujourd'hui
Fin de phrase
Simple Past
last week
La semaine avant celle-ci
Fin de phrase
Simple Past
ago
Avant le moment présent
Après l'expression de temps
Simple Past

Spectre de formalité

Formel
The subject has recently commenced a new regimen.

The subject has recently commenced a new regimen. (Personal habits)

Neutre
I have recently started a new routine.

I have recently started a new routine. (Personal habits)

Informel
I've started a new thing lately.

I've started a new thing lately. (Personal habits)

Argot
I've been on a new vibe lately.

I've been on a new vibe lately. (Personal habits)

Le Present Perfect avec Lately & Recently

Present Perfect + Lately/Recently

Adverbes Clés

  • `lately` Dans le passé récent, jusqu'à maintenant
  • `recently` Dans le passé proche, jusqu'à maintenant

Fonction Principale

  • Temps Non Spécifié Pas de date exacte donnée
  • Pertinence Actuelle Toujours important maintenant
  • Situation Continue Commencée dans le passé, continue maintenant

Structure

  • Have/Has + P.P. Auxiliaire + Participe Passé
  • Placement de l'Adverbe Généralement fin, `recently` aussi en milieu de phrase

Present Perfect vs. Simple Past

Present Perfect (+ Lately/Recently)
`I've traveled a lot recently.` Passé récent non spécifié, pertinence continue
`She hasn't called lately.` Action commencée dans le passé, continue jusqu'à maintenant
Simple Past (+ Temps Spécifique)
`I traveled to Japan last year.` Action spécifique terminée dans le passé
`She didn't call yesterday.` Action terminée à un moment précis du passé

Organigramme d'Utilisation de Lately/Recently

1

L'action/l'état est-il lié au moment présent ?

YES
Passe à l'étape suivante
NO
Utilise le Simple Past
2

Utilises-tu des marqueurs de temps passés spécifiques (par exemple, `yesterday`, `last week`) ?

YES
Utilise le Simple Past
NO
Utilise le Present Perfect
3

Veux-tu insister sur le "caractère récent" de l'action/l'état ?

YES
Ajoute `lately` ou `recently`
NO
Present Perfect (sans adverbe)

Situations pour Lately & Recently

🗣️

Donner des Nouvelles

  • Que s'est-il passé ?
  • Partager des nouvelles personnelles
  • Discuter de projets actuels
📈

Remarquer des Changements

  • Comment un endroit a évolué
  • Le comportement de quelqu'un
  • Mises à jour technologiques

Poser des Questions

  • Sur des expériences récentes
  • Sur le bien-être de quelqu'un
  • Sur les tendances actuelles
🚫

Exprimer une Absence

  • Je ne t'ai pas vu...
  • Je n'ai pas eu le temps de...
  • Je n'ai pas eu de nouvelles de...

Exemples par niveau

1

I have been busy lately.

2

Have you seen him lately?

3

It has been cold lately.

4

I have not played lately.

1

She has recently started a job.

2

We have recently moved house.

3

I haven't been to the gym lately.

4

Has it rained recently?

1

I've been thinking about you a lot lately.

2

The prices have recently gone up.

3

Have you read any good books recently?

4

I haven't had much free time lately.

1

The government has recently implemented new taxes.

2

Lately, I've been finding it hard to concentrate.

3

Have there been any major changes recently?

4

I've recently come to the conclusion that he's right.

1

There has been a marked increase in crime lately.

2

Recently, there has been much debate regarding this policy.

3

I haven't exactly been the life of the party lately.

4

The technology has recently undergone a significant transformation.

1

The sheer volume of work has, until recently, been manageable.

2

Lately, the distinction between work and play has become increasingly blurred.

3

Has the CEO recently alluded to any potential layoffs?

4

The architectural landscape has recently seen a resurgence of brutalism.

Facile à confondre

English: Present Perfect with Lately and Recently vs Lately vs. Just

Both refer to the past, but 'just' is for the immediate past (seconds/minutes) while 'lately' is for a longer period.

English: Present Perfect with Lately and Recently vs Lately vs. Finally

Learners sometimes use 'lately' when they mean 'at last'.

English: Present Perfect with Lately and Recently vs Recently vs. Yesterday

Specific time vs. Unspecific time.

Erreurs courantes

I saw him lately.

I have seen him lately.

Lately cannot be used with the Past Simple.

I have lately seen him.

I have seen him lately.

Lately usually goes at the end.

He has recently a car bought.

He has recently bought a car.

The past participle must come before the object.

I have been busy recent.

I have been busy recently.

Use the adverb 'recently', not the adjective 'recent'.

Have you lately eaten?

Have you eaten lately?

In questions, 'lately' sounds most natural at the end.

I recently have gone.

I have recently gone.

Recently usually follows the auxiliary 'have'.

I haven't seen him recently.

I haven't seen him lately.

While not strictly wrong, 'lately' is more common in negatives.

I have recently been knowing her.

I have recently got to know her.

Stative verbs like 'know' aren't usually used in the continuous or with 'recently' in this way.

I have lately finished my homework.

I have recently finished my homework.

Lately is better for habits; recently is better for single finished tasks.

I have just recently arrived.

I have recently arrived.

Using 'just' and 'recently' together is redundant.

Lately, the company announced a merger.

Recently, the company announced a merger.

Lately is too informal and aspectual for a formal announcement of a single event.

I have been recently working.

I have been working recently.

With the continuous form, the adverb usually sounds better at the end.

Structures de phrases

I have been ___ lately.

Have you ___ recently?

___ has recently ___.

I haven't ___ much lately.

Real World Usage

Texting a friend constant

Hey! Haven't seen u lately, u free?

Job Interview common

I have recently completed a project involving team management.

Doctor's Appointment very common

I've been having some headaches lately.

News Broadcast very common

Scientists have recently discovered a new species of frog.

Social Media Caption common

Recently visited this amazing cafe! ☕

Customer Support occasional

We have recently updated our terms of service.

💡

Pense 'Jusqu'à Maintenant'

Quand tu utilises lately ou recently, imagine une ligne de temps qui part du passé et arrive jusqu'à MAINTENANT. Ce n'est pas de l'histoire ancienne ! "Whenever you're using lately or recently, remember you're talking about a period from the past that extends all the way to this very moment. It's not finished history; it's still unfolding or relevant."
⚠️

Évite les Moments Spécifiques

Oublie les marqueurs de temps précis du passé avec lately et recently ! Pas de yesterday ni de last month. Le Present Perfect, c'est pour l'imprécis.
Never, ever combine lately or recently with specific past time markers like yesterday, last month, or two years ago. These adverbs demand the Present Perfect, which is all about unspecified recent past.
🎯

Recently est Flexible

Recently est un peu plus souple. Tu peux le mettre entre have/has et le participe passé. Ça donne un petit côté plus formel ou insiste un peu plus. "Recently can sometimes be placed between have/has and the past participle (e.g., I've recently seen). This can add a touch of formality or emphasis. Lately usually sticks to the end."
🌍

Sonne Plus Naturellement

Utiliser le Present Perfect avec lately/recently te fera sonner super naturel quand tu donnes des nouvelles ou que tu parles de ce qui se passe. "Using Present Perfect with lately/recently is key to sounding natural when giving updates or commenting on general developments. It's how native speakers share news without getting bogged down in exact timings."

Smart Tips

Use 'lately' at the end of a Present Perfect Continuous sentence.

I am not sleeping well. I haven't been sleeping well lately.

Use 'recently' instead of 'lately'.

I finished the report lately. I have recently finished the report.

If you see 'lately', use 'have/has'.

I saw him lately. I have seen him lately.

Use the phrase 'What have you been up to lately?'

What did you do? What have you been up to lately?

Prononciation

/ˈleɪt.li/

Lately

The 't' in lately is often a 'stop t' in American English, meaning the air is blocked but not released.

/ˈriː.sənt.li/

Recently

The stress is on the first syllable: RE-cent-ly.

/aɪv/

Contractions

In 'I've', the 've' is very short, almost just a 'v' sound attached to 'I'.

End-focus

I've been busy LATELY. ↘

The focus is on the time period to explain a situation.

Mémorise-le

Moyen mnémotechnique

Lately is for Lasting habits; Recently is for Recent events.

Association visuelle

Imagine a bridge made of fresh, green grass. The grass represents 'recently' and 'lately'—it's the part of the past that is still fresh and touching the present day.

Rhyme

If it's new and just occurred, 'Recently' is the perfect word. If it's a habit that you've had, 'Lately' makes the sentence glad.

Story

A man named Late-ly always repeats his habits (I've been running lately). His friend, Re-cently, only does things once (I've recently bought a car). They both live on the Present Perfect bridge.

Word Web

havehaslatelyrecentlypast participlenear pastunfinished time

Défi

Write three sentences about your life this week: one affirmative with 'recently', one negative with 'lately', and one question with 'lately'.

Notes culturelles

BrE speakers almost always use the Present Perfect with 'recently'. Using Past Simple ('I recently did it') sounds very American.

AmE speakers are more comfortable using 'recently' with the Past Simple in casual conversation.

In international business, 'recently' is a 'safe' word to use in reports to avoid being too specific about dates while still sounding current.

'Lately' comes from the Old English 'lætlice', meaning 'slowly' or 'tardily'. 'Recently' comes from the Latin 'recens', meaning 'fresh' or 'new'.

Amorces de conversation

What have you been doing lately?

Have you seen any good movies recently?

Has anything exciting happened in your life lately?

How has the weather been lately in your city?

Sujets d'écriture

Write about a new hobby you have recently started.
Describe how your city has changed recently.
Reflect on your mood or feelings lately. Why have you felt this way?
Discuss a news story you have recently read and your opinion on it.

Erreurs courantes

Incorrect

Correct


Incorrect

Correct


Incorrect

Correct


Incorrect

Correct

Test Yourself

Choisis la bonne forme pour compléter la phrase.

My roommate _____ watching too much TV lately.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: has been
Comme 'my roommate' est singulier, on utilise 'has'. L'action continue dans le passé récent implique 'has been'.
Trouve et corrige l'erreur dans la phrase. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

I saw that new series recently, it was great.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I have seen that new series recently, it was great.
Lorsque tu utilises 'recently' pour parler d'une action terminée dans le passé non spécifique avec une pertinence présente, le Present Perfect ('have seen') est nécessaire, pas le Simple Past ('saw').
Quelle phrase utilise correctement 'lately' ? Choix multiple

Choisis la phrase correcte :

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She hasn't called me lately.
Pour les actions récentes et non spécifiées dans le passé avec une pertinence présente, le Present Perfect (hasn't called) est correct. 'Didn't' est au Simple Past, et 'haven't' est incorrect pour 'she'.
Traduis en anglais : 'Últimamente he aprendido mucho sobre programación.' Traduction

Translate into English: 'Últimamente he aprendido mucho sobre programación.'

Answer starts with: ["I...

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ["I have learned a lot about programming lately.","I've learned a lot about programming lately."]
Le últimamente espagnol se traduit par lately ou recently et exige le Present Perfect en anglais dans ce contexte.

Score: /4

Exercices pratiques

8 exercises
Choose the correct sentence. Choix multiple

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: b
'Lately' requires the Present Perfect and usually goes at the end.
Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb 'to be'.

I ___ very busy lately.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: have been
'Lately' signals the need for the Present Perfect.
Correct the error in the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

She has recently start a new job.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: She has recently started
The Present Perfect requires the past participle 'started'.
Rewrite the sentence using 'recently'. Sentence Transformation

I moved to London a short time ago. (I have...)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
The Present Perfect + recently at the end is the most standard form.
Match the adverb to its typical usage. Match Pairs

1. Lately, 2. Just

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
'Lately' is for habits/recent duration; 'just' is for the immediate past.
Which is more natural for a single completed action? Choix multiple

I have ___ bought a new phone.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: recently
'Recently' is preferred for single completed actions.
Complete the question.

___ you ___ to the gym lately?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Have / been
Questions with 'lately' use 'Have + subject + V3'.
Is the following rule true or false? True False Rule

You can use 'lately' with the Past Simple (e.g., 'I went lately').

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: False
Lately is only used with the Present Perfect.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

11 exercises
Choisis l'option correcte. Texte trous

We _____ visited our grandparents recently.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: haven't
Identifie et corrige l'erreur grammaticale. Error Correction

He has bought a new phone last week recently.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: He bought a new phone last week.
Sélectionne la phrase grammaticalement correcte. Choix multiple

Which sentence is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: The team hasn't won any matches lately.
Traduis la phrase en anglais. Traduction

Translate: '¿Has estado muy ocupado últimamente?'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ["Have you been very busy lately?","Have you been very busy recently?"]
Remets les mots dans le bon ordre pour former une phrase. Sentence Reorder

Arrange these words into a sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I've seen a good movie recently.
Associe les sujets avec le bon auxiliaire du Present Perfect. Match Pairs

Match the subjects with the correct form:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: matched
Choisis la meilleure forme verbale. Texte trous

Our professor _____ a lot of new topics into the curriculum recently.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: has introduced
Corrige l'erreur dans la phrase. Error Correction

Has the company announced a new policy lately, I wonder?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Has the company recently announced a new policy, I wonder?
Choisis la phrase grammaticalement correcte. Choix multiple

Which sentence is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: My cat has been more playful lately.
Traduis la phrase en anglais naturel. Traduction

Translate: 'No he comido mucho últimamente porque estoy a dieta.'

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: ["I haven't eaten much lately because I'm on a diet.","I've not eaten much lately because I'm on a diet."]
Désembrouille les mots pour former une phrase correcte. Sentence Reorder

Arrange these words into a sentence:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Have you heard the new news lately?

Score: /11

FAQ (8)

Yes, especially in American English ('I recently went'). However, in British English and formal writing, the Present Perfect is preferred.

'Recently' is for single or repeated events. 'Lately' is mostly for habits, feelings, or repeated actions.

It almost always goes at the end: 'I've been tired lately.'

It is grammatically possible but sounds very unnatural. Put 'lately' at the end.

No, 'lately' is quite informal and common in speech. 'Recently' is more neutral and suitable for formal writing.

No, 'recently' usually refers to a period of a few days to a few months.

Because 'lately' describes a period of time that includes 'now', and the Past Simple is only for finished time periods.

Often, yes. But 'recently' is better for one-time actions like 'I recently bought a car.'

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

In Other Languages

Spanish high

últimamente / recientemente

English requires 'have + V3', while Spanish can sometimes use the simple present.

French moderate

récemment / ces derniers temps

French learners must avoid saying 'I saw him recently' when they mean 'I have seen him recently'.

German moderate

vor kurzem / in letzter Zeit

German word order often places the adverb differently than English.

Japanese low

最近 (saikin)

Japanese relies on context and verb endings rather than auxiliary verbs like 'have'.

Arabic partial

مؤخراً (mu'akharan)

The concept of 'unfinished time' is expressed differently in Arabic grammar.

Chinese low

最近 (zuìjìn)

Chinese has no 'have' auxiliary for tenses; it uses time words and particles.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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