Recently is also used to refer to a point in time: ‘Just recently she applied for a new job.’ 2
One of the best films that I saw lately is ‘Hook’.
One of the best films that I’ve seen lately is ‘Hook’. Lately I play a lot of Miles Davis tapes.
Lately I’ve been playing a lot of Miles Davis tapes. We have a lot of rain lately.
We’ve had a lot of rain lately. Lately is usually used with the present perfect tense: ‘I haven’t seen much of your sister lately. Has she gone away?’ latest The latest election was won by the socialists.
The last election was won by the socialists. In the latest decades of the twentieth century, the world has seen many changes.
In the last decades of the twentieth century, the world has seen many changes. See Note at LAST 4 laughter His laughters filled the whole apartment.
His laughter filled the whole apartment. Laughter is an uncountable noun: ‘There was always a lot of laughter and joking when Henry came to dinner.’ lay The tourists were laying in the hot sun like corpses.
The tourists were lying in the hot sun like corpses. We broke down the door and found him laying on the carpet.
We broke down the door and found him lying on the carpet. lay (laying, laid, laid) = put something somewhere: ‘She laid the money on the table in front of me.’ lie (lying, lay, lain) = be in a horizontal position (on the ground/on a bed etc): ‘He was lying on his
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back, staring up at the sky.’ ‘I could lie here all day!’
