and lately

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "and lately" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to recent events or changes that have occurred in the past few days or weeks. Example: "I've been feeling more energetic and lately, I've started exercising regularly."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

56 human-written examples

Alone and lately loitering.

The New Yorker

And lately?

The New York Times

And lately, zero profit.

The New York Times

And lately he'd got heavy.

The New Yorker

Sebald, and, lately, Erpenbeck herself.

The New Yorker

"And lately, business has been good".

The New York Times

And lately they have started working together.

The New York Times

And lately with some pretty great movies.

The New York Times

And lately they have been on fire.

The New York Times

Founder and lately chairman, Raleigh Bermuda.

The Guardian

And lately he has been studying how animals die.

The New York Times - Science

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "and lately" to smoothly introduce a recent development or change of state, connecting it to a previous statement. Ensure the context clearly establishes the timeframe you're referring to.

Common error

Avoid using "and lately" when referring to events that occurred long ago. The phrase implies a recent occurrence, typically within the past few weeks or months.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "and lately" functions as a conjunctive adverbial phrase. It connects two clauses or sentences, introducing information that has occurred recently, adding to or modifying the previous statement. As Ludwig confirms, this phrase introduces a recent development.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "and lately" is a versatile conjunctive phrase used to introduce recent developments or changes. As confirmed by Ludwig, it's grammatically correct and frequently appears in a neutral register, particularly within news and media contexts. The phrase serves to update or add information, emphasizing the temporal proximity of the new detail. Remember to use it when referring to recent occurrences and avoid confusion with events from the distant past. Alternatives such as "and recently" or "more recently" can be considered for slight variations in emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

and more recently

Replaces "lately" with "more recently" emphasizing the proximity in time.

and of late

Substitutes "lately" with the more formal expression "of late".

and in recent times

Replaces "lately" with a longer phrase, "in recent times", to express the same meaning.

and just recently

Adds "just" before "recently" to emphasize the very recent nature of the event.

and in the past few weeks

Specifies the timeframe implied by "lately" to be the past few weeks.

and as of late

Similar to "of late", but potentially slightly more informal.

and in recent days

Specifies the timeframe implied by "lately" to be recent days.

and since recently

Changes the structure to include "since", indicating a starting point in the recent past.

and latterly

Replaces "lately" with the less common synonym "latterly".

and in recent memory

Emphasizes the occurrence is within a period that is easily remembered.

FAQs

How do I use "and lately" in a sentence?

The phrase "and lately" is used to introduce a new, related piece of information that has occurred recently. For example, "He used to be shy, and lately, he's been much more outgoing."

What are some alternatives to "and lately"?

You can use alternatives such as "and recently", "and more recently", or "and of late" depending on the context.

Is it grammatically correct to start a sentence with "and lately"?

While starting a sentence with "and lately" isn't strictly incorrect, it's often better to connect it to a previous clause for smoother flow. For example, prefer "She has been working hard, and lately, she's seen great results" over "And lately, she's seen great results."

What is the difference between "and lately" and "finally"?

"And lately" indicates a recent development, while "finally" suggests something has happened after a long wait or series of events. They aren't interchangeable.