"in recent times" vs "recently" (2024)

Hi there, can anyone please tell me what the difference between in the recent times and recently is? And can you also please tell me which tense i should use with them?

Here are the examples:

1- Various theories were put forth and palaeopathological specimens were used for their validation in recent times.

I found the above sentence on the internet. Does simple past tense sound correct in the above context? And can I use recently instead of in recent times?
2- In recent times/recently life has been/ was very well but since this morning I have been feeling very weak.

Can I interchange the two words "recently” and "in recent times"? And which tense is appropriate in the above?

Subhajit12 said:

can anyone please tell me what the difference between in the recent times and recently is?

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It's difficult to give you more than a general answer. "In recent times" seems better suited for general or habitual or repeated actions while "recently" can be used for more specific events. The best way to pick up a feel for the difference is just to keep looking at ways in which that phrase and word are used.

Subhajit12 said:

1- Various theories were put forth and palaeopathological specimens were used for their validation in recent times.
I found the above sentence on the internet. Does simple past tense sound correct in the above context? And can I use recently instead of in recent times?

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The sentence is grammatical enough. I wouldn't use "recently" because that would suggest palaeopathological specimens were used on a specific occasion. The sentence means to say that in the recent past, palaeopathological speciments have generally been used.

Subhajit12 said:

2- In recent times/recently life has been/ was very well but since this morning I have been feeling very weak.

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Life has been good recently. (This sounds better to me.)
Life has been good in recent times. (Not so good but works.)

Subhajit12 said:

See Also

in the morning/ at the morning/ at morningIn the morning = tomorrow, any time?

Can I interchange the two words "recently” and "in recent times"?

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Not always.

Barque said:

It's difficult to give you more than a general answer. "In recent times" seems better suited for general or habitual or repeated actions while "recently" can be used for more specific events. The best way to pick up a feel for the difference is just to keep looking at ways in which that phrase and word are used.

The sentence is grammatical enough. I wouldn't use "recently" because that would suggest palaeopathological specimens were used on a specific occasion. The sentence means to say that in the recent past, palaeopathological speciments have generally been used.

Life has been good recently. (This sounds better to me.)
Life has been good in recent times. (Not so good but works.)

Not always.

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Than you Barque, is my second sentence "In recently life has been very well but since this morning I have been feeling very weak." Grammatical? I mean do the tenses perfectly fit in the context?

Subhajit12 said:

Than you Barque, is my second sentence "In recently life has been very well but since this morning I have been feeling very weak." Grammatical? I mean do the tenses perfectly fit in the context?

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This seems off-topic to me. Your question was on the difference between "recently" and "in recent times".

"Well" isn't used with "life" in that way. "In recently" is wrong because "recently" is an adverb, not a noun or a noun phrase. Also the sentence sounds odd because of the sudden transition from a general statement to a specific one.
.

dora01 said:

I might be wrong but I believe "in recent times" usually refers to a more substantial period of time such as the last decade/s or even more. Therefore, it is often used for changes on a larger scale, e.g. in a particular industry, scientific field etc.
"Developers launched the highest number of properties in recent times."

The temporal reference of "recently" tends to be more immediate, ranging from a few days to a few months in general.
"YouTube recently banned videos related to sale of guns..."

In addition, "recently" could also be used for temporary situations or unfinished actions with the present perfect.
"Recently she's been staying with her grandmother"
"He's been trying really hard recently."

I think the past simple and "in recent times" would sound strange the two examples above.

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Thank you. In your sentence "YouTube recently banned videos related to sale of guns..." You use the word recently in past tense. Can I write "YouTube recently has banned videos related to sale of guns..."?

dora01 said:

Yes, I used "recently" in conjunction with the past tense because I think it is largely acceptable when referring to recent events. It was a quote I found on the Internet. However, even in this case my first choice would be Present Perfect, it seems more grammatical to me. I hope for some more relevant input from a native speaker to clarify this. As I pointed out before, in the last two sentences I gave as an example we are talking about a separate use of the Present Perfect and I don't think the Past Simple would be possible in these situations.

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Thank you. So let's wait for others.

dora01 said:

It was a quote I found on the Internet. However, even in this case my first choice would be Present Perfect, it seems more grammatical to me.

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Appearances can be deceiving!
Normally 'recently' describes a specific but indeterminate point in time in the recent past and in this case it works like the adverb yesterday or this morning. Therefore speakers would be inclined to use simple past.
However, 'recently' can also express a timeframe that extends from the recent past to the present, in which case present perfect seems more appropriate, e.g. I've been feeling a lot better recently.

I think that simple past can always be used with recently. However, if present perfect is consistent with the specific context, present perfect can still be used with recently, but it is the context and emphasis that are crucial.

Recently can be used to refer to a completed action that occurred not long ago.
I returned from Paris recently.

Recently can also be used to refer to a period time that continues to the present, and perhaps beyond.
I have been having a lot of headaches recently.

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