recently / not long ago / a short time ago.

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Alex+

#429713 Thu, 11 Oct 07 01:26 PM

-Are you hungry?
-No, I had lunch recently / not long ago / a short time ago.

Which one is correct?

Alex+

Joined on Wed, Apr 11 2007

Full Member (210)

Clive

#429721 Thu, 11 Oct 07 02:25 PM

Hi,

-Are you hungry?
-No, I had lunch recently / not long ago / a short time ago.

Which one is correct? All 3 are OK, although 'recently' sounds a little more formal.

I often say, and hear, 'No, I just had lunch'. ''Just' here has the meaning of 'very recently'.

Clive

Joined on Thu, Oct 28 2004

Canada

Veteran Member (21,162)

El tango argentino es un pensamiento triste que se puede bailar (The tango argentino is a sad thought which can be danced) Enrique Santos Discépolo

Alex+

#430037 Fri, 12 Oct 07 12:19 PM

Clive, thank you for your reply.

One more question. Which answer do you think is better?

1. I've just had lunch.
2. I just had lunch.

Alex+

Francesca

#430040 Fri, 12 Oct 07 12:26 PM

Hi Alex,

I think that the correct one should be 'I've just had lunch', but you can hear 'I just had lunch' in informal speeches.

Francesca

Joined on Tue, Oct 11 2005

Grand Duchy of Tuscany

Contributing Member (1,619)

Ti:ʧə

#430048 Fri, 12 Oct 07 12:53 PM

I've just had lunch is an example of the Present Perfect, a tense used to connect past actions to the present. It is correct in this case, because it connects the past action of eating to the present state (being full) and the consequences (not wanting to eat any more).

It is not so common in many American English dialects: they will use the past simple (I just had lunch) instead.

Ti:ʧə

Joined on Wed, Oct 10 2007

New Member (39)

American English, Tenses, Present perfect, Dialects, Past simple

Alex+

#430108 Fri, 12 Oct 07 02:44 PM

Thank you, everybody, for your replies.

Alex+