[mesmark]

'I'm having problems recently.'

My question is 'recently.' Once again, my college professor student has called me out in class. I said this in class and she questioned the use of 'recently' and said she always corrects this 'mistake' when her students make it. She changes it to either:
'I've been having problems recently.' or
'I'm having problems these days.'

I said that grammatically and in written form, her usage is correct, but that it's not an uncommon oral formation.

What do you think?

[susan53]

To me it sounds very odd - I'd either say I've had/been having problems recently or I'm having problems at the moment. But it may just be a difference between UK and US English.

[mesmark]

Well, once it was pointed out to me, I realised it was odd

I can't imagine it's a pattern I've made up, but it may not be true to all Americans.

I guess that's the question now. Is it something other americans might say? Is it a southern American dialect? Am I strange?

Please leave the last question only within the context of this question

[DaveESL]

My 2 (American) cents - It sounds strange, but I don't think it would raise my eyebrows in conversation. I might even say it myself on occasion...

[mesmark]

Quote DaveESL

My 2 (American) cents - It sounds strange, but I don't think it would raise my eyebrows in conversation. I might even say it myself on occasion...

Yeah, I'm wondering if it's just a formation I was forced into via conversation pace.

Funny thing is if you change 'recently' to 'these days' it works just fine. Any idea what's going on with 'recently' and 'these days.'

[susan53]

Recently means "in the time up to now" - ie past and present but with no reference to the future. These days, on the other hand, means "in the time around the present" - ie past, present and future. So the present continuous - which describes an on-going event (already started, not yet finished) fits fine with these days, but not with recently. The problems may in reality continue or not, but there's nothing to tell us that in the adverb. It therefore fits better with a perfect construction which tells us of the past and present but doesn't commit itself to "meaning" anything about the future.