Use of Late and Lately.
Rule no. 1 – ‘Late’ is used in the sense of ‘after the expected, arranged or usual time’ as the adverb as:
The Mumbai Express comes late – Simple Present Tense.
The Mumbai Express came late – Simple Past Tense.
The Mumbai Express will come late – Simple Future Tense.
She married late.
The birthday card arrived three days late.
My brother often watches TV until late at night.
Rule no. 2 – ‘Late is used in the sense of ‘near the end of a period of time, a person’s life’ as an adjective as:
He went there in the late afternoon.
He went to Manali in late summer.
The school was built in the late 1970s.
In later life he started playing golf.
Rule no. 3 – ‘Late’ is used in the sense of ‘in time, recent’ as an adjective as:
The Taj Express is late by ten minutes.
He met her in the late afternoon.
We have seen the late political development in Bihar.
_ ‘Late’ is used in the sense of ‘former, recent, and not now living’ as an adjective as:
Mr. APJ Abdul Kalam was the late President of India.
Manoj was her late husband.
‘Lately’ is used in the sense of ‘Recently’, ‘in the recent past’ as an adverb in the Interrogative and Negative sentences of Present Perfect Tense. It is not used in the place of ‘Late’.
1) Have you seen the film lately?
No, I haven’t seen the film lately.
2) Have you been to Hyderabad lately?
No, I have not been to Hyderabad lately.
3) Have you seen her lately?
No, I have not seen her lately.