Breakdown of Últimamente intento priorizar el estudio de español sobre otras actividades.
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Questions & Answers about Últimamente intento priorizar el estudio de español sobre otras actividades.
What’s the function of Últimamente in this sentence, and where can it go?
Últimamente means “lately / recently / these days” and works as a time adverb.
In this sentence it describes when the action is happening, so it modifies the whole sentence:
- Últimamente intento priorizar el estudio de español sobre otras actividades.
- Intento priorizar el estudio de español sobre otras actividades últimamente.
Both are correct. Putting Últimamente at the beginning is very common and sounds natural because it sets the time frame for what follows.
Why is it intento priorizar and not something like estoy intentando priorizar?
Spanish often uses the simple present to talk about ongoing or habitual actions, where English might use both:
- I try to prioritize...
- I’ve been trying to prioritize...
Intento priorizar can mean:
- “I try to prioritize…” (a general habit)
- “I’ve (been) trying to prioritize…” (recent ongoing behavior, especially with Últimamente)
Estoy intentando priorizar is also correct, but it emphasizes the process right now, more like “I am trying to prioritize… at this moment / these days.” In this sentence, the simple present with Últimamente already implies an ongoing, recent habit.
Why is priorizar in the infinitive form here?