Actually vs At the moment - English In A Minute

Hi everybody. I'm James

and welcome back to this week's English In A Minute.

This week we're going to look at the differences

between 'actually' and 'at the moment'.

These two phrases are often confused, so

let's take a look at an example:

At the moment, I'm making this programme, but

actually, I should be in a meeting.

So this sentence shows both phrases

but they're actually quite different. Let's break it down.

At the moment, I'm making this programme.

As you can see, I'm making this programme right now,

so 'at the moment' means 'now', or 'in the present'.

But actually I should be in a meeting.

Now, in this part of my sentence,

'actually' isn't talking about time at all.

'Actually' means 'in fact' or 'in reality'.

So, if you want to talk about 'now', say 'at the moment'.

But if you want to say 'in reality' say 'actually'.

At the moment I want to go and make a coffee,

but actually I think I'll go back to my desk.

Bye!