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Thehanghk Posted 16 years ago
Vocabulary

Continuously and continually

Can any tell me more about this question?
I knew that these two words (continuously and continually) have a similar meaning (almost the same). But then what is the difference between them? Usage? Confusing =.=.

Thanks for your advice!
  

Top answer

Continual - continuous Both adjectival forms, continual and continuous , mean without stopping or without a break . They are often used interchangeably: This refectory has been in continual /continuous use since the 15th Century. The continual / continuous croaking of the frogs prevented any sleep that night.

— Dave Phillips

  • Continual - continuous Both adjectival forms, continual and continuous , mean without stopping or without a break .
  • They are often used interchangeably: This refectory has been in continual /continuous use since the 15th Century.
  • The continual / continuous croaking of the frogs prevented any sleep that night.
  • In certain contexts only continuous is possible because continual here would imply that breaks are possible.
  • In these examples, there are clearly no breaks, so continuous is preferred: A continuous line of people stretched as far as the eye could see.
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3 Answers
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Continual - continuous

Both adjectival forms, continual and continuous, mean without stopping or without a break. They are often used interchangeably:

  • This refectory has been in continual /continuous use since the 15th Century.

  • The continual / continuous croaking of the frogs prevented any sleep that
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Dave Phillips The adverbial forms, continually and continuously, are often interchangeable.
She sniffed continually / continuously all the way through the film and disturbed everyone around her.

But when the meaning is clearly very often, rather than without a break,
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Dave Phillips
  • The progress of pupils was measured though continuous assessment and not through examinations
Hey Dave,

You've mentioned that continuous should be used for "some issues which are clearly no breaks". However, in regards to the above sentence, there must be some breaks between different assessment. Shouldn't I us
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