I already confuse both of them. help me please.

Question

Hello TeachersQ1After playing football, he continued to have a rest.Can I use “he continued having a rest.” instead.Q2Let’s continue to walk = let’s continue walking.  True or false?Someone says continue to V is different with continue VingBut someone says continue to V is the same with continue VingI already confuse both of themThanks a lot.

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

In those sentence, the meanings are the same.  'Continue', like 'like', can take either the infinitive or the gerund.

CalifJim · Answer

Jacky56LinQ1
After playing football, he continued to have a rest.
Can I use “he continued having a rest.” instead.

Yes. (Both are equally bizarre. Playing football is not resting, so in what way did he continue to rest? "Continue" means you are still doing the same thing.)

Jacky56LinQ2
Let’s continue to walk = Let’s continue walking. True or false?

True.

Jacky56LinSomeone says continue to V is different with continue Ving
But someone says continue to V is the same with continue Ving

This happens often when you use forums. Not everyone has the same experience with English. Sometimes not even all native speakers agree. I wonder why someone thinks those are different.

CJ

Jacky56Lin · Answer

Thank you very much Mister Micawber and CJ

I am Chinese and that discussion Q1 I copy from a Chinese local web site (but Q2 is made by me I want to show one action but just take a break and then it goes on). They collect some Verb. For eg. Stop, Continue, like, would like, enjoy, finish ….. And so on.

Telling students which verbs make different meanings when use those verb + to V or those verb + Ving. But I am interest about “continue”. As a man writes in Chinese, the meaning is (I try to do best to interpret it into English) when you use continue to V …. That means you finish the first thing and then you do the second thing (You do two different things. After finishing the first you continue to another one) but when using continue Ving.…That means you just take a break to the things that you’re doing, after a while you do it again (that means you’re doing just one thing.)

Teacher CJ, as you say (Both are equally bizarre, abut After playing football, he continued to have a rest.), I think you mean they can not put together to express a reasonable meaning… am I right? Here is another sentence form the web site.

Says (continue = go on) for eg. After finishing my homework, I go on to watch TV. = After finishing my homework, I continue to watch TV. < but not the same as> After finishing my homework, I continue watching TV. Maybe as you said (Both are equally bizarre. about After finishing my homework, I go on to watch TV. )

I know the verb “stop” >> stop to V is different from stop ving. So it makes me believe that probably continue to V is different from continue Ving. and then I post it to ask for correct answers.

But now I know it is true that continue to V = Continue Ving at anytime,.right?

Thanks a lot.

Mister Micawber · Answer

CJ probably has his own comments to make, but just let me give these:

...that discussion Q1 I copy from a Chinese local web site -- I have looked at several of these. (Today, actually, I was looking at TopSage.com, where someone has stolen my screen name and is pretending to be me.) Chinese (and other non-native) sites are generally not very reliable. They tend to over-analyze and come to unfounded conclusions.

As a man writes in Chinese, the meaning is... when you use continue to V . That means you finish the first thing and then you do the second thing (You do two different things. After finishing the first you continue to another one) but when using continue Ving....That means you just take a break to the things that you're doing, after a while you do it again (that means you're doing just one thing.)-- No, I just cannot see that at all.

Here is another sentence form the web site.
Says (continue = go on) for eg. After finishing my homework, I go on to watch TV. = After finishing my homework, I continue to watch TV. -- The mistake is in thinking one verb acts like another just because they are synonyms. That is often not true:

Go on to do = do one task first and then do something else
Go on doing = continue to do = continue doing = return to the same task.

I know the verb "stop" >> stop to V is different from stop ving. So it makes me believe that probably continue to V is different from continue Ving. and then I post it to ask for correct answers.-- Same point, Jacky: how one verb behaves is no sure sign to how another verb behaves. Explore each new verb individually.

CalifJim · Answer

Jacky56LinTeacher CJ, as you say (Both are equally bizarre, abut After playing football, he continued to have a rest.), I think you mean they can not put together to express a reasonable meaning… am I right?

You are right. I don't believe the sentence below expresses a reasonable meaning.

After playing football, he continued to have a rest.

This makes more sense:

He was lying on the couch, resting. His friends said, "Let's play football!" But he did not want to play. He just continued to rest on the couch. (= He just continued resting on the couch.)

Jacky56LinAfter finishing my homework, I go on to watch TV. = After finishing my homework, I continue to watch TV.

No. That statement of equality is wrong. We don't use "continue to" as a way of saying "go on to".

Jacky56LinAfter finishing my homework, I go on to watch TV.

This is correct. Two activities. First homework. Then TV. That's what "go on to" means.

Jacky56LinI know the verb “stop” >> stop to V is different from stop ving. So it makes me believe that probably continue to V is different from continue Ving. and then I post it to ask for correct answers.

I see. You found a pattern for one verb, and you tried to apply it to other verbs. Unfortunately, you can't do that. You can make yourself very confused that way. Each verb has its own meaning and grammar. Yes, there are groups of verbs that behave the same way, but "continue" and "go on" do not belong to the same group. They behave differently. Mr. M. has already made more specific comments on these verbs, so I won't repeat those.

Jacky56LinBut now I know it is true that continue to V = Continue Ving at anytime,.right?

Yes.

CJ

Jacky56Lin · Answer

Thank you very much Mister Micawber and CJ for big help!

I have learned a lot about them. I really feel very happy.

I already confuse both of them. help me please.

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