continuous vs continual

Question

Continual and continuous can both be used to describe things which continue to happen or exist without stopping.

1

►Continual can only be used in front of a noun (do not use it after a verb).
→→Ex.: ... a continual movement of air.

►Continuous can be used either in front of a noun or after a verb.
→→Ex.: ...a continuous loving relationship.
→It is dangerous to circle the head round in one continuous movement.

2

To describe something undesirable which continues to happen or exist without stopping, it is better to use continual rather than continuous.

→→Ex.: Life is a continual struggle. ///It was sad to see her the victim of continual pain.

3

Continual can also be used to describe things which happen repeatedly:
→→He still smoked despite the continual warnings of his nurse.

***It is usually regarded as incorrect to use continuous to describe things which happen repeatedly.

 

 

 

 

Answer 1

Thank you for sharing this, Son-Rez.

May I point out that in the examples copied out below nowhere does the word continuous appear immediately after a verb. 

 

Continuous can be used either in front of a noun or after a verb.
→→Ex.: ...a continuous loving relationship.
→It is dangerous to circle the head round in one continuous movement.

 

Also, I don't get exactly what sort of movement of the head is being described in the second example.

 

Thanks.

Comments

Hi. You are right. I have seen this comparison during a search in Collins Dic. and it was interesting for me, so I wanted to share it here. It seems to be unclear and insufficient. Thank you for the hint.

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In any case, for your part you've done a good job. So, thank you.

I used to distinguish the two words in this way:

In my imagination "continual" is more like "frequent". It means many times but with pauses or breaks in between.

"Continuous", on the other hand, conveys a sense which is closer to "constant", I imagine.

 

Let me use an example.

The phone rang continually all through the day.

یعنی تلفن تمام روز بارها زنگ خورد

The alarm sounded continuously for a whole half hour or so.

آژیر برای مدت نیم‌ساعت کامل یا این حدود صدا داد.

In the first sentence the ringing is said to occur many times during the day.

In the second sentence the sound of the alarm just didn't stop at all.