Re: continual/continuous

Posted by futari on 2011/4/9 5:25:52

Quote:


1) CONTINUAL (adjective)
>> suggests keeping on going or existing with brief intervals
(e.g.) Continual practice is necessary to become a champion.
(e.g.) The shortage of money is a continual worry.
(e.g.) There is a continual applause.

2) CONTINUOUS (adjective)
>> suggests happening or existing without stopping
(e.g.) The brain needs a continuous supply of food.
(e.g.) On August 28, after 3 days of continuous travel, they arrived in Edinburgh.
(e.g.) A continuous steel making process is now being developed.
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HTH.
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More info:-

1) CONTINUAL is chiefly restricted to what is intermittent or repeated at intervals.
(e.g.) The continual banging of the shutter in the wind gave me a headache.

2) CONTINOUS implies lack of interruption.
(e.g.) The horizon is a continuous line.

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1) CONTINUAL (usually used to describe bad or irritating ongoing of things at intervals such as --> continual hammering / these continual interruptions to our conversation)

2) CONTINUOUS (used to express non-stopping of an ongoing action such as --> three days' continous flight)

The following sentence will give you more hints on how they differ drom each other:
I couldn't pursue a CONTINUOUS train of thought because of CONTINUAL calls.
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