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Prepositions after verbs

Continue with, continue to or continue in?

Continue can be followed by different prepositions depending on whether you mean an activity, an action, or a role or state.

Quick answer

Choosing the right pattern

Use continue with for an activity already started. Use continue to plus a verb for ongoing action. Use continue in for a role, condition, or field.

We will continue with the meeting.
She continued to study abroad.
He continued in his position as director.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
continue with + activity

Resuming or carrying on an activity

With introduces the activity or task.

After lunch, they continued with the presentation.
2
continue to + verb

Ongoing action

To is followed by the base form of a verb.

Prices continued to rise.
3
continue in + role/state

Remaining in a role or condition

In introduces positions, fields, or situations.

She continued in the same department.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
continue with
Let's continue with the lesson.
carry on an activity
continue to
They continued to work late.
ongoing action
continue in
He continued in politics for years.
remain in a role or field

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using continue with plus verb

Use continue to plus a verb, or continue with plus noun.

✕ She continued with work late. ✓ She continued to work late.

Using continue in for activities

In is better for roles or states than tasks.

✕ We continued in the meeting. ✓ We continued with the meeting.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The company will continue ___ expand overseas.
2. After the break, we continued ___ the discussion.
3. She continued ___ her teaching role.

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Frequently asked questions

Can continue be followed by a gerund?

Yes. Continue working is also common.

Is continue with always followed by a noun?

Usually yes, such as continue with the project.

Can continue in describe emotions?

It can describe states, but it is more common with roles or situations.

calculate, by, calculate, in, calculate, from "call for" or "call on"? "campaign for" or "campaign against"? cancel by, due, at, in or for? capitulate to, in, like, by or after? captivate by, for, with, from or in? "capture by" or "capture in"? "care about" or "care for"? carry with, by, in, to or into? carve into, out, in, on or with? cast in, into, for, by or on? "catch in", "catch by" or "catch on"?

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