Grammatically Correct 5/11/05
A weekly grammar tip created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors.
University of Houston-Victoria
3007 N. Ben Wilson
Victoria, TX 77901
When to use: Continual or Continuous
by W. Scott Harkey
The words continual and continuous are often mistakenly used interchangeably. This use can cause some ambiguity or even create complete misunderstanding among your readers. Let’s take a look at the definitions of continual and continuous and at some examples of their use to help clear up this confusion.

Continual is an adjective. It means recurring repeatedly or regularly, not infrequently.

Ex. One of the problems with growing up and moving out is the continual monthly bills: rent, food, electricity, and so forth.

Continuous is also an adjective. It can mean endless in time, succession, essence, or degree, a definition closely related to continual. However unlike the definition of continual, continuous can also mean anything attached together in repeated units, such as film in a projector.

Ex. Michel’s fear of horses was continuous throughout his entire life.
Recommended Grammar Website of the Week
by W. Scott Harkey

This week we recommend the following site: The Common Errors in English Page at http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/errors/continual.html. This site contains an alphabetical list of common errors found in the English language, including the use of continual and continuous.
Test Your Knowledge
by W. Scott Harkey
Test your understanding of the correct use of continual and continuous by answering the following sentences:

1. John’s (continual, continuous) pain after his accident occurs off and on.
2. If a motion goes on forever, it is considered to be a (continual, continuous) motion.
3. If a rocket shot into space is never obstructed by an outside force, it moves in a
(continual, continuous) state.
4. A light alternating from red to green is said to change in a (continual, continuous)
manner.

Answers
1. John’s continual pain after his accident occurs off and on.
2. If a motion goes on forever, it is considered to be a continuous motion.
3. If a rocket shot into space is never obstructed by an outside force, it moves in a
continuous state.
4. A light alternating from red to green is said to change in a continual
manner.

 

Grammatically Correct is a grammar tip of the week created by Academic Center Peer Writing Tutors at the University of Houston-Victoria in Victoria, Texas.

Comments about this newsletter should be directed to Summer Leibensperger, leibenspergers@uhv.edu.

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