The Washington Post | November 12, 2022
"New sensor technology continuously monitors air quality in urban areas, providing real-time data to city planners."
Continually vs. Continuously
The '30 Seconds' Difference At A Glance
'Continuously' means without any interruption or breaks whatsoever. 'Continually' means very frequently or regularly, but with breaks in between.
A waterfall flows continuously, while my neighbour continually rings our doorbell asking to borrow things.
A Deeper Look
'Continuously' means something truly never stops - not even for a second. It's like a non-stop, unbroken stream of activity.
Blood continuously flows through your body - it never takes a break.
The river has flowed continuously for thousands of years.
'Continually' means something happens again and again, but with little gaps or breaks between. It's about things that keep coming back rather than never stopping.
My phone continually beeps with new messages throughout the day.
She continually checks her watch during boring meetings.
Common Usage Patterns
Continuously
"The machine runs continuously"
"Temperature monitored continuously"
"Blood flows continuously through veins"
Continually
"Prices are continually rising"
"She continually checks her phone"
"The company continually updates its software"
Key Patterns
Continuously: often used with natural processes, mechanical operations, and physical phenomena
Continually: commonly used with human actions, changes, and recurring events
What Teachers Say
"In scientific writing, 'continuously' is crucial - it specifically means there are no breaks at all. Using 'continually' in a scientific context can actually change the meaning of your research findings."
-- James, Oxford
"Business students overuse 'continuously' when they mean 'continually'. If you say your company 'continuously improves,' you're claiming you never pause for even a second - which is usually impossible."
-- Maria, Vancouver
"I tell my technical writing students to think of 'continuously' as a mathematical term - like a continuous function. If there's any break at all, it's not continuous."
-- Robert, Boston
From The Headlines
The Telegraph | March 8, 2015
"Housing prices continually rise despite government efforts to cool the market."
The Australian | June 15, 2009
"Scientists discover deep-sea volcanic vent that has been continuously active for over 600 years."
Test Yourself!
1. The river has flowed _______ since the last ice age.
2. The student _______ improved his grades throughout the semester.
3. While the monitoring system runs _______, the maintenance team _______ updates its parameters.
