INDEX:
continue/not stop
1. to continue doing something
2. when something continues to happen
3. to continue doing something in a determined way
4. to make something continue
5. continuing for a long time
6. not stopping, even at night
7. when something unpleasant continues for a long time
continue after stopping
8. to continue doing something after stopping
9. to continue talking about something after stopping
10. to start doing something again
to continue to be the same as before
11. to continue to be the same as before
12. to continue to be in the same place or situation
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ STOP
see also
↑ LAST
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1. to continue doing something
▷ continue /kənˈtɪnjuː/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to not stop doing something that you are already doing :
▪ The project’s organizers hope the government will continue funding it next year.
▪ Sometimes she just couldn’t see the point of continuing.
▪ NASA continues its efforts to communicate with intelligent beings in outer space.
continue doing something
▪ They continued arguing long after everyone else had gone to bed.
▪ Turn the steaks over and continue broiling for 4 to 5 more minutes.
continue to do something
▪ She continued to live in the same house after the death of her husband.
▪ Despite all the warnings, many people continue to smoke.
continue with
▪ My teacher advised me to continue with my studies.
continuation /kənˌtɪnjuˈeɪʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
▪ There is no justification for the continuation of the war for continuing it .
▷ go on also carry on British /ˌgəʊ ˈɒn, ˌkæri ˈɒn/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to continue doing something that you have started without allowing anything to stop you :
▪ The baby started crying at ten and went on all night.
▪ It was almost too dark to see properly, but he carried on anyway.
go on/carry on doing something
▪ When I tried to interrupt, he ignored me and went on speaking.
▪ If you have been taking malaria tablets while abroad, you should carry on taking them for a month after you return.
go on with
▪ The delegates decided to go on with the meeting instead of breaking off for lunch.
▪ Don’t stop! Carry on with your work.
▷ keep doing something/keep on doing something /ˌkiːp ˈduːɪŋ something, ˌkiːp ɒn ˈduːɪŋ something/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
to continue to do something for a long time - use this especially when it happens for so long that it is tiring or annoying :
▪ That man keeps staring at me. I wish he’d stop it.
▪ We were all tired, but we knew that we had to keep moving.
▪ If you keep on trying, you’ll get better at it.
▪ Keep going till you come to a crossroads.
▷ drive on/play on/read on etc /ˌdraɪv ˈɒn/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to continue doing something when you could have stopped :
▪ We drove on, passing fewer and fewer houses.
▪ Jones had injured his foot, but played on despite the pain.
▪ Paul grabbed her hand and they ran on, hand in hand.
▷ keep up /ˌkiːp ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
an expression meaning to continue to do something as well or with as much effort as you have been doing until now, used especially to encourage someone :
keep it up
▪ You’re doing a good job, boys. Keep it up.
keep up something
▪ The enemy kept up the attack all through the night.
▪ Scott kept up a constant barrage of calls and faxes until he got the answers he wanted.
keep up the good work
spoken
▪ ‘Keep up the good work,’ Harry said, patting Davy’s shoulder.
▷ go on /ˌgəʊ ˈɒn/ [intransitive phrasal verb] especially British
to continue talking about something, especially in a boring or annoying way :
go on about
▪ I wish you’d stop going on about work all the time.
go on and on
▪ He went on and on until we were all half asleep.
▷ get on with /get ˈɒn wɪð/ [transitive phrasal verb] especially British, spoken
to continue doing a piece of work and avoid talking or doing anything else :
▪ Get on with your work, please. There’s a lot to do.
▪ Get on with it! We don’t have all day.
▪ I need to get on with my homework.
▷ pursue /pəʳˈsjuːǁ-ˈsuː/ [transitive verb] formal
to continue doing an activity or trying to achieve something over a long period of time :
▪ The US intends to pursue vigorous programs in space science.
▪ A good reporter will pursue a story until he or she knows all the facts.
▷ persist /pəʳˈsɪst/ [intransitive verb] formal
to continue to do something, especially something bad that you have been warned not to do, or something difficult that other people do not want you to do :
persist in doing something
▪ He persisted in smoking even after having a heart attack.
▪ American students of Spanish often persist in pronouncing words such as ‘presidente’ in the same way as similar English words.
persist in
▪ The White House persisted in its efforts to pass the bill, despite the opposition of Congress.
2. when something continues to happen
▷ continue /kənˈtɪnjuː/ [intransitive verb]
to happen without stopping :
▪ The good weather seems likely to continue.
▪ Unless there are serious negotiations, the fighting will continue.
▪ Some people have lost work, and this will continue to happen until the computer system is fixed.
continue for three months/a long time/several weeks etc
▪ The review process is expected to continue for several weeks.
continuation /kənˌtɪnjuˈeɪʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
▪ The continuation of the ceasefire now seems to be in danger.
▷ last /lɑːstǁlæst/ [intransitive verb]
to continue - use this to say how long something continues for :
last two hours/six months/a long time etc
▪ The concert lasted all day.
▪ It’s not certain how long the ceasefire will last.
last for two hours/six months/a long time etc
▪ The discussion lasted for no more than thirty minutes.
last from/until
▪ The meeting lasted until lunchtime.
▪ The training period lasted from July 2 to August 25.
▷ go on /ˌgəʊ ˈɒn/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to continue, especially for a long time :
▪ The discussion went on for another four hours before agreement was reached.
▪ The applause went on for ten minutes after the actors left the stage.
go on and on
continue for a very long time
▪ The noise from next door went on and on.
▷ carry on /ˌkæri ˈɒn/ [intransitive phrasal verb] British
to continue, especially in spite of problems or opposition :
▪ The celebrations carried on as if nothing had happened.
▪ The struggle for liberation will carry on long after I am dead.
▷ persist /pəʳˈsɪst/ [intransitive verb] formal
if a problem or bad conditions persist, they continue to exist because you cannot stop them :
▪ See your doctor if the symptoms persist.
▪ If adverse weather conditions persist, the game will be cancelled.
▷ proceed /prəˈsiːd/ [intransitive verb] formal
to continue in the way that has been planned :
▪ Work on the new tunnel is proceeding very well.
▪ According to the newspaper the negotiations are proceeding smoothly.
▷ progress /prəˈgres/ [intransitive verb]
to continue to happen or develop gradually over a period of time :
as something progresses
▪ As the meeting progressed Jack became more and more bored.
▪ As the war progressed, it became increasingly difficult to buy fresh food.
▷ drag on /ˌdræg ˈɒn/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
if something that is happening drags on, it is boring and seems to continue for much longer than necessary :
▪ The talks dragged on, with no apparent hope of achieving a peaceful solution.
drag on for an hour/weeks/years etc
▪ The history lesson dragged on for another hour.
3. to continue doing something in a determined way
▷ persevere /ˌpɜːʳsɪˈvɪəʳ, ˌpɜːʳsəˈvɪəʳ/ [intransitive verb]
to continue trying to do something in a very patient and determined way, in spite of difficulties :
▪ He didn’t know any English, but he persevered and became a good student.
persevere with
▪ When a country is able to persevere with reforms, the result can be a return to economic stability.
persevere in
▪ Stevenson persevered in his efforts to discover what had really happened.
persevere in the face of something
▪ Children today seem less willing to seek out challenges and persevere in the face of adversity.
▷ stick to it spoken also stick at it British spoken /ˌstɪk ˈtuː ɪt, ˌstɪk ˈæt ɪt/ [verb phrase]
to continue working or studying in a very determined way in order to achieve something :
stick at/to it
▪ If you stick at it, I’m sure you’ll pass your examinations.
▪ It was hard to follow the diet plan at first, but I stuck to it and eventually lost 20 pounds.
▷ keep at /ˌkiːp ˈæt/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to force yourself to continue working, practising etc in order to achieve something, even though it needs a lot of effort :
keep at it
▪ You’ll have to keep at it if you want to play the piano as well as your father does.
keep at something
British
▪ I wish I’d kept at my language lessons when I was at school.
▷ press on /ˌpres ˈɒn/ [intransitive phrasal verb] British
to continue doing something or going somewhere in spite of difficulties, because you are determined to finish your work, journey etc without delay :
▪ I was finding the book hard to understand, but I pressed on.
▪ We’re nearly there, so let’s press on while it’s still daylight.
press on with
▪ Despite opposition ,the government is pressing on with its welfare reforms.
press on regardless
ignoring all difficulties
▪ It started to rain and a strong wind blew, but he pressed on regardless.
▷ undaunted /ʌnˈdɔːntɪd, ʌnˈdɔːntəd/ [adjective/adverb]
someone who is undaunted or does something undaunted does not give up because of difficulties, dangers etc, but continues to do what they intended to do :
▪ Undaunted, he said he would take the test again.
undaunted by
▪ Undaunted by the low pay and lack of respect, she feels teaching is the most rewarding job she can do.
remain undaunted
▪ The policy changes she wants have not happened, but Banyan remains undaunted.
▷ soldier on /ˌsəʊldʒər ˈɒn/ [intransitive phrasal verb] British
to continue doing something in a steady determined way even though it is very difficult :
▪ The team were all feeling seasick but they soldiered on valiantly.
▪ Charles was asked to soldier on as Sayle’s assistant.
4. to make something continue
▷ continue/carry on /kənˈtɪnjuː, ˌkæri ˈɒn/ [transitive verb/transitive phrasal verb]
to continue something, often something that has been started by someone else :
▪ Who’s going to carry on the project when she leaves?
▪ Immigrant families often try to continue cultural traditions.
▪ In the eighteenth century, his research was carried on by Dubois.
▷ maintain /meɪnˈteɪnǁmən-/ [transitive verb]
to make something continue in the same way or at the same high standard as before :
▪ Air France has maintained a high level of service for many years.
▪ It is best if divorced parents can maintain friendly relations for the sake of the children.
maintenance /ˈmeɪnt ə nəns/ [uncountable noun]
▪ At first a newly independent country relies heavily on the maintenance of existing links with the former colonial power.
▷ perpetuate /pəʳˈpetʃueɪt/ [transitive verb]
to make something bad continue to exist, especially a situation that is not fair or involves false ideas :
▪ This new book perpetuates all the old myths about the Kennedy assassination.
▪ The proposed law will perpetuate existing economic and class inequalities.
▷ keep up /ˌkiːp ˈʌp/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to make something continue, especially when it is difficult and a lot of effort is needed :
▪ She and Laura keep up their friendship through frequent telephone calls and lunch dates.
▪ Environmental groups intend to keep up the pressure until the government changes the law.
▷ preserve /prɪˈzɜːʳv/ [transitive verb]
to make something good continue because you think it should not be allowed to disappear :
▪ As a family, we want to preserve the traditions of Jewish culture and religion.
▪ All the names in the book have been changed to preserve the victims’ anonymity.
preservation /ˌprezəʳˈveɪʃ ə n/ [uncountable noun]
▪ The government is committed to the preservation of law and order.
5. continuing for a long time
▷ continuous /kənˈtɪnjuəs/ [adjective only before noun]
continuing for a long time without stopping :
▪ Although we nearly always need extra drivers, we cannot guarantee continuous employment.
▪ CNN provided continuous coverage of the trial.
▪ The campsites have had three decades of continuous use.
continuously [adverb]
▪ Shake the pan continuously until the almonds are lightly browned.
▷ constant /ˈkɒnstəntǁˈkɑːn-/ [adjective usually before noun]
continuous and seeming to be there all the time :
▪ He suffered constant pain in the months before his death.
▪ A newborn baby needs constant care and attention.
▪ The refugees lived in constant fear of being attacked.
constantly [adverb]
▪ The country is very unstable and the government is constantly in danger of being overthrown.
▷ uninterrupted /ˌʌnɪntəˈrʌptɪd◂, ˌʌnɪntəˈrʌptəd◂/ [adjective only before noun]
something good or pleasant such as peace or sleep that is uninterrupted continues for a long time with no interruptions :
▪ On average, two-year-old children need ten to twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep a night.
▪ Banks need uninterrupted, 24-hour computer systems.
▷ on-going /ˈɒn gəʊɪŋ/ [adjective only before noun]
an on-going activity, situation, or piece of work is not intended to end at a definite time, but will continue into the future :
▪ The police refused to comment on the on-going investigation.
▪ We have a major on-going research programme into North Sea pollution.
▷ non-stop /ˌnɒn ˈstɒp◂ǁˌnɑːn ˈstɑːp◂/ [adverb]
continuing without stopping :
▪ She’s been driving non-stop for hours.
▪ Make sure he does some homework -- he’ll watch TV non-stop if you let him.
nonstop/non-stop [adjective only before noun]
▪ There has been 48 hours of nonstop rain.
▷ without a break /wɪðˌaʊt ə ˈbreɪk/ [adverb]
without stopping for a rest :
▪ Victor talked for forty minutes without a break.
▪ On average, the human mind cannot concentrate on spoken information for more than six minutes without a break.
▷ for days/hours/miles etc on end /fəʳ ˌdeɪz ɒn ˈend/ [adverb]
if something unpleasant or unusual continues for hours, days, miles etc on end, it continues for that time, distance without stopping :
▪ The rain had been falling for days on end.
▪ In Siberia the temperature can stay more than twenty below freezing for months on end.
▷ at a stretch /ət ə ˈstretʃ/ [adverb]
if someone works or does something for ten hours, three days etc at a stretch, they do it for that time without stopping, although this may be difficult or unusual :
▪ A lion can lie on the same spot, without moving, for twelve hours at a stretch.
▪ Doctors who are forced to work 36 hours at a stretch cannot possibly be fully efficient.
▷ solid /ˈsɒlɪd, ˈsɒlədǁˈsɑː-/ [adjective only before noun]
if you do something for two solid hours, three solid weeks etc you do it continuously for that period with no breaks at all :
▪ After eight solid hours of driving, I was exhausted.
▪ Nobody really wants to sit through four solid hours of someone else’s wedding video.
▷ day after day/week after week etc /ˌdeɪ ɑːftəʳ ˈdeɪǁ-æf-/ [adverb]
every day, every week etc for a long time :
▪ The fighting went on week after week and there seemed no end to it.
▪ She sits at home day after day, waiting for a message from her husband.
▷ day in, day out /deɪ ˌɪn deɪ ˈaʊt/ [adverb]
if something happens day in, day out, it happens every day and is always the same, with the result that it becomes very boring :
▪ Working in a factory involves the same routine day in, day out.
▪ He wears an old brown jacket day in, day out.
6. not stopping, even at night
▷ day and night/night and day /ˌdeɪ ən ˈnaɪt, ˌnaɪt ən ˈdeɪ/ [adverb]
continuously, all day and all night :
▪ During his illness, his wife was by his side day and night.
▪ The printing presses run day and night.
▪ My next-door neighbor’s dog barks continually, day and night.
▷ around the clock also round the clock British /əˌraʊnd ðə ˈklɒk, ˌraʊnd ðə ˈklɒkǁ-ˈklɑːk/ [adverb]
if you work around the clock, you work all day and all night without a break, especially because there is something very urgent that you have to do :
▪ Since the outbreak of war, journalists have been working round the clock.
▪ Rescuers are working round the clock to find survivors of the blast.
round-the-clock /ˈraʊnd ðə klɒkǁ-klɑːk/ [adjective only before noun]
▪ We want a round-the-clock guard on the murder witnesses for their protection.
▷ twenty-four-hour/24-hour /ˌtwenti fɔːr ˈaʊəʳ/ [adjective only before noun]
twenty-four-hour service/guard/care etc
a service etc that is done or provided continuously, all day and all night :
▪ Twenty-four-hour medical care is provided.
▪ The police cannot provide 24-hour protection for everyone.
▷ 24/7 /ˌtwenti fɔːʳ ˈsev ə n/ [adverb] informal
happening, done, or existing 24 hours a day and seven days a week and never stopping :
▪ The hotline is open 24/7 to teenagers who need someone to talk to.
▪ Do you think about this guy 24/7?
7. when something unpleasant continues for a long time
▷ continual /kənˈtɪnjuəl/ [adjective only before noun]
use this about something annoying or unpleasant that continues for a long time without stopping :
▪ The deadline was getting closer and we were under continual pressure to reach our targets.
▪ The exhaustion felt by new parents comes from the continual disturbance of their sleep patterns.
continually [adverb]
▪ Her knee is continually sore..
▷ constant /ˈkɒnstəntǁˈkɑːn-/ [adjective]
use this about an unpleasant or frightening situation that continues for a long time without stopping :
▪ She has learned to put up with the constant roar of trucks and cars whizzing by.
▪ People under the regime lived in constant fear.
▪ Lehman is in constant pain, and suffers from a severe form of arthritis.
▷ perpetual /pəʳˈpetʃuəl/ [adjective]
use this about an unpleasant or upsetting situation that is always there and does not change :
▪ For many working mothers, balancing the demands of children and job is a perpetual strain.
▪ Those who remain in the city are in perpetual danger of being hit by bullets and shells.
▷ incessant /ɪnˈses ə nt/ [adjective only before noun]
something unpleasant and annoying, especially a noise, that is incessant continues over a long period of time and never stops :
▪ Outside the window is the incessant noise of cars and buses.
▪ She gave two- or three-word answers to reporters’ incessant questions .
▪ The incessant rain has meant that many matches had to be cancelled.
incessantly [adverb]
▪ Mike smoked incessantly.
▷ nagging /ˈnægɪŋ/ [adjective only before noun]
nagging doubt/fear/worry/suspicion etc
a doubt etc that is probably unnecessary but that stays with you all the time and does not go away :
▪ She had a nagging worry that she hadn’t done enough to prepare.
▪ I have a nagging feeling that I forgot to do something.
▪ There are still some nagging doubts about the future of the company, though for now it is doing well.
▷ endless/unending/never-ending /ˈendləs, ʌnˈendɪŋ, ˌnevər ˈendɪŋ◂/ [adjective]
use this about something unpleasant, boring, or tiring that continues for so long that you think it will never end or change :
▪ How can I stop my children’s endless quarrelling?
▪ The wet winter days seemed at times unending.
▪ His immune system failed, and he caught a never-ending series of viruses and infections.
▷ persistent /pəʳˈsɪst ə nt/ [adjective]
a persistent problem or illness is not very serious but it continues to exist even though you try to get rid of it :
▪ He has a persistent cough because of his smoking.
▪ The country has suffered from persistent economic problems.
▷ unrelenting /ˌʌnrɪˈlentɪŋ◂/ [adjective] formal
an unpleasant situation or feeling that is unrelenting continues for a long time without stopping :
▪ The unrelenting pressures of the job started to affect her health.
▪ The relief efforts have been hindered by unrelenting bad weather.
▪ The unrelenting air attack on the country continued.
8. to continue doing something after stopping
▷ continue /kənˈtɪnjuː/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
if you continue doing something, or it continues, it starts again after stopping :
▪ After a while the rain stopped, allowing the game to continue.
▪ He has decided to go back to Cambridge to continue his medical studies.
▪ The tour continued after a rest day in Bordeaux.
continue doing something
▪ Have a rest before you continue driving.
▪ He’s not sure whether he’ll be able to continue skiing competitively after the operation.
▷ start again /ˌstɑːʳt əˈgen/ [verb phrase]
to start again, continuing the same thing that you were doing before you stopped, or continuing to happen in the same way as before :
▪ He stopped exercising after the injury, but recently he’s started again.
start something again
▪ I’ve had a good vacation and I’m not exactly looking forward to starting work again.
start doing something again
▪ After a two-week rest I was ready to start running again.
▪ Billy was afraid to say anything in case she started crying again.
start to do something again
▪ Marian stared through the window. It was starting to snow again.
▷ go on also carry on British /ˌgəʊ ˈɒn, ˌkæri ˈɒn/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to continue doing something after stopping for a short time :
▪ Occasionally he would stop writing, read through what he had written, and then go on.
▪ It’s one o'clock now. Shall we carry on after lunch?
go on/carry on doing something
▪ After a short break for coffee, they went on working until 3 o'clock.
▪ She decided to carry on working after having the baby.
go on with
▪ Let’s stop now. We’ll go on with this tomorrow.
▪ As soon as Mr Saunders gets back, we’ll carry on with the meeting.
▷ go back to/return to /gəʊ ˈbæk tuː, rɪˈtɜːʳn tuː/ [transitive phrasal verb not in passive]
to start doing a particular job again after a period when you were doing something else. Return to is more formal than go back to :
▪ Melanie made herself a cup of tea and then went back to her reading.
▪ Some mothers return to full-time work only a few weeks after their baby is born.
go back to/return to doing something
▪ If he can’t get work as an actor, he can always go back to being an electrician.
▷ resume /rɪˈzjuːmǁ-ˈzuːm/ [intransitive/transitive verb] formal
if you resume something or it resumes, it continues after a pause or interruption :
▪ Collins was so seriously injured that he was unable to resume his career.
▪ The jurors are anxious to resume their normal lives again.
resume doing something
▪ He said no more, and resumed reading his newspaper.
▷ take something up again /ˌteɪk something ˈʌp əgen/ [verb phrase]
to start doing something such as a sport or activity again after a long period of time when you were not doing it :
take something up again
▪ I stopped playing the guitar when I was fifteen, but now I’d like to take it up again.
take up something again
▪ Now that I don’t have to work in the evenings, I’d like to take up sketching again.
▷ pick up/take up where you left off /pɪk ˌʌp, teɪk ˌʌp weəʳ juː left ˈɒf/ [verb phrase]
to start something again at exactly the same point where you stopped :
▪ After a long absence I went back to college, hoping to pick up where I’d left off.
▪ The team has picked up where they left off last spring.
▪ Negotiators will meet again after the holidays and take up where they left off.
▷ reopen /riːˈəʊpən/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
if someone reopens a formal discussion, trial etc, or it reopens, it starts again after stopping, especially because new information has been found :
▪ The two sides are prepared to reopen peace talks.
▪ The action is likely to reopen debates about affirmative action.
▪ Police have decided to reopen the investigation in the light of important new evidence.
▷ renew /rɪˈnjuːǁ-ˈnuː/ [transitive verb]
to start to do something again - use this especially about activities done by governments and military organizations :
▪ The rebels waited until nightfall to renew their attack on the city.
▪ Iceland has no immediate plans to renew commercial whaling.
9. to continue talking about something after stopping
▷ continue /kənˈtɪnjuː/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to continue talking about something after stopping or after talking about something else :
▪ Continuing in a quieter voice, she asked how long he’d been married.
▪ Nate didn’t answer, so Murphy continued, ‘All of this happened before I was hired.’
▪ Before they could continue their conversation, Frank Gordon came over to speak to Oliver.
▷ go on /ˌgəʊ ˈɒn/ [intransitive phrasal verb]
to continue talking after stopping, especially when you need to say more about something :
▪ He went on in a soft voice, ‘I love you, Jane.’
▪ She started crying and couldn’t go on.
go on with
▪ Once everyone was quiet, Michael went on with his story.
go on to say something
▪ He went on to say that there would be times when she would be expected to attend evening or weekend meetings.
▷ go/get back to also return to /ˌgəʊ, ˌget ˈbæk tuː, rɪˈtɜːʳn tuː/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to start talking about a subject that you have already talked about earlier :
▪ Finally, I’d like to go back to the point I made at the beginning of the lecture.
▪ Getting back to what we were talking about earlier, do you think it’s a realistic goal?
▷ return to /rɪˈtɜːʳn tuː/ [transitive phrasal verb not in passive]
to start talking about a subject again having already talked about it earlier :
▪ During the interview, they kept returning to the question of why he had left his previous job.
return to what somebody said/talked about etc
▪ Returning to what you said earlier, do you really think there is a chance of a complete ceasefire?
10. to start doing something again
▷ start again /ˌstɑːʳt əˈgen/ [verb phrase]
to start doing something again, especially something bad that you had decided not to do :
▪ She’s quit smoking four or five times, but she always starts again.
start doing something again
▪ He started drinking again when he lost his job.
start to do something again
▪ She attended school regularly for a while, then started to miss classes again.
start that again
▪ ‘I didn’t do it!’ ‘Oh, don’t start that again. I saw you.’
▷ go back to/revert to /ˌgəʊ ˈbæk tuː, rɪˈvɜːʳt tuː/ [transitive phrasal verb]
to start behaving in a particular way again, after you had decided not to or when you are not supposed to; revert is more formal than go back to :
▪ I went to a school where we had to speak French all the time, but outside school hours I reverted to English.
▪ He’s been in the hospital a couple of times, but he keeps going back to drinking. starts drinking alcohol again
go back to/revert to doing something
▪ Do you think she’ll go back to using drugs?
▪ We go home for Christmas and revert to being children again.
▷ slip back into /ˌslɪp ˈbæk ɪntuː/ [verb phrase not in passive]
to gradually start doing something bad again after you had stopped, because you are not determined enough to prevent yourself from doing it :
▪ Children will often slip back into babyish ways to get what they want.
slip back into doing something
▪ to slip back into having a few drinks after work
11. to continue to be the same as before
▷ stay /steɪ/ [verb]
to continue to be the same as before :
▪ The library stays open until 8pm on Fridays.
▪ It will stay cold for the next few days.
▪ They stayed friends after their divorce.
▪ The details of her death have stayed a closely guarded secret.
▷ remain /rɪˈmeɪn/ [verb] written
to continue to be the same as before :
▪ She remained calm and waited till he had finished shouting at her.
▪ Would the audience please remain seated.
▪ The details of his death remain a closely guarded secret.
remain the same
▪ His doctors say this his condition remains the same.
▷ keep /kiːp/ [verb]
keep quiet/awake/silent etc
to continue to be awake, calm, quiet etc - use this especially to say someone has to make an effort to do this :
▪ Paul managed to keep awake by drinking lots of strong black coffee.
▪ Try to keep calm and let me know if anything changes.
▪ We kept quiet and very still until the footsteps had passed.
▷ continue to be /kənˈtɪnjuː tə biː/ [verb phrase]
to be the same as in the past, especially when you expected there might have been a change :
▪ Inflation continues to be one of the government’s main problems.
▪ UN soldiers continue to be killed for nothing.
▪ Peanut growing continues to be the main industry in Senegal.
▷ still /stɪl/ [adverb]
use this to emphasize that something or someone has not changed and continues to be the same :
▪ At the age of 50, Marlene was still a beautiful woman.
▪ She still has that rusty old car.
▪ I’m still confused. Would you explain it again?
12. to continue to be in the same place or situation
▷ stay /steɪ/ [intransitive verb]
to continue to exist or still be in the same place :
▪ The car was abandoned in a field, and there it stayed until police towed it back.
stay with
▪ He stayed with the company for over thirty years.
▪ The memory of his father’s death stayed with him all his life.
▷ remain /rɪˈmeɪn/ [intransitive verb not usually in progressive] written
to continue to exist or still be in the same place :
▪ The computers remained in their boxes until enough money was found to buy the software needed to operate them.
remain with
▪ Her unhappy face remained with me throughout the rest of my journey.
▪ The picture remained with the artist’s family for a number of years.
▷ linger /ˈlɪŋgəʳ/ [intransitive verb]
if a sight, smell, or taste lingers you can still see it, smell it, or taste it even after a long time :
▪ Garlic has a taste which tends to linger in your mouth.
▪ The faint smell of cigar smoke lingered on in the room.
▷ still /stɪl/ [adverb]
use this to emphasize that someone or something still exists or is still in the same place, especially when this is unusual or surprising :
▪ After two hours the dog was still there, just sitting and staring at our door.
▪ Soloviov returned to the town where he was born after more than forty years and found his old house still standing.