Write It Right: Continually and Continuously

“Continually and Continuously. It seems that these words should have the same meaning, but in their use by good writers there is a difference. What is done continually is not done all the time. But continuous action is without interruption. A loquacious fellow, who nevertheless finds time to eat and sleep, is continually talking; but a great river flows continuously.”

Excerpted from: Bierce, Ambrose. Write it Right: A Little Blacklist of Literary Faults. Mineola, NY: Dover, 2010.

2 responses to “Write It Right: Continually and Continuously

  1. Adelaide Dupont's avatar Adelaide Dupont

    This one used to get me and my fellow students a lot!

    Until I found continuous verbs and actions, that is.

    You can stop the talking man but the river will not stop.

    Liked by 1 person

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