Continue vs. Follow — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 17, 2024
Continue implies persisting in an action or state, while follow means to go or come after something or someone in sequence or pursuit.
Difference Between Continue and Follow
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Continue is used to describe the action of carrying on with a process or activity without interruption, suggesting a seamless progression in the same direction or manner. Whereas, follow often indicates a physical or metaphorical action of coming after something or someone, implying a sequence where one thing comes after another.
In contexts of use, continue can apply to various activities like continuing a conversation, a journey, or a task. On the other hand, follow is used when one is physically going behind someone or something, or when adhering to instructions, guidelines, or trends.
With respect to time, to continue can also mean to remain in a particular state or condition over a period. While, to follow can involve actions that occur after a preceding event, either immediately or after some time.
In terms of implications, continuing something often carries the connotation of persistence and dedication. Whereas, following might suggest dependency or adherence to the actions or decisions of others.
Regarding their usage in speech and writing, "continue" is often paired with gerunds or infinitives to indicate ongoing actions (e.g., continue reading, continue to play). Whereas, "follow" is typically used with objects that represent the leader, path, or set of rules (e.g., follow me, follow the path, follow the rules).
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Comparison Chart
Basic Definition
To persist in an activity
To go or come after
Contexts of Use
Activities, tasks, states
Sequences, adherence, tracking
Temporal Aspect
Ongoing over time
Subsequent actions
Connotations
Persistence, dedication
Dependency, adherence
Typical Combinations
Continue + gerund/infinitive
Follow + object
Compare with Definitions
Continue
To keep doing something.
She decided to continue her studies despite the challenges.
Follow
To understand or pay attention to.
I couldn’t follow the lecture at all.
Continue
To extend beyond a point.
The road continues for several miles north.
Follow
To go along a route.
Follow the river until you reach the bridge.
Continue
To resume after interruption.
The series will continue next week with a new episode.
Follow
To come after in sequence.
Night follows day.
Continue
To remain in a state.
The weather is expected to continue cold and rainy.
Follow
To engage with someone’s updates (social media).
Millions of fans follow her on Instagram.
Continue
To not stop or pause.
The team will continue working through the night.
Follow
To act according to (rules, instructions).
He always follows the doctor’s orders.
Continue
To go on with a particular action or in a particular condition; persist
We continued until the job was finished.
Follow
Go or come after (a person or thing proceeding ahead); move or travel behind
The men followed in another car
She went back into the house, and Ben followed her
Continue
To exist over a period; last
The meeting continued for another hour.
Follow
Come after in time or order
The rates are as follows
The six years that followed his restoration
Continue
To remain in the same state, capacity, or place
She continued as mayor for a second term.
Follow
Act according to (an instruction or precept)
He has difficulty in following written instructions
Continue
To go on after an interruption; resume
The negotiations continued after a break for dinner.
Follow
Pay close attention to
I've been following this discussion closely
Continue
To extend in a given direction
The stream continues for another five miles before it reaches the lake.
Follow
Practise (a trade or profession).
Continue
To carry on; persist in
The police will continue their investigation. I continued reading all afternoon.
Follow
To come or go after; proceed behind
Follow the usher to your seat.
Continue
To carry further in time, space, or development; extend
The builder will continue the road right through the swamp.
Follow
To go after in pursuit
Would follow his enemy to the ends of the earth.
Continue
To cause to remain or last; retain or maintain
Are you continuing the prescription? The team continued its dominance over its opponents.
Follow
To keep under surveillance
The agent followed the suspect around town.
Continue
To carry on after an interruption; resume
After a break for lunch, we continued our hike.
Follow
To move along the course of; take
We followed the path.
Continue
(Law) To postpone or adjourn.
Follow
To move in the direction of; be guided by
Followed the sun westward.
Followed the signs to the zoo.
Continue
(transitive) To proceed with doing an activity; to prolong an activity.
Shall I continue speaking, or will you just interrupt me again?
Do you want me to continue to unload these?
Follow
To lie in the same path as
The road follows the old trading route.
Continue
(transitive) To make last; to prolong.
Follow
To be parallel to
The road follows the river.
Continue
(transitive) To retain someone or something in a given state, position, etc.
Follow
To accept the guidance, command, or leadership of
Follow a spiritual master.
Rebels who refused to follow their leader.
Continue
To remain in a given place or condition; to remain in connection with; to abide; to stay.
Follow
To adhere to; practice
Followed family traditions.
Continue
(intransitive) To resume.
When will the concert continue?
Follow
To take as a model or precedent; imitate
Followed my example and resigned.
Continue
To adjourn, prorogue, put off.
This meeting has been continued to the thirteenth of July.
Follow
To act in agreement or compliance with; obey
Follow the rules.
Follow one's instincts.
Continue
(poker slang) To make a continuation bet.
Follow
To keep to or stick to
Followed the recipe.
Follow a diet.
Continue
(video games) An option allowing the player to resume play after game over, when all lives have been lost, while retaining their progress.
Follow
To engage in (a trade or occupation); work at.
Continue
To remain in a given place or condition; to remain in connection with; to abide; to stay.
Here to continue, and build up hereA growing empire.
They continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat.
Follow
To come after in order, time, or position
Night follows day.
Continue
To be permanent or durable; to endure; to last.
But now thy kingdom shall not continue.
Follow
To bring something about at a later time than or as a consequence of
She followed her lecture with a question-and-answer period. The band followed its hit album with a tour.
Continue
To be steadfast or constant in any course; to persevere; to abide; to endure; to persist; to keep up or maintain a particular condition, course, or series of actions; as, the army continued to advance.
If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.
Follow
To occur or be evident as a consequence of
Your conclusion does not follow your premise.
Continue
To unite; to connect.
The use of the navel is to continue the infant unto the mother.
Follow
To watch or observe closely
Followed the bird through binoculars.
Continue
To protract or extend in duration; to preserve or persist in; to cease not.
O continue thy loving kindness unto them that know thee.
You know how to make yourself happy by only continuing such a life as you have been long accustomed to lead.
Follow
To be attentive to; pay close heed to
Too sleepy to follow the sermon.
Continue
To carry onward or extend; to prolong or produce; to add to or draw out in length.
A bridge of wond'rous length,From hell continued, reaching th' utmost orbof this frail world.
Follow
To keep oneself informed of the course, progress, or fortunes of
Follow the stock market.
Followed the local teams.
Continue
To retain; to suffer or cause to remain; as, the trustees were continued; also, to suffer to live.
And how shall we continue Claudio.
Follow
To grasp the meaning or logic of; understand
Do you follow my argument?.
Continue
Continue a certain state, condition, or activity;
Keep on working!
We continued to work into the night
Keep smiling
We went on working until well past midnight
Follow
To come, move, or take place after another person or thing in order or time.
Continue
Continue with one's activities;
I know it's hard,
But there is no choice
Carry on--pretend we are not in the room
Follow
To occur or be evident as a consequence; result
If you ignore your diet, trouble will follow.
Continue
Keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last;
Preserve the peace in the family
Continue the family tradition
Carry on the old traditions
Follow
To grasp the meaning or reasoning of something; understand.
Continue
Move ahead; travel onward in time or space;
We proceeded towards Washington
She continued in the direction of the hills
We are moving ahead in time now
Follow
(Games) A billiards shot in which the cue ball is struck above center so that it follows the path of the object ball after impact.
Continue
Allow to remain in a place or position;
We cannot continue several servants any longer
She retains a lawyer
The family's fortune waned and they could not keep their household staff
Our grant has run out and we cannot keep you on
We kept the work going as long as we could
Follow
(ambitransitive) To go after; to pursue; to move behind in the same path or direction, especially with the intent of catching.
Follow that car!
She left the room and I followed.
Continue
Carry forward;
We continued our research into the cause of the illness
Follow
(ambitransitive) To go or come after in a sequence.
B follows A in the alphabet.
We both ordered the soup, with roast beef to follow.
Continue
Continue after an interruption;
The demonstration continued after a break for lunch
Follow
(transitive) To carry out (orders, instructions, etc.).
Follow these instructions to the letter.
Continue
Continue in a place, position, or situation;
After graduation, she stayed on in Cambridge as a student adviser
Stay with me, please
Despite student protests, he remained Dean for another year
She continued as deputy mayor for another year
Follow
(transitive) To live one's life according to (religion, teachings, etc).
Continue
Exist over a prolonged period of time;
The bad weather continued for two more weeks
Follow
(transitive) To understand, to pay attention to.
Do you follow me?
Follow
(transitive) To watch, to keep track of (reports of) some event or person.
I followed the incumbent throughout the election.
My friends don't regularly follow the news.
Follow
To subscribe to see content from an account on a social media platform.
If you want to see more of our articles, follow us on Twitter.
Follow
(ambitransitive) To be a logical consequence of something.
It follows that if two numbers are not equal then one is larger than the other.
If you don't practise proper hygiene, illness is sure to follow.
Follow
(transitive) To walk in, as a road or course; to attend upon closely, as a profession or calling.
Follow
In billiards and similar games, a stroke causing a ball to follow another ball after hitting it.
A follow shot
Follow
(social media) The act of following another user's online activity.
Follow
To go or come after; to move behind in the same path or direction; hence, to go with (a leader, guide, etc.); to accompany; to attend.
It waves me forth again; I'll follow it.
Follow
To endeavor to overtake; to go in pursuit of; to chase; to pursue; to prosecute.
I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them.
Follow
To accept as authority; to adopt the opinions of; to obey; to yield to; to take as a rule of action; as, to follow good advice.
Approve the best, and follow what I approve
Follow peace with all men.
It is most agreeable to some men to follow their reason; and to others to follow their appetites.
Follow
To copy after; to take as an example.
We had rather follow the perfections of them whom we like not, than in defects resemble them whom we love.
Follow
To succeed in order of time, rank, or office.
Follow
To result from, as an effect from a cause, or an inference from a premise.
Follow
To watch, as a receding object; to keep the eyes fixed upon while in motion; to keep the mind upon while in progress, as a speech, musical performance, etc.; also, to keep up with; to understand the meaning, connection, or force of, as of a course of thought or argument.
He followed with his eyes the flitting shade.
Follow
To walk in, as a road or course; to attend upon closely, as a profession or calling.
O, had I but followed the arts!
O Antony! I have followed thee to this.
Follow
To go or come after; - used in the various senses of the transitive verb: To pursue; to attend; to accompany; to be a result; to imitate.
Follow
The art or process of following; specif., in some games, as billiards, a stroke causing a ball to follow another ball after hitting it. Also used adjectively; as, follow shot.
Follow
To travel behind, go after, come after;
The ducklings followed their mother around the pond
Please follow the guide through the museum
Follow
Be later in time;
Tuesday always follows Monday
Follow
Come as a logical consequence; follow logically;
It follows that your assertion is false
The theorem falls out nicely
Follow
Travel along a certain course;
Follow the road
Follow the trail
Follow
Act in accordance with someone's rules, commands, or wishes;
He complied with my instructions
You must comply or else!
Follow these simple rules
Abide by the rules
Follow
Come after in time, as a result;
A terrible tsunami followed the earthquake
Follow
Behave in accordance or in agreement with;
Follow a pattern
Follow my example
Follow
Be next;
Mary plays best, with John and Sue following
Follow
Choose and follow; as of theories, ideas, policies, strategies or plans;
She followed the feminist movement
The candidate espouses Republican ideals
Follow
To bring something about at a later time than;
She followed dinner with a brandy
He followed his lecture with a question and answer period
Follow
Imitate in behavior; take as a model;
Teenagers follow their friends in everything
Follow
Follow, discover, or ascertain the course of development of something;
We must follow closely the economic development is Cuba
Trace the student's progress
Follow
Follow with the eyes or the mind;
Keep an eye on the baby, please!
The world is watching Sarajevo
She followed the men with the binoculars
Follow
Be the successor (of);
Carter followed Ford
Will Charles succeed to the throne?
Follow
Perform an accompaniment to;
The orchestra could barely follow the frequent pitch changes of the soprano
Follow
Keep informed;
He kept up on his country's foreign policies
Follow
To be the product or result;
Melons come from a vine
Understanding comes from experience
Follow
Accept and follow the leadership or command or guidance of;
Let's follow our great helmsman!
She followed a guru for years
Follow
Adhere to or practice;
These people still follow the laws of their ancient religion
Follow
Work in a specific place, with a specific subject, or in a specific function;
He is a herpetologist
She is our resident philosopher
Follow
Keep under surveillance;
The police had been following him for weeks but they could not prove his involvement in the bombing
Follow
Follow in or as if in pursuit;
The police car pursued the suspected attacker
Her bad deed followed her and haunted her dreams all her life
Follow
Grasp the meaning;
Can you follow her argument?
When he lectures, I cannot follow
Follow
Keep to;
Stick to your principles
Stick to the diet
Common Curiosities
Is "continue" used only in progressive tenses?
No, "continue" can be used in various tenses depending on the context and the aspect of continuity being emphasized.
How does "follow" relate to leadership?
In leadership contexts, "follow" means to accept the guidance or commands of the leader.
What is a common context for using "follow"?
A common context for using "follow" is in giving or receiving directions.
Can "follow" imply non-physical actions?
Yes, "follow" can imply non-physical actions such as adhering to rules or guidelines.
Is "follow" passive in nature?
"Follow" can have a passive connotation, as it often involves actions dictated by others.
What does it mean to continue something?
To continue something means to persist in doing it without interruption.
What does "continue" suggest about commitment?
"Continue" suggests a level of commitment and determination to persist with something.
Can "continue" imply indefinite duration?
Yes, "continue" can imply actions or states that last for an indefinite period.
How does "continue" interact with other verbs?
"Continue" often pairs with other verbs in gerund or infinitive forms to describe ongoing actions.
Can "follow" be used in a figurative sense?
Yes, "follow" can be used figuratively, such as in following someone's example.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
