The phrasal verb “carry on” is simple to understand and very common in spoken English. It means to continue doing something. Let’s break it down in an easy way with examples to help you feel confident using it.
1. Main Meaning: Continue Doing Something
You use “carry on” when you or someone else is doing something, and you want to keep going or keep doing it.
Examples:
- “Please carry on with your work.”
(= Please continue working.) - “He carried on talking even though no one was listening.”
(= He kept talking.) - “Let’s carry on studying after lunch.”
(= Let’s continue studying.)
2. Often Followed by a Verb + -ing
When you want to say what someone should continue doing, use “carry on” + verb ending in -ing.
Examples:
- “She carried on singing despite the noise.”
- “Carry on reading until I tell you to stop.”
- “They carried on playing even though it started raining.”
3. Used to Encourage Someone to Keep Going
You can also use “carry on” alone to tell someone to keep going.
Examples:
- “You’re doing great. Carry on!”
- “Don’t stop now. Carry on!”
It’s a friendly way to say “keep going” or “keep doing what you’re doing.”
Summary
| Use | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Carry on (something) | Continue doing it | “Carry on with your work.” |
| Carry on + verb-ing | Keep doing an action | “Carry on walking.” |
| Carry on (alone) | Encouragement to continue | “You’re doing fine. Carry on!” |
“Carry on” is a useful phrase to keep conversations flowing, to encourage someone, or just to say “continue” in a natural way.