phrasal verb · informal

carry on

UK/ˈkæri ɒn/US/ˈkæri ɑn/CAR·ry on

speaking

to continue doing something; (BrE) to behave in an upset or noisy way

Examples

Please carry on with your presentation while I fix the projector.

They carried on talking even though the meeting had started.

She was carrying on about the delays — it was getting annoying.

Band 8 sentence

Despite a few technical problems, we carried on with the presentation until the end.

Collocations

  • carry on with something / carry on doing something
  • carry on (with) a conversation / with work

Word family

carry on v.phrcarried on v.past / v.ppcarrying on v.ing / noun

Common mistakes

Please carry on to speak.Please carry on speaking.

She carried on the meeting after lunch.She carried on with the meeting after lunch.

Say it for a higher band

5keep6continue7+carry on

Synonyms

continue

keep on

Easily confused

continue

She continued speaking despite the interruptions.

Related words

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In carry …

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