# carry on with sth

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/carry-on-with-sth
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

To continue doing an activity you have already started. You use it when you don't stop what you are doing.

For teachers: To continue an activity, often after an interruption or pause. This transitive phrasal verb is common in both spoken and written English.

## Examples

- Please carry on with your work.
- After the fire alarm stopped, the teacher told everyone to carry on with the test.
- Despite the sudden downturn in the market, the CEO insisted they must carry on with their ambitious expansion plans as if nothing had changed.

## Pitfalls

- Not "Please carry on your work." but "Please carry on with your work." — The preposition 'with' is required when specifying the activity that is being continued.

## Usage notes

- Typically followed by a noun or gerund phrase specifying the activity being continued.
- Teaching tip: Distinguish from the intransitive 'carry on' (meaning 'continue' generally, or 'behave badly') and 'go on' (which can also mean 'happen').

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.