fortsätta + Infinitive
Continue -ing
Use fortsätta att + infinitive verb (e.g., läsa, prata) to say 'continue doing something'.
How It Works
The pattern fortsätta + infinitive is a common way to express the continuation of an action. The structure is straightforward:
Subject + fortsätta (conjugated) + (att) + Infinitive Verb
The verb fortsätta is inflected for tense, not for person or number.
- Present:
fortsätter - Past (Preterite):
fortsatte - Supine (used after har/hade):
fortsatt
The verb that follows must be in its infinitive (base) form, optionally preceded by the infinitive marker att.
Omitting att
Both Hon fortsatte att gå and Hon fortsatte gå are standard constructions. Att is optional here, not an obligatory word that only informal speech can drop.
This pattern is part of a larger group of verbs that can be followed by another verb in the infinitive, such as börja (to start), sluta (to stop), and försöka (to try).
Examples (5)
- Han fortsätter att läsa boken.
He continues to read the book.
Word by Word: He continues to read the book.
- Vi fortsatte att prata i flera timmar.
We continued to talk for several hours.
Word by Word: We continued to talk for several hours.
- Om det regnar imorgon, ska vi fortsätta att arbeta inomhus.
If it rains tomorrow, we will continue to work indoors.
Word by Word: If it rains tomorrow, shall we continue to work indoors.
- De har fortsatt att utveckla programvaran.
They have continued to develop the software.
Word by Word: They have continued to develop the software.
- Fortsätt köra rakt fram!
Continue driving straight ahead!
Word by Word: Continue drive straight forward!
Here,
fortsättis in the imperative (command) form. The infinitive markerattis omitted, which is very common in this construction.
Common Mistakes
Using the present participle (-ande/-ende) instead of the infinitive.
Hon fortsätter sjungande.Hon fortsätter att sjunga.To mean continue the action of singing, use sjunga or att sjunga. Hon fortsätter sjungande can instead mean continuing on while singing, with sjungande as an accompanying predicative; it is not the same complement construction.
Inflecting both verbs as finite present forms.
Jag fortsätter läser idag.Jag fortsätter läsa idag.Fortsätter is finite; läsa remains infinitive, with optional att. Håller på att läsa is also grammatical, but describes being engaged in reading rather than explicitly resuming or continuing an earlier activity.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'fortsätta + infinitive', you need to understand how to conjugate the main verb 'fortsätta' and how to link it to a second action using the infinitive form, often accompanied by the marker 'att'.
Related Patterns
- sluta + InfinitiveStop -ing
Sluta describes stopping an activity, in contrast to fortsätta. Compare sluta prata and fortsätta prata; att is optional in these patterns.
Level 4 - attTo (Infinitive Marker)
Att is optional before the infinitive after fortsätta: fortsätter läsa and fortsätter att läsa. Its use depends on the governing verb, not on one universal rule for verb chains.
Level 1 - hålla på attBe in the Middle of
Both patterns describe ongoing actions. However,
Level 4hålla på attmeans 'to be in the process of' at a specific moment, whilefortsätta attemphasizes the continuation of an action that was previously started.
Words in This Pattern
Practice fortsätta + Infinitive in Bubblegum
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