continued patrolling

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "continued patrolling" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe the ongoing action of monitoring or surveying an area, often in a security or military context. Example: "The officers continued patrolling the neighborhood throughout the night to ensure safety."

✓ Grammatically correct

Wiki

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

The ship continued patrolling without incident except for a hangar fire that killed one aircraft mechanic on 20 September.

Wikipedia

Over the following days 1 ATF continued patrolling, although these operations resulted in only small-scale contact with the North Vietnamese.

Wikipedia

Meanwhile, in AO Manly, 3 RAR continued patrolling for the next seven days, successfully ambushing staging areas and infiltration routes between 13−19 May for the loss of one soldier killed.

Wikipedia

The brigade's third battalion the 57th/60th Battalion did not join them until the beginning of May, and so the 7th Brigade's 9th Battalion continued patrolling operations north of the Huio River.

Wikipedia

As Davis continued patrolling with one wingman, Second Lieutenant William W. Littlefield, and cruising at an altitude of 38000 feet, they spotted a flight of 12 MiG-15s of the Chinese 4th Fighter Division heading in the direction of a group of US F-84 Thunderjets conducting a low-level bombing mission on North Korean communication lines.

Wikipedia

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

In Falluja and Habbaniya, just west of Baghdad, soldiers from Spartan Brigade continued patrols to track down fighters who have mounted attacks on American troops.

The New York Times

Constitution continued patrols, unaware of the delay.

Wikipedia

The division continued patrol activity around Old Baldy Hill and Pork Chop Hill into 1953, digging tunnels and building a network of outposts and bunkers on and around the hill.

Wikipedia

Crews will continue patrolling the fire and removing dangerous trees, with the clean-up to continue for days.

The Guardian

I also asked Young whether he thought the Afghans would be able to continue patrolling remoter areas, like Juz Ghoray, beyond district centers — places the Marines are going into now.

The New York Times

The governor, Sérgio Cabral, had asked for troops to continue patrolling Complexo do Alemão and Vila Cruzeiro for the next seven months, but he said on Brazilian radio that he revised his request to give more time for the military police to form a new community policing unit.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "continued patrolling" when you want to emphasize the uninterrupted nature of surveillance or monitoring, particularly in military or security contexts. It directly communicates that the activity didn't stop.

Common error

Avoid constructions like "patrolling was continued" as it weakens the sentence. Opt for active voice: "they continued patrolling" for a more direct and impactful statement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "continued patrolling" functions as a verb phrase that typically follows a subject. It indicates an action that was already in progress and persisted over a period. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is grammatically correct. Ludwig's examples show the phrase used in both military and civilian contexts.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Wiki

40%

News & Media

40%

Encyclopedias

6.67%

Less common in

Vice

6.67%

Huffington Post

3.33%

Independent

3.33%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "continued patrolling" is a grammatically sound verb phrase used to describe the uninterrupted act of monitoring or securing an area. Though relatively infrequent, as indicated by Ludwig AI, it appears mainly in news, media, and wiki contexts. When writing, use it to clearly convey the ongoing nature of an activity and avoid passive voice constructions for maximum impact. Related phrases include "maintained patrol" and "kept patrolling", which can provide alternatives depending on the nuance you want to convey.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

kept patrolling

Replaces "continued" with "kept", maintaining a similar meaning of persistent action.

persisted in patrolling

Emphasizes the persistence of the action by replacing "continued" with "persisted in".

maintained patrol

Focuses on the act of keeping up the patrol, changing "continued" with the synonym "maintained".

carried on patrolling

Uses the phrasal verb "carried on" instead of "continued", indicating the continuation of the action.

ongoing patrol

Emphasizes that the patrol is currently happening and has not stopped.

resumed patrolling

Indicates that the patrolling had been interrupted and then restarted, adding a nuance of starting again.

uninterrupted patrol

Highlights the fact that the patrolling action was not interrupted.

sustained patrol activity

Changes the phrasing to emphasize the activity of patrolling being sustained over time.

routinely patrolled

Replaces "continued patrolling" with an adverb and verb construction emphasizing that the patrolling is done regularly as a standard procedure.

extended patrol

Suggests the patrol's duration was increased, adding a focus on the time aspect.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "continued patrolling" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases such as "maintained patrol activity" or "sustained surveillance". These alternatives emphasize the ongoing nature of the activity in a more sophisticated manner.

What verbs are similar in meaning to "continued" when describing patrolling?

Verbs like "kept", "maintained", or "persisted in" can be used instead of "continued" to describe ongoing patrol activities.

Is "continue patrol" grammatically correct instead of "continued patrolling"?

While "continue patrol" might be understood, it is not as grammatically sound as "continued patrolling". The latter uses the gerund form, indicating an ongoing action, whereas the former lacks clear grammatical structure. Consider using "continue to patrol" for clarity.

What does it mean when someone says they "continued patrolling"?

It means they carried on with the activity of monitoring or surveying an area, often for security or reconnaissance purposes. The "continued" part indicates that this activity was already in progress and was not interrupted.