* Verb (past participle): This is the most common usage. It describes an action that has already happened, often as part of a verb phrase (e.g., "The meeting continued for another hour.").
* Adjective: It can describe something that is ongoing or uninterrupted (e.g., "The continued rain made it difficult to travel.").
* Noun: Less common, but "continued" can refer to the act of continuing (e.g., "The continued efforts of the team finally paid off.").
To determine the part of speech, look at the context of the sentence and how the word is functioning.