This pattern shows that an action is carried on without stopping, or that someone keeps doing something. It's like saying 'keep doing' or 'continue to do' in English. You take the verb's ます-stem and add 続ける. For example, 食べる 'eat' becomes 食べ続ける 'keep eating'. It works with many verbs, and it emphasizes the continuity rather than the start or end of the action.

There's also a subtle nuance when used with the meaning 'keen on'. This is less about literal continuation and more about a persistent habit or strong interest, like 彼は本を読み続けている, which could mean he is in the middle of reading a long book, or he has a habit of constantly reading. Context will clarify.

Be careful: this is not the same as 〜つづく, which is intransitive and means 'to continue' on its own, without a direct object. Also, don't use this with state verbs like いる or ある, because they already describe a continuing state.