continuity editing

Retains a sense of realistic chronology and generates the feeling that time is moving forward, to do this they may use flashbacks or flash forwards but the narrative will be moving in a realistic way, some examples of continuity editing is:

Eye-line match
We see the character looking at something then the next shot we see what they were looking at.

Match-on-action
We see a character doing something in one shot and then in the next we see them carry on the action.

Graphic match
When two shots are joined/linked by something of a similar shape.

180 degree rule
This is a rule that states that two characters or an object that are in the same scene should always have the same left/right relationship to each other.

Sometimes this rule is broken, for example in the film "The Shinning" it is done to show that he is going crazy and to confuse the audience.

Shot reverse shot
This is used to show a conversation between 2 or more people.