Keep doing means to continue doing something, not to stop: Keep going! The second meaning is again and again, repeatedly, often with annoyance: I keep forgetting her name. In both meanings, keep is followed by a verb with -ing.
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keep + -ing; keep on + -ing; keep + person + -ing (keep someone waiting)
- Keep practising your speaking, even if it's only ten minutes a day.
- My laptop keeps freezing, so I can't finish the presentation.
- Sorry to keep you waiting: the train was delayed.
What changed
First versionKeep to practise every day, and you'll see progress.
RevisionKeep practising every day, and you'll see progress.
After keep, the verb only takes the -ing form. It's easy to use to + verb by analogy with want or decide, which gives keep to practise. One form was corrected: keep practising.
Keep on + -ing means almost the same, but stresses persistence or irritation: He kept on asking questions. Continue is a neutral word, and both forms can follow it: She continued working or She continued to work.
Your turn
My little brother keeps ___ my phone without asking.
Show the answer
taking — Keep needs a verb with -ing: keeps taking. Here keep means again and again, and to take is impossible in this structure.
Describe a habit that helps you. Say what you keep doing and when you started.
Two months ago I started learning ten new words every evening, and I keep doing it even on busy days.
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