Phrasal verb with keep: Common meanings, example sentences and how to use them correctly

A phrasal verb with keep combines keep with a particle such as on, up, out or off, and the new phrase often describes continuing, maintaining or avoiding something rather than simply holding it. Keep on means to continue, keep up with means to stay at the same pace, and keep out means to stay away or to prevent something from entering. Because the particle changes the meaning, learners need to study each phrase with an example.

This article explains the common phrasal verb with keep, their meanings and example sentences, the word order rules for objects, the difference between similar verb such as keep off and keep out, and typical mistakes, followed by exercises with answers.

What phrasal verb with keep are and how the particle changes the meaning

The basic meaning of keep when it is used on its own

On its own, keep means to continue to have or hold something (You can keep the book), to store something (She keeps her keys in a drawer) or to stay in a state (Keep calm). It can also mean to repeat an action (He keeps asking questions).

How a phrasal verb with keep is formed

A phrasal verb with keep is made of keep plus a particle, and the particle changes the meaning.

Examples: keep + on = continue. keep + out = stay away or prevent from entering. keep + up with = stay at the same pace.

The forms of keep: Kept as the past tense and participle

Keep is an irregular verb: keep, kept, kept. The simple past and the past participle are the same.

Examples: She kept on working. The door has been kept shut. Do not write “keeped.”

Common phrasal verb with keep: A quick reference table

Keep on and keep up: Continuing and maintaining

Keep on meaning to continue doing something

Keep on is followed by a verb in the -ing form. It emphasizes that an action continues or repeats.

Examples: She kept on talking even though nobody listened. He keeps on asking for money.

Keep on meaning to continue to employ

Example: The company decided to keep him on after the trial period. This meaning takes an object, so the pronoun goes in the middle: They kept him on.

Keep on at: Nagging someone about the same request

In informal British English, keep on at means to repeat a request in a way that annoys someone: My mother keeps on at me about my room.

Keep up meaning to maintain a pace or standard

Examples: Keep up the good work! She finds it hard to keep up the pace. The phrase Keep it up! encourages someone to continue.

Keep up meaning to prevent someone from sleeping

Example: The loud music kept us up until midnight.

Keep up with: Staying at the same pace or level

Keep up with is a three-part phrasal verb. The person or thing you follow comes after with.

Examples: She works hard to keep up with her classmates. It is difficult to keep up with changing technology.

Keep out, keep off and keep away: Staying outside, avoiding and staying at a distance

Keep out meaning to stay outside or prevent entry

Examples: The sign said “Keep out!” We put a fence up to keep the dogs out.

Keep out of: Avoiding involvement or a place

Examples: Keep out of trouble. Please keep the children out of the kitchen.

Keep off: Staying away from a surface or subject

Examples: Please keep off the grass. Let’s keep off politics tonight.

Keep away from: Staying at a distance

Examples: Keep away from the edge. Keep the medicine away from small children.

Keep off and keep out compared

Keep back, keep down and keep in: Withholding, controlling and making someone stay

Keep back: Staying at a distance or withholding something

Keep back can mean to stay at a distance, to withhold information, or to keep part of something.

Examples: Please keep back from the edge. She kept back some details. The shop will keep the item back for you.

Keep down: Keeping a level low or food in the stomach

Keep down means to keep a level low, to keep your body low, or to stop food from coming back up.

Examples: The government is trying to keep prices down. Keep your head down. He was so ill that he couldn’t keep anything down.

Keep in: Making someone stay inside in British English

In British English, keep in means to make a pupil stay inside after lessons: The teacher kept the whole class in.

Keep to, keep from and keep at: Following rules, preventing and persisting

Keep to: Following a rule, a path or a plan

Keep to means to follow a rule, a path or a plan, or to stay within a limit.

Examples: Please keep to the speed limit. He kept to the path. Let’s keep to the point.

The expression keep it to yourself means not to tell others: Keep this to yourself.

Keep from: Stopping yourself or someone from doing something

Keep from has two common uses: to stop yourself from doing something, and to prevent someone from knowing or doing something.

Examples: I couldn’t keep from smiling. They kept the truth from the children.

Keep at: Continuing to work on a difficult task

Keep at means to continue working on a difficult task: Learning a language is hard, but keep at it.

Separable and inseparable phrasal verb with keep: Where the object goes

The pronoun rule for separable verb

When the object is a pronoun such as it, them or him, it must go between keep and the particle.

Examples: Keep it up! (not “Keep up it!”) They kept him on. Please keep them out.

Common mistakes with phrasal verb with keep and how to fix them

• Leaving out with in keep up with. Writing I can’t keep up the news instead of I can’t keep up with the news.
• Putting a pronoun after the particle. Writing Keep up it! instead of Keep it up!
• Using the wrong past form. Writing keeped instead of kept.
• Using the wrong structure after keep on or keep from. Writing I couldn’t keep from to laugh instead of I couldn’t keep from laughing.
• Leaving out of after keep out. Writing Please keep out the room instead of Please keep out of the room.
• Confusing keep off and keep out. Use keep off for a surface or topic, and keep out for a room or restricted area.

Exercises with phrasal verb with keep and answers

Exercise 1: Complete each sentence with the correct phrasal verb with keep

Use: keep off, keep out, keep up with, keep on, keep to, keep from. Change the form where necessary.

1. Please ______ the grass; it has just been planted.
2. The sign said “______” in large red letters.
3. It is hard to ______ the news when you are so busy.
4. She ______ talking even though nobody was listening.
5. We must ______ the rules of the game.
6. She couldn’t ______ laughing when she saw his hat.

Sample answers: 1. keep off – 2. Keep out – 3. keep up with – 4. kept on – 5. keep to – 6. keep from

Exercise 2: Choose the meaning of each underlined phrasal verb

1. The noise kept me up all night. (kept me awake / helped me stand)
2. I can’t keep down food today. (hold food in my stomach / buy cheap food)
3. The firm kept him on after the trial period. (continued to employ him / dismissed him)

Sample answers: 1. kept me awake – 2. hold food in my stomach – 3. continued to employ him

Exercise 3: Find and correct the error in each sentence

1. I can’t keep up the news. → correct to I can’t keep up with the news.
2. Keep up it! → correct to Keep it up!
3. She keeped on working. → correct to She kept on working.
4. I couldn’t keep from to laugh. → correct to I couldn’t keep from laughing.
5. Please keep out the room. → correct to Please keep out of the room.

Tips for learning phrasal verb with keep

• Learn them in small groups. Study keep on, keep up and keep at together as verb about continuing.
• Learn the prepositions that follow. Remember keep up with, keep out of and keep away from.
• Practice the irregular form. Say keep, kept, kept until it feels natural.
• Compare similar verb. Write one example for keep off and one for keep out.
• Write your own examples. A sentence from your own life is easier to remember than a definition.

A phrasal verb with keep can describe continuing, maintaining a pace, staying away, controlling, following rules, preventing and persisting. The particle decides the meaning, so learn each phrase with an example and remember the irregular past form kept. Place pronouns between keep and the particle for separable verb, and do not leave out the preposition in verb such as keep up with and keep out of.

See also: [Phrasal verb with carry: Common meanings, example sentences and how to use them correctly]

Frequently asked questions about phrasal verb with keep

What is the difference between keep on and keep up?

Keep on means to continue doing something, as in “She kept on talking.” Keep up means to maintain a pace or standard, as in “Keep up the good work,” and keep up with means to stay at the same level as someone or something.

What is the difference between keep off and keep out?

Keep off is used for staying away from a surface or a topic, as in “Keep off the grass.” Keep out is used for staying outside a room, building or area, as in “Keep out of the office.”

What does keep to mean in everyday English?

Keep to means to follow a rule, a path or a plan, or to stay within a limit, as in “Please keep to the speed limit.” Keep something to yourself means not to tell it to anyone.

Keyword:

• phrasal verb with keep