keep out
π Pronunciation
/kiΛp aΚt/
Stress: primary stress on verb
stress pattern crucial for distinguishing from noun phrase
π¨βπ©βπ§βπ¦ Word Family
| Word Class | Forms |
|---|---|
| Verbs | keep out, keeps out, kept out, keeping out |
| Nouns | keepout |
| Adjectives | kept-out |
Often appears in compound signs and notices
π Phrasal Verb Structure
Base verb: keepParticle: out
Transitivity: both
π Meanings
Meaning 1
prevent entry or access
Formal equivalent: exclude, bar
LITERAL
“Keep out of my room!”
“The fence keeps animals out of the garden.”
“They kept the protesters out of the building.”
Meaning 2
avoid involvement or participation
Formal equivalent: avoid, abstain
ABSTRACT
“I try to keep out of their arguments.”
“She keeps out of office politics.”
“Best to keep out of trouble.”
β οΈ Separability Rules
Rule: OPTIONALLY SEPARABLE
Pronoun Placement
β keep them out
β keep out them
π‘ Think of it Like This
Imagine a boundary or barrier that maintains separation
Memory aid: Think of a 'KEEP OUT' sign on a fence
Common on private property signs in English-speaking countries
π Usage Patterns
Grammatical Contexts
Imperative: “Keep out!”
Continuous: “The fence is keeping intruders out”
Perfect: “The lock has kept thieves out”
Passive: “Unauthorized personnel must be kept out”
Modal: “You should keep out of this”
Question: “How do we keep mice out?”
Negative: “Don't keep out the fresh air”
Common in:
β οΈ Common Errors
β keep out themββ keep them out
pronoun placement error
Common for: languages without separable phrasal verbs
High impact
β keep away from troublesββ keep out of trouble
wrong particle/preposition combination
β maintain outββ keep out
literal translation from Romance languages
β keep out the itββ keep it out
article with pronoun
β exclude yourself from this matter (too formal)ββ keep out of this
register mismatch
π Register & Alternatives
Formality: neutral
Single-verb alternatives
Formal: exclude, prohibit, prevent entry
Neutral: block, ban
Informal: shut out
Use phrasal verb: everyday conversation and instructions
Use single verb: formal documents and legal contexts
π Etymology
Origin: Old English 'cΔpan' (to take notice) + 'Ε«t' (out)