keep
Primary: verbCan function as: verb, noun
Noun form derived from verb through zero derivation
π Pronunciation
/kiΛp/
Syllables: keep
Stress: single syllable
Long 'ee' sound, consistent across varieties
π¨βπ©βπ§βπ¦ Word Family
| Word Class | Forms |
|---|---|
| Verbs | keep, keeps, kept, keeping |
| Nouns | keep, keeper, keeping |
| Adjectives | kept |
Forms regular derivational patterns with -er, -ing suffixes
π― Verb Forms
| Infinitive: | to keep |
| Base form: | keep |
| 3rd person singular: | keeps |
| Past simple: | kept |
| Past participle: | kept |
| Present participle: | keeping |
| Gerund: | keeping |
Note: Irregular past/past participle form: kept
π Meanings & Definitions
Noun Meanings
1
food and other provisions needed for subsistence
Countability: uncountable
“The servants received room and keep as part of their wages”
Synonyms: maintenance, sustenance, provisions
formal/archaichistorical
2
the strongest or central tower of a castle
Countability: countable
“The castle's keep was the last line of defense”
Synonyms: stronghold, fortress, donjon
neutralarchitecture/history
Verb Meanings
1
to retain possession of
Aspect: state | Continuous: Yes
“She keeps all her old letters”
“They're keeping the car for another year”
Synonyms: retain, hold, maintain
neutral
2
to continue in a specified state or condition
Aspect: action | Continuous: Yes
“Keep quiet!”
“The machine keeps running”
Synonyms: continue, remain, stay
neutral
3
to store or preserve
Aspect: action | Continuous: Yes
“These vegetables keep well in the fridge”
Synonyms: preserve, store, maintain
neutral
π§ Verb Patterns
keep + object
“She keeps a diary”
Note: Basic transitive pattern
keep + object + adjective/participle
“Keep the food warm”
Note: Resultative construction
keep + gerund
“Keep working”
Note: Continuous action
Transitivity
Type: both
Passive possible: Yes
Passive examples:
“The documents are kept in a safe”
π€ Collocations
Verb + Noun
Adjective + Noun
β οΈ Common Errors
β He keeps to study hardββ He keeps studying hard
After 'keep' use gerund, not infinitive
Common for: Languages where infinitive is used for continuous actions
High impact
β Keep quiteββ Keep quiet
Confusion between 'quite' and 'quiet'
π Etymology
Origin: Old English 'cΔpan'
Original meaning: “to seize, hold, attend to”
Development: Evolved from sense of physical holding to maintaining state/condition
π Register & Frequency
Frequency: top 1000 words
Spoken: common
Written: common
Academic: common
Business: common
Formality: neutral