Keep = continue

In everyday conversations, there are some words that are convenient and used all the time. Keep is one of those words. We say it when we want someone to continue an action. The simple past and past participle is “kept”.

When I have English conversations I often say “keep talking” to encourage people to share and explain more. Say it for any activity you want to extend or prolong: keep going, keep eating, keep working, etc.

More examples:

- I can’t hear the film because those people keep talking.
- To keep losing weight, Steven maintains a healthy diet combined with daily exercise.
- Harvey kept speeding and eventually lost his driver’s license.
- Someone keeps calling but never leaves a message.

Do you think you can work “keep” into your conversations?

*** The word “keep” has many other definitions but my focus for this post is its use as “continue”.