Keep past tense

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Meaning of keep

to continue or cause to continue in a specified condition, position, course, etc.

Infinitive

Word: keep /kiːp/
Examples:
  • 1. She always keeps her promises, no matter how small they may seem.
  • 2. He keeps a spare key under the mat in case he locks himself out.
  • 3. This restaurant keeps a variety of vegan options on their menu.

Past Simple

Word: kept /kept/
Examples:
  • 1. Yesterday, I kept all my promises and finished everything I said I would do.
  • 2. She kept her diary hidden under the bed for years without anyone discovering it.
  • 3. They kept the secret between them, never revealing the truth to anyone else.

Past Participle

Word: kept /kɛpt/
Examples:
  • 1. The documents have been kept in a secure location for years.
  • 2. The secret recipe has been kept by the family for generations.
  • 3. The garden has been meticulously kept by the gardener throughout the summer.

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Bare infinitive

  1. General Truths or Facts
    Example. The earth keeps spinning on its axis.
    Example. She keeps her garden in perfect condition.
    Example. The museum keeps its doors open until 7 pm on Sundays.
    Example. The new exhibition keeps visitors entertained for hours.
  2. Habitual Actions
    Example. The earth keeps spinning on its axis.
    Example. She keeps her garden in perfect condition.
    Example. The museum keeps its doors open until 7 pm on Sundays.
    Example. The new exhibition keeps visitors entertained for hours.
  3. Fixed Arrangements
    Example. The earth keeps spinning on its axis.
    Example. She keeps her garden in perfect condition.
    Example. The museum keeps its doors open until 7 pm on Sundays.
    Example. The new exhibition keeps visitors entertained for hours.
  4. With a Future Time Expression to Talk About Scheduled Events (in timetables or itineraries)
    Example. The earth keeps spinning on its axis.
    Example. She keeps her garden in perfect condition.
    Example. The museum keeps its doors open until 7 pm on Sundays.
    Example. The new exhibition keeps visitors entertained for hours.

Past Simple

  1. Completed Actions in the Past
    Example. He kept his promise and paid back the loan.
    Example. She kept to her study schedule diligently every day last year.
    Example. The library kept a different schedule during the 1990s.
  2. Habits in the Past
    Example. He kept his promise and paid back the loan.
    Example. She kept to her study schedule diligently every day last year.
    Example. The library kept a different schedule during the 1990s.
  3. Past Facts or Generalizations
    Example. He kept his promise and paid back the loan.
    Example. She kept to her study schedule diligently every day last year.
    Example. The library kept a different schedule during the 1990s.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect Tenses
    Example. Present Perfect. They have kept the same tradition for decades.
    Example. Past Perfect. By the time the ceremony began, the community had already kept a moment of silence.
    Example. Future Perfect. By next year, the museum will have kept the exhibit open for two years.
    Example. The secrets were kept hidden for centuries.
    Example. The kept artifacts are on display in the main hall.
    Example. If you had kept your schedule free, we could have attended the concert together.
  2. Passive Voice
    Example. Present Perfect. They have kept the same tradition for decades.
    Example. Past Perfect. By the time the ceremony began, the community had already kept a moment of silence.
    Example. Future Perfect. By next year, the museum will have kept the exhibit open for two years.
    Example. The secrets were kept hidden for centuries.
    Example. The kept artifacts are on display in the main hall.
    Example. If you had kept your schedule free, we could have attended the concert together.
  3. Adjectival Use
    Example. Present Perfect. They have kept the same tradition for decades.
    Example. Past Perfect. By the time the ceremony began, the community had already kept a moment of silence.
    Example. Future Perfect. By next year, the museum will have kept the exhibit open for two years.
    Example. The secrets were kept hidden for centuries.
    Example. The kept artifacts are on display in the main hall.
    Example. If you had kept your schedule free, we could have attended the concert together.
  4. Conditional Sentences
    Example. Present Perfect. They have kept the same tradition for decades.
    Example. Past Perfect. By the time the ceremony began, the community had already kept a moment of silence.
    Example. Future Perfect. By next year, the museum will have kept the exhibit open for two years.
    Example. The secrets were kept hidden for centuries.
    Example. The kept artifacts are on display in the main hall.
    Example. If you had kept your schedule free, we could have attended the concert together.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing forms

A common mistake is confusing the past simple form 'kept' with the past participle form, which is also 'kept'. This error typically occurs in perfect tenses and passive voice constructions. For example, incorrectly saying 'I have keep the secret' instead of the correct 'I have kept the secret'. The error stems from not recognizing that 'kept' serves as both the past simple and past participle form, leading to incorrect verb forms in sentences.

— 02

Creating an Irregular Past Form

Another mistake involves attempting to apply regular verb ending rules to 'keep' by adding '-ed' to create a past form, resulting in the incorrect 'keeped'. This error arises from the misunderstanding that all English verbs follow a regular pattern to form their past tenses. The correct past simple and past participle form of 'keep' is 'kept', which does not follow the regular pattern of adding '-ed' or '-d'.

— 03

Misapplication in Sentences

Users often mistakenly use the past simple form when a past participle is required, particularly in passive voice and perfect aspect sentences. For example, saying 'The secrets was kept by her' instead of correctly stating 'The secrets were kept by her'. This mistake not only involves the verb form but also agreement errors in sentence construction, showcasing a deeper misunderstanding of verb tense application within various grammatical structures.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the past simple form of 'keep'?

The past simple form of 'keep' is 'kept.' This form is used to describe an action that happened and was completed at a specific time in the past. For example, 'Yesterday, I kept all the windows closed because it was cold outside.'

How is the past participle form of 'keep' used?

The past participle form of 'keep' is also 'kept.' It is used in perfect tenses, which describe actions that were completed at some point in the past or that have relevance to the present or future. For example, in the present perfect tense, you might say, 'I have kept all your letters safe,' indicating an action that occurred in the past but has relevance to the present.

Can you provide an example of 'kept' used in a sentence in the past perfect tense?

Certainly! In the past perfect tense, 'kept' is used to talk about an action that was completed before another action or time in the past. For example. 'By the time she arrived, I had already kept the documents in the safe.' This sentence indicates that the action of keeping the documents safe was completed before another past action, her arrival. Is there any difference in spelling or usage between American and British English for 'kept'