IRREGULAR VERBS
Irregular verbs Regular verbs
keep, keeps, keeping, kept
Synonyms: retain, hold, preserve, maintain, store
Antonyms: release, let go, discard, abandon, relinquish
The verb "keep" is a fundamental verb in English, commonly used to describe the action of retaining possession, maintaining a condition, or continuing an action. It is an irregular verb, which means its conjugation deviates from the regular pattern. In the present simple tense, "keep" follows its base form for most subjects: "I keep," "you keep," "he/she/it keeps," and so on. For example, "They keep the keys in a drawer." In the past simple tense, "keep" changes to "kept." This irregular form is used to talk about actions that were completed in the past. For instance, "He kept his promise to help her with the project." The past participle of "keep" is also "kept." When forming perfect tenses, such as present perfect or past perfect, the past participle is combined with auxiliary verbs. An example sentence is "They have kept their old toys for many years." Understanding the irregular conjugation of "keep" is essential for accurately describing actions related to retaining possession or maintaining a condition. The verb "keep" is versatile, used in various contexts such as maintaining habits, holding onto objects, and fulfilling promises, showcasing its importance in everyday English
Irregular verbs in English are special verbs that don't follow standard rules for changing forms. You need to memorize their specific forms instead of following regular patterns.
Regular verbs are verbs that follow a consistent pattern when forming their past tense and past participle by adding "-ed" to the base form.
KNEEL - PRESENT SIMPLE | |
---|---|
★ i | kneel |
★ you | kneel |
★ he/she/it | kneels |
★ we | kneel |
★ you | kneel |
★ they | kneel |
Examples of the verb 'keep' in the Present Simple |
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- I keep my promises. |
- You keep your keys on the table. |
- He keeps his money in the bank. | She keeps her diary locked. |
- We keep our house clean. |
- You (plural) keep your documents organized. |
- They keep their secrets well. |
KNEEL - PRESENT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i am | kneeling | |
★ you are | kneeling | |
★ he/she/it is | kneeling | |
★ we are | kneeling | |
★ you are | kneeling | |
★ they are | kneeling |
Examples of the verb 'keep' in the Present Continuous |
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- I am keeping an eye on the children. |
- You are keeping your car in good condition. |
- He is keeping his promise. | She is keeping her room tidy. |
- We are keeping our options open. |
- You (plural) are keeping your voices down. |
- They are keeping their distance. |
KNEEL - PRESENT PERFECT | ||
★ i have | knelt | |
★ you have | knelt | |
★ he/she/it has | knelt | |
★ we have | knelt | |
★ you have | knelt | |
★ they have | knelt |
Examples of the verb 'keep' in the Present Perfect |
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- I have kept my word. |
- You have kept your things in order. |
- He has kept his cool. | She has kept her schedule. |
- We have kept our agreement. |
- You (plural) have kept your files up-to-date. |
- They have kept their plans secret. |
KNEEL - PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i have been | kneeling | |
★ you have been | kneeling | |
★ he/she/it has been | kneeling | |
★ we have been | kneeling | |
★ you have been | kneeling | |
★ they have been | kneeling |
Examples of the verb 'keep' in the Present Perfect Continuous |
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- I have been keeping track of my expenses. |
- You have been keeping a journal. |
- He has been keeping his diet. | She has been keeping her appointments. |
- We have been keeping our promise. |
- You (plural) have been keeping your commitments. |
- They have been keeping their project on schedule. |
KNEEL - PAST SIMPLE | ||
★ i | knelt | |
★ you | knelt | |
★ he/she/it | knelt | |
★ we | knelt | |
★ you | knelt | |
★ they | knelt |
Examples of the verb 'keep' in the Past Simple |
---|
- I kept my promise yesterday. |
- You kept your shoes by the door. |
- He kept his word. | She kept her valuables safe. |
- We kept our meeting brief. |
- You (plural) kept your voices low. |
- They kept their opinions to themselves. |
KNEEL - PAST CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i was | kneeling | |
★ you were | kneeling | |
★ he/she/it was | kneeling | |
★ we were | kneeling | |
★ you were | kneeling | |
★ they were | kneeling |
Examples of the verb 'keep' in the Past Continuous |
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- I was keeping watch when it happened. |
- You were keeping your distance. |
- He was keeping his promise. | She was keeping her room clean. |
- We were keeping our heads down. |
- You (plural) were keeping your cool. |
- They were keeping their options open. |
KNEEL - PAST PERFECT | ||
★ i had | knelt | |
★ you had | knelt | |
★ he/she/it had | knelt | |
★ we had | knelt | |
★ you had | knelt | |
★ they had | knelt |
Examples of the verb 'keep' in the Past Perfect |
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- I had kept my word before the incident. |
- You had kept your belongings safe. |
- He had kept his promise. | She had kept her room tidy. |
- We had kept our plans flexible. |
- You (plural) had kept your files organized. |
- They had kept their secrets hidden. |
KNEEL - PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i had been | kneeling | |
★ you had been | kneeling | |
★ he/she/it had been | kneeling | |
★ we had been | kneeling | |
★ you had been | kneeling | |
★ they had been | kneeling |
Examples of the verb 'keep' in the Past Perfect Continuous |
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- I had been keeping an eye on him for hours. |
- You had been keeping your diary. |
- He had been keeping his schedule. | She had been keeping her plants alive. |
- We had been keeping our focus. |
- You (plural) had been keeping your goals in mind. |
- They had been keeping their business running smoothly. |
KNEEL - FUTURE SIMPLE | ||
★ i will | kneel | |
★ you will | kneel | |
★ he/she/it will | kneel | |
★ we will | kneel | |
★ you will | kneel | |
★ they will | kneel |
Examples of the verb 'keep' in the Future Simple |
---|
- I will keep my promise. |
- You will keep your room clean. |
- He will keep his word. | She will keep her valuables safe. |
- We will keep our agreement. |
- You (plural) will keep your voices down. |
- They will keep their secrets. |
KNEEL - FUTURE CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i will be | kneeling | |
★ you will be | kneeling | |
★ he/she/it will be | kneeling | |
★ we will be | kneeling | |
★ you will be | kneeling | |
★ they will be | kneeling |
Examples of the verb 'keep' in the Future Continuous |
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- I will be keeping an eye on things. |
- You will be keeping your distance. |
- He will be keeping his promise. | She will be keeping her schedule. |
- We will be keeping our heads up. |
- You (plural) will be keeping your options open. |
- They will be keeping their plans secret. |
KNEEL - FUTURE PERFECT | ||
★ i will have | knelt | |
★ you will have | knelt | |
★ he/she/it will have | knelt | |
★ we will have | knelt | |
★ you will have | knelt | |
★ they will have | knelt |
Examples of the verb 'keep' in the Future Perfect |
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- I will have kept my word by then. |
- You will have kept your files organized. |
- He will have kept his promise. | She will have kept her room clean. |
- We will have kept our end of the deal. |
- You (plural) will have kept your goals in sight. |
- They will have kept their agreement. |
KNEEL - FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS | ||
★ i will have been | kneeling | |
★ you will have been | kneeling | |
★ he/she/it will have been | kneeling | |
★ we will have been | kneeling | |
★ you will have been | kneeling | |
★ they will have been | kneeling |
Examples of the verb 'keep' in the Future Perfect Continuous |
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- I will have been keeping track of everything. |
- You will have been keeping a journal. |
- He will have been keeping his diet. | She will have been keeping her appointments. |
- We will have been keeping our promise. |
- You (plural) will have been keeping your commitments. |
- They will have been keeping their project on schedule. |