keep
Base form
keep
/kiːp/
Past simple
kept
/kept/
Past participle
kept
/kept/
MeaningA1
to continue to have something
to keep an eye on the baby
In use
- Question · Form 1Did you keep the receipt for the new jacket?
- Imperative · Form 1Keep your passport somewhere safe while you’re travelling.
- Past simple · Form 2Last night the baby kept us awake until three in the morning.
- Past simple · Form 2We kept the windows open all day yesterday because of the heat.
- Past perfect · Form 3Aisha had kept the letter for twenty years without opening it.
- Passive · Form 3The spare keys are kept in a drawer by the front door.
Watch out
Kept is short /kept/ and spelt with one e: keeped and kepted are both wrong.
Same pattern
A — B — BForms two and three are the same
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