Imagine you’re playing a heated game of hide and seek. Your friend, the seeker, shouts, “Keep your eyes peeled! I’m coming to find you!” Isn’t that an exciting use of the word ‘keep’? The beauty of the English language is how versatile simple words like ‘keep’ can be. They adapt to different contexts and meanings, making conversations vibrant and expressive. So, why not keep up with the English language and explore the world of collocations with ‘keep? Curious about what’s in store? Let’s keep the ball rolling!
Here, I’ll introduce you to 31 popular English collocations with Keep:
1. Keep an eye on: to watch someone or something carefully.
Example: Keep an eye on the soup while I answer the phone.
2. Keep in mind: to remember a piece of information.
Example: Keep in mind that the store closes at 6 PM.
3. Keep a secret: not to tell anyone confidential information.
Example: Can you keep a secret?
4. Keep in touch: to stay in contact.
Example: Let’s keep in touch after graduation.
5. Keep quiet: to stay silent.
Example: The teacher asked the students to keep quiet.
6. Keep a promise: to do what you said you would do.
Example: He always keeps his promises.
7. Keep track of: to continue to be informed or know about someone or something.
Example: It’s hard to keep track of all the new technology trends.
8. Keep the peace: to prevent or stop fighting or arguing.
Example: The role of the United Nations is to keep the peace.
9. Keep your cool: to stay calm.
Example: Even in a crisis, it’s important to keep your cool.
10. Keep in shape: to stay in good physical condition.
Example: Regular exercise helps me keep in shape.
11. Keep your distance: to stay a certain distance away from someone or something.
Example: Because of the bear, we had to keep our distance.
12. Keep time: to function correctly, as of a clock or watch.
Example: My watch doesn’t keep time very well.
13. Keep up with: to stay at the same level as someone or something.
Example: It’s hard to keep up with the latest fashion trends.
14. Keep pace with: to progress at the same speed as others.
Example: I struggled to keep pace with the rest of the runners.
15. Keep out of: to stay away from a place or situation.
Example: Please keep out of the basement.
16. Keep off: to avoid walking on a certain area.
Example: Please keep off the grass.
17. Keep at it: to continue to work hard at a task.
Example: Keep at it, and you’ll finish your homework in no time.
18. Keep one’s word: to uphold one’s promise or commitment.
Example: He’s a man who always keeps his word.
19. Keep a straight face: to refrain from laughing.
Example: I couldn’t keep a straight face when I saw him in that costume.
20. Keep one’s nose clean: to stay out of trouble.
Example: He’s been keeping his nose clean since his last run-in with the law.
21. Keep things in perspective: to think about a situation or problem in a wise and reasonable way.
Example: It’s important to keep things in perspective and not overreact.
22. Keep a tight rein on: to control something strictly.
Example: She keeps a tight rein on her budget.
23. Keep one’s fingers crossed: to hope that things will happen in the way that you want them to.
Example: I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I get the job.
24. Keep an open mind: to be open to new ideas.
Example: Please keep an open mind while listening to his presentation.
25. Keep company with: to spend time with someone.
Example: He keeps company with a group of musicians.
26. Keep a lid on: to control a situation so that it does not become worse.
Example: They’re trying to keep a lid on the scandal.
27. Keep one’s head above water: to manage to survive, especially in difficult financial circumstances.
Example: I’m just about keeping my head above water with all these medical bills.
28. Keep tabs on: to watch something or someone closely; to monitor.
Example: The boss likes to keep tabs on all the projects.
29. Keep the ball rolling: to continue to make progress.
Example: Let’s keep the ball rolling and start our next project.
30. Keep one’s chin up: to stay positive, even in a bad situation.
Example: Even though you’re going through a tough time, try to keep your chin up.
31. Keep your options open: to delay making a decision so that you still have choices in the future.
Example: Don’t rush into a job; keep your options open.
Knowing these collocations with keep will enrich your English conversations and make your expressions more natural and vibrant. Don’t forget to keep practicing them in your daily dialogues. The key to mastering any language is persistence, so keep at it!
