Keep past tense: kept, kept
retain, continue
Keep is an irregular English verb: the past simple of keep is kept and the past participle is kept. Learn the three forms together — keep – kept – kept.
Verb forms
Base form
/kiːp/
Past Simple
/kept/
Past Participle
/kept/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · keep
I keep my old photos in a wooden box.
Past Simple · kept
She kept the secret for many years.
Past Participle · kept
He has kept his promise to visit every month.
Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I keep he / she / it keeps | I kept | I have kept |
| Present Continuous:I am keeping · he / she / it is keeping | ||
Common collocations
keep in touch
to stay in contact
keep a promise
to do what you said you would
keep calm
to stay relaxed
Grammar guide
Keep belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (kept). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.
- Past simple – kept: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – kept: after have, has or had (present perfect, past perfect) and after be in the passive voice.
- Questions and negatives in the past simple use did + the base form: Did you keep…? I didn’t keep.
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about keep
- What is the past simple of keep?
- The past simple of keep is kept.
- What is the past participle of keep?
- The past participle of keep is kept.
- What are the three forms of keep?
- The three forms are keep – kept – kept: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is keep a regular or an irregular verb?
- Keep is irregular: its past simple is kept, not keeped.