“Keep” is the base form of the verb. “Kept” is the past simple and past participle form. Use “keep” for present and future meanings, and use “kept” for finished past time or for perfect and passive structures that need a past participle.

Use “keep” to talk about habits, repeated actions, and general truths. It also works for instructions and rules in the present. The idea is that the action continues or is generally true, not finished at a past time.

Use “keep” to express future plans or promises, often with “will” or “going to.” This is common when you are talking about continuing a behavior in the future. The verb stays as “keep” because the tense is carried by the auxiliary.

Use “kept” for a completed action in the past, often with a clear past time reference or a finished situation. This form tells the listener the action happened and ended in the past. It can describe actions, decisions, or states that were true before but may not be true now.

Subject	🇨🇳 中文 主语	Form	🇨🇳 中文 形式	Example	🇨🇳 中文 例句
I	🧑 我	kept	🧩 过去式	I kept the receipt.	🗣️ 我保留了收据。
you	🧑‍🤝‍🧑 你们	kept	🧩 过去式	You kept your promise.	🗣️ 你们信守了你们的承诺。
he	👤 他	kept	🧩 过去式	He kept the door locked.	🗣️ 他把门锁着。
she	👤 她	kept	🧩 过去式	She kept the photo.	🗣️ 她留着那张照片。
it	🧩 它	kept	🧩 过去式	It kept working all day.	🗣️ 它整天一直在工作。
we	👥 我们	kept	🧩 过去式	We kept our seats.	🗣️ 我们保留了我们的座位。
they	👥 他们	kept	🧩 过去式	They kept quiet.	🗣️ 他们保持安静。

Use “kept” after “have” or “had” to form the present perfect or past perfect. These forms connect a past action to the present, or place one past action before another past moment. “Kept” is required because it is the past participle.

Use “kept” with “be” to form passive meaning, where the subject receives the action. This is common in phrases like “be kept” meaning something is stored, maintained, or continued by someone. The past participle “kept” signals the passive structure.

“Keep” often means to continue doing something, especially with “keep + -ing.” This expresses repetition or persistence over time, not one single event. The tense changes with auxiliaries, but the main verb remains “keep.”

“Keep” can mean to store, retain, or not throw away. In this meaning, “kept” describes what you stored in the past or what has been retained up to now in perfect forms. The focus is on possession or retention rather than action.

“Keep” can mean to maintain a state or condition, often with an adjective or past participle, like “keep calm” or “keep the door closed.” “Kept” is used when that maintained condition was true in the past or in perfect or passive structures. This meaning emphasizes control and stability.

“Keep” appears in several common structures that determine whether you use “keep” or “kept” based on tense and auxiliaries. Learning these patterns helps you choose the correct form automatically. The verb form changes, but the structure stays the same.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Keep + noun	🧩 Keep + 名词	Keep the change.	🗣️ 零钱就留着。
Keep + adjective	🧩 Keep + 形容词	Keep quiet.	🗣️ 保持安静。
Keep + noun + adjective	🧩 Keep + 名词 + 形容词	Keep the room clean.	🗣️ 把房间保持干净。
Keep + -ing	🧩 Keep + -ing	Keep trying.	🗣️ 继续尝试。
Have or has + kept	🧩 Have 或 has + kept	I have kept your secret.	🗣️ 我一直守着你的秘密。
Be + kept	🧩 Be + kept	The documents are kept here.	🗣️ 这些文件保存在这里。