Fill in:
Boss to Staff:
That’s good; __ doing it that way; when you’ve finished, __ the work from yesterday.
a. continuing doing
b. keep on
c. keeping doing
d. keep doing
e. keeps
f. keeps on
Girl to Mother about her annoying brother:
I said ”stop,” Mom, but he __ doing it!
Answers:
Sentence 1:
First Answer: b – That’s good; _keep on_ doing it that way;
Second Answer: a & d – when you’ve finished, _ keep on/continue doing _ the work from yesterday.
Sentence 2:
e – I said ”stop,” Mom, but he _keeps_ doing it!
f – I said ”stop,” Mom, but he _keeps on_ doing it!
Explanation:
Sentence 1
First Answer: That’s good; _keep on_ doing it that way;
a. continuing doing (‘continuing doing …’ – No.) We need the present Tense
b. keep on (keep on doing – Yes.) c. keeping doing (‘keeping doing doing…’? – No.) Two ‘ing’ forms = bad style
d. keep doing (‘keep doing doing…’? – No.) Two ‘ing’ forms = bad style e. keeps (keeps doing doing…’? –No.) We don’t need a 3rd Person verb + ‘ing`? No.
f. keeps on (keeps on doing…? – No.) We don’t need a 3rd Person verb.
Second Answer: a & d –
When you’ve finished, _ continue doing _ the work from yesterday.
OR:
When you’ve finished, keep doing the work from yesterday.
a. continuing doing the work from yesterday. Yes.b. keep on the work from yesterday. No. This one sort of makes sense but is dialectical.c. keeping doing the work from yesterday. No. The basic verb and the gerund are mirroring each other in the ‘ing’ form so it is bad style.
d. keep doing the work from yesterday. Yes.e. keeps the work from yesterday. No. The meaning here is totally different and not consistent with the context; it also suggests a 3rd person subject.f. keeps on the work from yesterday. No. The meaning here is totally different and not consistent with the context. It also suggests a 3rd person subject.
Explanation:
Sentence 2
I said ”stop,” Mom, but he _keeps on_ doing it!
a. continuing doing (‘…continuing doing doing it’? – No.) – 2 ‘do’s? No. ‘continues going’ would be okay, but ‘continuing’ without a “be verb”; No.
b. keep on (‘He keep on doing it’? No.) – ‘Keep’ needs an ‘s’ in the 3rd Person Singular form, and it is that because of ‘he.’
c. keeping doing (‘He keeping doing…’? No.) – Two ‘ing’ forms = bad style
d. keep doing ‘Keep’ needs an ‘s’ in the 3rd Person Singular form, and it is that because of ‘he’, and again, two ‘ing’ forms?
e. keeps (‘He keeps doing it’? – Yes.) This is correct.
f. keeps on (‘He keeps on doing it’? – Yes.)
