What Does Keep Up Mean?
Keep up has three main jobs.
- Go at the same speed: keep up with someone or something.
- Carry on doing something well: keep it up.
- Stop someone sleeping: keep someone up.
I cannot keep up with you!
You are doing great. Keep it up!
The noise kept me up.
🗣️ Natural Examples
Going at the same speed:
Please slow down. I cannot keep up with you.
It is hard to keep up with all the new songs.
Carrying on:
Your reading is getting better. Keep it up!
She keeps up her piano lessons.
Stopping someone sleeping:
The storm kept us up all night.
✂️ Can You Separate It?
It depends on the meaning.
Keep up with is inseparable. The object comes after with.
✅ Keep up with the class.
✅ Keep up with them.
❌ Keep up them with.
Carrying on and stopping someone sleeping are separable.
✅ Keep up the good work.
✅ Keep the good work up.
✅ Keep it up.
❌ Keep up it.
🛠️ How to Use It
- Same speed: keep up with + a person or thing. Keep up with the news.
- Encourage: Keep it up! is something kind to say.
- Past tense: kept up.
- The noise or a storm can also keep you up at night.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Add with.
❌ I cannot keep up the class.
✅ I cannot keep up with the class.
Put the pronoun in the middle.
❌ Keep up it!
✅ Keep it up!
Who is kept awake?
❌ The noise kept up me.
✅ The noise kept me up.
💬 In a Conversation
Sam: Slow down! I cannot keep up with you.
Mia: I am walking.
Sam: You walk like a cheetah.
Mia: Keep it up. Only one more hill.
💡 The OddLingo Trick
Think of a race.
If you keep up, you stay level with the others and never drop behind.