I kept joking

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "I kept joking" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when describing a situation where you continued to make jokes over a period of time. Example: "Even during the serious meeting, I kept joking to lighten the mood."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

I kept joking about it.

The New York Times

I kept joking about a watermelon festival.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

"I keep joking that we're probably one of the only songwriting teams who high-five anytime one of our songs gets cut," he said.

The New York Times

"I keep joking I'm going to sell it to the bloody Liberal party or something as the next Australian anthem," said Kilbey a couple of years back.

The Guardian

I keep joking with Joe, 'I'm the wild-card player in the lineup".' The Yankees have not needed the Williams of old.

The New York Times - Sports

I keep joking, it's ideal if you lose your glasses, you can find them quickly.

TechCrunch

"I keep joking with him that left-backs don't sleep on a Friday night when they know they're going to be playing against him.

BBC

I keep joking that she was set to be, like, 7 years old when she gave birth.

Huffington Post

"I keep joking that we need to hire more men — we have too many women," Nortman said of her eight-member team.

Los Angeles Times

Those who kept joking tacitly argued that bold, comedic truth-telling was exactly what their nation needed.

The New York Times

And between songs Mr. Butler, who has been blind since birth, kept joking that he was the band's bus driver.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "I kept joking" to indicate a repeated action of making jokes, often to lighten a mood or downplay a situation. It's suitable for informal and conversational contexts.

Common error

Avoid shifting tenses mid-sentence. If you start with "I kept joking", maintain past tense throughout the description of that event, unless you're explicitly changing the timeframe.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "I kept joking" primarily functions as a narrative element, describing a past action of repeatedly making jokes. It illustrates a behavior, often used to convey a coping mechanism or a personality trait. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability in various contexts.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "I kept joking" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase to describe the repeated action of making jokes, often to lighten a situation. Ludwig AI validates its usability, primarily within news and media contexts. While versatile, it's important to maintain tense consistency when using this phrase in your writing. Consider related phrases like "I continued to joke" or "I repeatedly joked" for nuanced expressions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

I continued to joke

Replaces "kept" with "continued to", emphasizing the ongoing nature of the action.

I repeatedly joked

Substitutes "kept" with "repeatedly", highlighting the frequency of making jokes.

I constantly joked

Replaces "kept" with "constantly", stressing the continuous nature of joking.

I joked incessantly

Replaces "kept joking" with "joked incessantly", using a single word to convey the continuous action.

I maintained a joking attitude

Shifts the focus to maintaining an overall humorous demeanor.

I remained facetious

Replaces "kept joking" with "remained facetious", indicating a sustained playful or humorous manner.

I made light of the situation

Expresses a similar sentiment by focusing on minimizing seriousness through humor.

I tried to lighten the mood

Focuses on the intent to make the atmosphere less serious through humor.

I was always cracking jokes

Highlights the habit of frequently telling jokes.

Humor was my constant recourse

Highlights the habit of frequently telling jokes.

FAQs

What does "I kept joking" mean?

The phrase "I kept joking" means that the speaker repeatedly made jokes or maintained a lighthearted, humorous attitude over a period of time.

What can I say instead of "I kept joking"?

You can use alternatives like "I continued to joke", "I repeatedly joked", or "I constantly joked" depending on the context.

Is "I kept joking" grammatically correct?

Yes, "I kept joking" is grammatically correct. It uses the past tense of "keep" followed by the gerund form of "joke", indicating a continuous action in the past.

How to use "I kept joking" in a sentence?

You can use "I kept joking" to describe your behavior in a past situation, such as, "Even though I was nervous, "I kept joking" to ease the tension."