assist to keep

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "assist to keep" is not correct in standard written English.
A more appropriate phrase would be "assist in keeping." Example: "We need to assist in keeping the project on track."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

"I would be happy to assist to keep our commuters' rights intact instead of commuting like a zombie!" one wrote.

The New Yorker

For example, thrombin inhibitors (n = 3) were previously reported in the saliva of R. microplus as: BmAP which blocks the thrombin active site [ 65], microphilin which interacts with thrombin exosite I [ 66], and more recently, another thrombin inhibitor was identified specific to R. microplus gut which could assist to keep the blood from clotting during digestion [ 67].

BMC Genomics

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

During the civil war which began in 1976, Beira was relatively isolated, except for the influx of truckers and military personnel from neighbouring countries of Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi assisting to keep the 'Beira Corridor' open to trade.

Conflict and Health

The Knicks will need a lot of assists to keep the Heat honest on their defensive assignments.

The New York Times

In addition, the support of arms will increase robot stability margin and can be used to adjust robot's posture to assist crawlers to keep robot in balance.

ROBOMECH Journal

In order to counteract this effect, incumbent financial institutions and fintech challengers should aim to assist users to keep track of spending in a meaningful way.

TechCrunch

All centres were keen to have information to assist them to keep adequate and practical vaccination records.

BMC Pediatrics

Religious belief assists people to keep to the straight and narrow … Have you had enough of shouting "who knew?!" yet?

The Guardian - Books

A ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in April assisted efforts to keep a cross erected as a war memorial in the Mojave National Preserve in California.

Encyclopedia Britannica

A move to have the FARC listed formally by the UN would assist the effort to keep Bout in custody.

The Guardian

BRITAIN: MONEY FOR AN OLD MASTER -- Britain's lottery fund has awarded $18.4 million to the National Gallery in London to assist its struggle to keep a Raphael painting sought by the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, Reuters reported yesterday.

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming for clarity and grammatical correctness, replace "assist to keep" with "assist in keeping" or "help maintain".

Common error

Avoid directly following "assist" with an infinitive ("to keep"). Instead, use a gerund ("keeping") after "in" or replace "assist" with a verb that naturally takes an infinitive, such as "help".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "assist to keep" functions as a purpose connector, attempting to link an action of assistance with the goal of maintaining something. However, Ludwig AI indicates that this construction is grammatically incorrect. The correct form involves using "assist in keeping" or a similar alternative.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

33%

Science

33%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "assist to keep" aims to convey the idea of helping to maintain something, it is considered grammatically incorrect according to Ludwig AI. More appropriate alternatives include using "assist in keeping" or "help maintain". Although examples can be found in various contexts, including News & Media, Science, and Wiki sources, aiming for grammatical precision, especially in formal writing, necessitates using alternative phrases. High-quality sources tend to use more grammatically sound constructions. Pay attention to the context in which you're writing to ensure you choose the most effective and correct way to express your intended meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

assist in maintaining

Replaces "to keep" with the gerund "maintaining" and uses "in" for grammatical correctness.

help to maintain

Substitutes "assist" with the simpler "help", maintaining the rest of the structure.

aid in preserving

Replaces both "assist" and "keep" with "aid" and "preserving" respectively, offering a more formal tone.

support the preservation of

Uses a more noun-focused structure, emphasizing the act of preservation rather than the continuous keeping.

facilitate the upkeep of

Employs more formal vocabulary, replacing "assist" with "facilitate" and "keep" with "upkeep".

contribute to maintaining

Highlights the act of contributing, suggesting a shared effort in the maintenance.

play a role in preserving

Focuses on the involvement in the preservation process.

help ensure the continuation of

Emphasizes ensuring the continuation, shifting the focus slightly from the act of keeping.

work to sustain

Offers a concise alternative, replacing "assist to keep" with "work to sustain".

collaborate to uphold

Highlights collaboration and upholding, suggesting a joint effort to maintain something.

FAQs

What's a grammatically correct alternative to "assist to keep"?

A more grammatically sound alternative is "assist in keeping". This formulation correctly uses the preposition "in" followed by a gerund.

When is it appropriate to use "assist to keep"?

Given that the phrase is grammatically incorrect, it is best to avoid using "assist to keep" in formal or academic writing. Opt for alternatives like "help maintain" or "aid in preserving" instead.

Is there a difference in meaning between "assist to keep" and "assist in keeping"?

While the intended meaning is similar, "assist to keep" is grammatically incorrect. "Assist in keeping" is the correct way to express providing help in maintaining something.

What are some formal alternatives to "assist to keep"?

For a more formal tone, consider using phrases such as "facilitate the upkeep of" or "contribute to maintaining". These options convey a similar meaning with a more sophisticated vocabulary.