keep on maintaining

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "keep on maintaining" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when emphasizing the ongoing action of upkeep or support for something over time. Example: "To ensure the system runs smoothly, we need to keep on maintaining the software regularly."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The issue is complicated by the fact that the rich men's apologists will keep on maintaining that £5m a year in take-home has nothing to do with privilege.

Independent

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Most of developed countries have kept on maintaining, updating and modifying their own coding systems for procedures, as well as national adaptations of ICD, in order to manage and to fund their health care delivery.

BMC Health Services Research

Keep on, keep on.

The New Yorker

National drug codes, which are kept on a list maintained by the Food and Drug Administration, serve to identify medicines.

The New York Times

When needed, briefly melt agarose in microwave and kept on dry/water bath maintained at 37 °C (Shukla et al. 2011).

Egyptian Journal of Forensic Sciences

Body temperature was kept by maintaining the animal on a heating pad (37 °C) throughout the procedure.

Cell Death and Disease

But this Fusion kept on truck'n while maintaining some sort of order inside.

TechCrunch

These disputes, as in Samsung's case, often center on large sums of money that founders maintained, kept on hand for what analysts said could include the payment of bribes or the avoidance of inheritance taxes, once their fortunes were willed to their children.

The New York Times

Except during conditioning, flies were kept on food and were maintained at 18°C between training and test.

eLife

But it was emphasised yesterday that Russia has no veto on Nato actions, nor on its enlargement; and though the alliance is keen to keep Russia informed, it is intent on maintaining its own strategy for a new security order in Europe.

Independent

"The UK government will continue working hard to get more people back into work and keep its focus on maintaining a stable and growing economy".

BBC

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "keep on maintaining" when you want to emphasize the continuous and ongoing nature of the maintenance activity, especially when it requires sustained effort.

Common error

Be mindful not to overuse "keep on maintaining" in close proximity to other similar phrases; vary your language to avoid sounding repetitive. For example, it might be better to say "continue the upkeep" instead of "keep on maintaining" in certain instances.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "keep on maintaining" functions as a verbal phrase emphasizing the continuation of the action of maintenance. It combines the continuous aspect of "keep on" with the gerund "maintaining", indicating an ongoing effort. Ludwig confirms its usability in English.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

25%

Science

25%

Formal & Business

25%

Less common in

Wiki

25%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "keep on maintaining" signifies a continuous effort to uphold or preserve something, emphasizing the ongoing nature of the work involved. While grammatically correct and usable, as confirmed by Ludwig, its frequency is relatively rare. Its use spans various contexts, including news, science and general writing, suggesting a neutral register. To prevent redundancy, it's useful to consider alternatives like "continue to maintain" or "sustain maintenance". Overall, use "keep on maintaining" when you want to specifically highlight the sustained and continuous nature of the maintenance activity.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

continue to maintain

Replaces the phrasal verb 'keep on' with a more direct 'continue to', slightly more formal.

persist in maintaining

Emphasizes the tenacity in maintaining something, suggesting potential difficulty.

sustain maintenance

Highlights the act of keeping maintenance going over a period.

preserve through maintenance

Focuses on the preservation aspect achieved through maintenance.

uphold by maintaining

Stresses the act of upholding a standard or condition through maintenance efforts.

keep preserving

Emphasizes the continuous effort to preserve something.

ensure upkeep

Focuses on guaranteeing that the upkeep is performed, slightly more concise.

continue to support

Substitutes 'maintain' with 'support', highlighting the ongoing assistance provided.

retain by upkeep

Highlights the act of retaining something by performing upkeep.

maintain consistently

Emphasizes the consistency with which maintenance is performed, highlighting the continuous effort.

FAQs

What does "keep on maintaining" mean?

The phrase "keep on maintaining" means to continue the work of keeping something in good condition; it emphasizes the ongoing nature of the upkeep.

How can I use "keep on maintaining" in a sentence?

You can use "keep on maintaining" when describing a continuous action aimed at preserving or upholding something, for instance: "To ensure the system runs smoothly, we need to "keep on maintaining" the software regularly."

Are there alternatives to the phrase "keep on maintaining"?

Yes, you can use alternatives like "continue to maintain", "persist in maintaining", or "sustain maintenance" depending on the context.

Is "keep on maintaining" grammatically correct?

Yes, "keep on maintaining" is grammatically correct, as it follows standard English phrasing where "keep on" acts as a continuous action indicator before the verb "maintaining".