kept on explaining

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "kept on explaining" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe someone who continues to provide explanations over a period of time. Example: "Despite the confusion, she kept on explaining the concept until everyone understood."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

"When I was sitting in the surgery and the GP kept on explaining that I must do this and that, and a moment later he was saying – 'let's go, have a smoke', the motivation disappeared straightway" (P23) Another negative experience was the smokers' feeling that the GP does not believe in their success of quitting.

BMC Family Practice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

We then cut to 1961, when Princess Grace is married with children - but the dialogue keeps on explaining who she is and what she's doing.

BBC

I asked if it was because I'm slightly cross-eyed and he said it wasn't that, but didn't explain and kept on laughing (S is not the negging type, before you go there).

The Guardian - Lifestyle

The serious question, one that cannot be explained simply by those brass balls, is who kept on giving him money?

Independent

He kept on, kept on, kept on.

Huffington Post

Just kept on crying.

BioData Mining

Keep on patiently explaining why, implausible as it seems to non-economists, liberal trade in goods and services really is good for importers and exporters alike.

The Economist

Ari said, "You see what you can do if you try?" Rafi kept on singing his mantra, one that explains to all of us how to actually do the work of getting back to normal.

Huffington Post

We kept on trying different ways to explain it, but we never broke out of the jargon".

The Guardian

Life is too short for me to keep on protesting or explaining or making speeches.

The New York Times - Magazine

I kept urging him to move on: explaining that we weren't really out to play in the gravel.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "kept on explaining" when you want to emphasize the continuous and possibly persistent nature of someone's explanations. It's useful when the explanations are given despite potential obstacles or lack of understanding from the audience.

Common error

Avoid using "kept on explaining" when a simple "explained" would suffice. Overusing it can make your writing sound repetitive or imply unnecessary persistence where a straightforward explanation is adequate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "kept on explaining" functions as a verbal phrase indicating a continuous or repeated action. Ludwig indicates that this usage is correct, denoting a prolonged activity of providing explanations. It is used to emphasize the persistence or continuation of explaining something.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "kept on explaining" is a grammatically correct verbal phrase used to describe the act of continuously providing explanations. As Ludwig confirms, it's suitable for emphasizing the persistent nature of explaining, particularly when facing challenges in understanding. The phrase finds common usage in contexts like news and media as well as science. While acceptable in both formal and informal settings, more formal situations might call for alternative phrasing. When using "kept on explaining", ensure that the continuous or persistent aspect is relevant to the message you are conveying.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

kept explaining

A more concise version, omitting the "on", but retaining the core meaning of continuous explanation.

continued explaining

Implies an uninterrupted act of explaining, differing slightly in emphasis from "kept on explaining".

went on explaining

Describes the act of continuing to explain, often after an interruption or pause.

persisted in explaining

Highlights the tenacity in providing explanations, suggesting resistance or difficulty.

carried on explaining

Similar to "went on explaining", indicating the continuation of the explanation without stopping.

repeatedly explained

Focuses on the repetition of the explanation, suitable when the number of times is important.

would explain repeatedly

Emphasizes a habitual action of explaining multiple times, indicating a pattern.

reiterated the explanation

Formal way to express the repetition of an explanation, often used in formal or official settings.

explained at length

Focuses on the detail and thoroughness of the explanation, rather than the repetition.

elaborated continuously

Focuses on adding more details and expanding on the explanation, implying a complex topic.

FAQs

How can I use "kept on explaining" in a sentence?

You can use "kept on explaining" to emphasize the continuous nature of providing explanations. For example, "Despite the audience's confusion, the professor "kept on explaining" the complex theory."

What's a more concise alternative to "kept on explaining"?

Alternatives include "continued explaining" or simply "kept explaining". The choice depends on whether you need to emphasize the persistence or just the continuation of the explanation.

Is "kept on explaining" formal or informal?

"Kept on explaining" is generally considered neutral in tone and can be used in both formal and informal contexts, though more formal settings might prefer "reiterated the explanation".

What's the difference between "kept on explaining" and "explained repeatedly"?

"Kept on explaining" emphasizes the continuous act of explaining, while "explained repeatedly" highlights the fact that the explanation was given multiple times. The former focuses on the process, the latter on the repetition.