phrasal verb · neutral
keep quiet
/kiːp ˈkwaɪət/KEEP QUI·ET
speakingtask1
to remain silent or not reveal information
Examples
“Please keep quiet during the performance.”
“They kept quiet about the plan until the launch day.”
“He kept quiet when the subject came up and avoided an argument.”
Band 8 sentence
“Given the sensitivity of the issue, senior staff were instructed to keep quiet until an official statement was ready.”
Collocations
- keep quiet about something
- keep quiet during the meeting
- ask someone to keep quiet
Word family
keep quiet phrasal verbkeeps quiet phrasal verb (3rd sg)kept quiet phrasal verb (past)keeping quiet phrasal verb (gerund)
Common mistakes
He kept quiet about secret.→He kept quiet about the secret.
She keep quiet when teacher spoke.→She kept quiet when the teacher spoke.
Say it for a higher band
5be silent→6stay quiet→7+keep quiet
Synonyms
be silent
stay quiet
Easily confused
be silent
“The audience was asked to be silent during the ceremony.”
Related words
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