phrasal verb · neutral

keep to

UK/kiːp tuː/US/kip tu/KEEP to

task2speaking

to follow or adhere to something (a plan, schedule, promise, or topic)

Examples

Please keep to the word limit in your essay.

We must keep to the schedule if we want to finish on time.

Try to keep to the main point during your answer.

Band 8 sentence

For coherence, examiners expect candidates to keep to the question rather than drifting into unrelated points.

Collocations

  • keep to the schedule
  • keep to the topic

Word family

keep to phrasal verbkept to verb (past)keeping to verb (gerund)

Common mistakes

Keep at the schedule.Keep to the schedule.

She keeps to talk about many subjects.She keeps to the main subject.

Say it for a higher band

5follow6stick to7+keep to

Synonyms

adhere to

stick to

Easily confused

stick to

You should stick to the plan if you want consistent results.

Related words

Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.

In keep …

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