Past Tense of Keep
“Keep” is an irregular verb: the simple past is “kept,” and the past participle is also “kept.” Use the same form in ordinary past clauses and after auxiliaries where a participle is required; “keeped” is not the standard inflected form.
The simple past of “keep” is “kept,” and the past participle is also “kept.”
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| completed past action or state | kept | Use “kept” as the simple past. |
| perfect construction after have/has/had | kept | Use “kept” as the past participle. |
| present/base form | keep / keeps | Use the present form when no past form is required. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Do you need a past form of “keep”?
If yes: Use “kept” for both simple past and past participle.
If no: Use “keep” or “keeps” in a present-tense context.
Examples
She kept the receipt in her wallet.
“Kept” is the simple past.
They have kept their promise.
“Kept” is also the past participle.
He keeps the keys by the door.
The present-tense context uses “keeps.”
Further guidance
Core difference
Simple past: “kept.” Past participle: “kept.”
Fast Test
Use “kept” both for a finished past event (“I kept it”) and after auxiliaries where the participle is required (“I have kept it”).
Usage Boundary
Do not regularize the verb as “keeped.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- keep — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Keep + -ing for continuing or repeatedly doing an activity