Phrasal verb
keep from
Definition
phrasal verb. to stop yourself or someone else from doing something, or to prevent something from happening.
phrasal verb. to restrain oneself or another from an action; to prevent a situation or state from occurring.
Examples
“I could not keep from laughing at his joke.”
“The heavy curtains help keep the heat from escaping during the cold winter nights.”
“Despite the gravity of the situation, she could hardly keep from smiling when she saw his ridiculous costume.”
Examples
simple
“I could not keep from laughing at his joke.”
contextual
“The heavy curtains help keep the heat from escaping during the cold winter nights.”
complex
“Despite the gravity of the situation, she could hardly keep from smiling when she saw his ridiculous costume.”
Usage
usually followed by a gerund (-ing form) or a noun phrase.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'prevent from'; 'keep from' often implies a struggle with an internal impulse or a natural process.
Pitfall
I kept from to cry.
I kept from crying.
the preposition 'from' must be followed by a gerund (-ing), not an infinitive.
Phrasal verb
Particles
from
Separability
optional
Pattern
keep + (object) + from + [gerund/noun]