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ENGLISH VERB

retain

to keep, to maintain, to preserve

  • Regular verb
  • Gerund: retaining
  • Past participle: retained

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Simple present · now, habits and facts

  1. I I keep
  2. you you keep
  3. he, she, it he keeps
  4. we we keep
  5. they they keep

Past

Simple past · finished actions

  1. I I kept
  2. you you kept
  3. he, she, it he kept
  4. we we keep
  5. they they kept

Future

Future · “will”

  1. I I will keep
  2. you you will keep
  3. he, she, it he will keep
  4. we we will keep
  5. they they will keep

Present continuous

Present continuous · happening right now

  1. I I am keeping
  2. you you are keeping
  3. he, she, it he is keeping
  4. we we are keeping
  5. they they are keeping

Present perfect

Present perfect · “have done”

  1. I I have already kept
  2. you you have already kept
  3. he, she, it he has already kept
  4. we we have already kept
  5. they they have already kept

Conditional

Conditional · “would”

  1. I I would keep
  2. you you would keep
  3. he, she, it he would keep
  4. we we would keep
  5. they they would keep

Imperative

Imperative · requests and orders

  1. keep!

How to use retain

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    This pan retains heat for a long time.

    This pot retains heat for a long time.

  2. Past

    The team retained most of its players this year.

    The team kept most of its players this year.

  3. Future

    You will retain more if you review the next day.

    You will retain more if you review the next day.

  4. Present continuous

    The company is retaining staff with better hours.

    The company is keeping employees by offering better schedules.

  5. Present perfect

    I have retained very little from high school chemistry.

    I retained very little from high school chemistry.

  6. Conditional

    A good lawyer would retain copies of everything.

    A good lawyer would keep copies of everything.

  7. Imperative

    Retain your receipt in case you need to return it.

    Keep the receipt in case you need to return it.

Good to know

  • "Retain" is formal: a company "retains" employees, memory "retains" information; in everyday speech it's "keep".

Where you hear retain

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

English for Brazilians · Advanced Level 2

  • We retain the two sessions. We retain the two sessions.
  • We retained the chairs for the parents. We retained the chairs for the parents.
  • We'll retain whatever works. We'll retain whatever works.
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The revised proposal

Advanced Level 2 · We retained the two sessions, while modifying one thing.

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: regular verb.