Keep sb on Meaning / Examples / How to Use

What Does “Keep sb on” Mean?

“Keep sb on” means to continue employing or retaining someone in a job or position, often after a trial period or temporary contract.

Introduction

The phrase “Keep sb on” is a common English phrasal verb used mostly in professional or work-related contexts. It refers to the action of continuing to employ or retain someone in their current role, especially when their contract or trial period might be ending. Understanding the Keep sb on meaning is important for both employers and employees, as it shows approval of someone’s work and a desire to maintain their services. This phrase is widely used in everyday conversations, business discussions, and even casual talks about jobs and careers. Learning how to use “Keep sb on” correctly will help you sound more natural and confident when discussing employment or job-related topics.

Quick Info Box

• Phrasal verb: Keep sb on (keep somebody on)
• Type: Transitive
• Level: B1 (Intermediate)
• Short meaning: To continue employing or retaining someone

Structure (Grammar Rules)

“Keep sb on” is a separable transitive phrasal verb. This means you can place the object (sb) between “keep” and “on,” or after “on.”

• Keep somebody on (correct): She decided to keep him on.
• Keep on somebody (also correct but less common): They will keep on the new assistant.

Both forms are grammatically acceptable, but the first is more natural in everyday English.

How to Use “Keep sb on”?

You use “Keep sb on” when talking about continuing someone’s employment or role, especially after a trial period or temporary contract. It can also be used when someone is retained for their skills or performance.

Examples include:

• After the internship, the company decided to keep her on as a full-time employee.
• The manager wants to keep the temporary worker on because he did a great job.

Examples

Imagine a business owner talking about their staff after a probation period:

• We were unsure about hiring him permanently, but we decided to keep him on.
• Keep sb on in a sentence: The firm chose to keep Jane on after her contract ended.
• Because of his excellent work, they kept him on for another year.
• Even though the project finished early, they kept the team on to help with new tasks.
• Our boss said he will keep me on if I finish the training successfully.

Common Mistakes

People sometimes confuse “keep sb on” with similar phrases or misuse its structure.

• Incorrect: I keep on him for the job.
  Correct: I keep him on for the job.
• Incorrect: She keeps on working on the company.
  Correct: She keeps working for the company. (Here, “keep on” means continue an action, not employment.)

Remember, “keep sb on” specifically means to continue employing someone, not just to continue an action.

Differences / Synonyms

There are similar phrasal verbs like “keep on,” “hold on to,” and “take on” that can be confusing.

• Keep sb on means to continue employing someone.
• Take sb on means to hire or employ someone for the first time.
• Hold on to sb means to retain someone, often with emotional or personal attachment, not necessarily employment.
• Keep on without an object means to continue an action (e.g., “keep on working”).

Understanding these differences helps avoid confusion in both spoken and written English.

Common Collocations

When using “Keep sb on,” certain words often appear together. These collocations make your language sound natural.

• Keep a worker on – continue employing a worker
• Keep an employee on – retain an employee
• Keep staff on – continue employing staff members
• Keep someone on contract – maintain someone under contract
• Keep a temporary worker on – extend employment for a temporary worker

Related Phrasal Verbs

Here are related phrasal verbs of keep sb on:

• Keep Sb From Sth
• Keep Sb In
• Keep On At Sb
• Keep Out Of Sth
• Keep Sth Up

Real-life Dialogue

Here’s a short conversation using “Keep sb on”:

Manager: We need to decide if we will keep Tom on after his probation.

HR: He’s done well. I think we should keep him on.

Manager: Agreed. Let’s offer him a permanent contract.

Practice

Try to complete these sentences with the correct form of “keep sb on”:

1. The company decided to _______ the new intern after the summer ended.
2. We will _______ the temporary staff until the project finishes.
3. After the trial period, she was happy that they _______ her _______.

FAQs

• Q: Can “keep sb on” be used in informal English?
  A: Yes, it is common in both formal and informal contexts.
• Q: Is “keep sb on” separable?
  A: Yes, you can place the object between “keep” and “on.”
• Q: What is the difference between “keep sb on” and “take sb on”?
  A: “Keep sb on” means continuing employment, while “take sb on” means hiring someone new.
• Q: Can “keep on” be used without an object?
  A: Yes, but it means to continue doing something, not employment.
• Q: Is “keep sb on” only used for jobs?
  A: Mostly yes, but it can apply to other situations where someone is retained.