keep trying vs keep on trying?

Status
Not open for further replies.

LeTyan

Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
China
Current Location
China
Hi

Is there any unegligible difference between "keep trying" and "keep on trying"?

Thanks!
 

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
Hi

Is there any unegligible difference between "keep trying" and "keep on trying"?

Thanks!

There is no difference in meaning between "keep trying" and "keep on trying". "unegligible" is not a word.
 

Rover_KE

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England
'Ineligible' makes no sense in that context.

LeTyan had probably heard 'The difference between A and B is negligible' so he/she thought that unegligible was the opposite.

Rover
 

Odessa Dawn

Key Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2012
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Arabic
Home Country
Saudi Arabia
Current Location
Saudi Arabia

probus

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jan 7, 2011
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
Canada
Current Location
Canada
I thought he might have been trying for intelligible.
 

LeTyan

Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2011
Member Type
Interested in Language
Native Language
Chinese
Home Country
China
Current Location
China
I am so flattered that my mistake sparked so many guesses.

Alright, this is the truth: I know the word "negligible" so I just thought adding "un-" at the start of it would invert its meaning:lol:(obviously wrong for this case though)
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
I am so flattered that my mistake sparked so many guesses.

Alright, this is the truth: I know the word "negligible" so I just thought adding "un-" at the start of it would invert its meaning:lol:(obviously wrong for this case though)
You never know - 'unegligible' might even enter the language.
 

Rover_KE

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
England
...though it would surely need a double n.
 

5jj

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Oct 14, 2010
Member Type
English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Does it? I've never heard it.
Shame on you! It appears in one of the dictionaries here. OK, it does not appear in the other 128, but that's hardly an excuse.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top