To keep on doing something

Question

Hello,I think I´ve heard about the possibility to say "to keep on..." (doing something) my example:"You have kept on postponing this issue so many times"Please help me with this verb "to put off" or "to postpone" or "procrastinate" I cannot choose the correct one and it is not clear at all the tense correct when I use this verb and adverb "continuously. Please check these sentences:1. You have kept on postponig this issue so many times2. You have postponed this issue so many times3. You have been postponig this issue so many times4. You procrastined this issue for such a long time5. You put this issue off so many timesPlease analyze all these 5 sentences, I think that only the 5 may be correct. ? Please please help me!!!ThanksPamela

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Let's start with a good sentence:

"You kept on postponing this ~~issue~~ so long that nobody believed you would finish it."

An issue is not something that people would postpone. You can only postpone things under your control such as doing your homework, making a decision, writing a thank-you note or your wedding ceremony.

It is better to use the simple present or simple past (above.)
"You keep on postponing this so much that nobody believes you will ever finish it."

This one is OK:; using the present perfect (continuous)
You have postponed cleaning your car so many times that now it's so filthy that one wants to ride in it.

You have been postponing your wedding date for three months now. People think that your engagement is off.

Procrastinate does not usually take an object.
He procrastinates all the time. You can't trust him to finish any project by the time he promises.

Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today.

Pamela81 · Answer

AlpheccaStars,
thank you for your so detailed reply, it is really very helpful although I´m afraid not to be still clear with this. Please have a look:

1. Is "issue" a synonym for problem? If it is, please check my examples:
"We can think about a solution for this issue later" Could it work? or
"This is not an issue" (meaning that this is not considered a problem)

2. If issue cannot be postponed, can I use "matter" ?
"The matter "graphics" can be put off"
"The matter "graphics" can be left as last to be discussed"
" The matter "graphics" can be discussed later"
"Please treat this matter with the maximum urgence"

Please be so kind to help, I need to clarify this point.

Thanks

Pamela

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Pamela811. Is "issue" a synonym for problem? If it is, please check my examples:"We can think about a solution for this issue later" Could it work? or"This is not an issue" (meaning that this is not considered a problem)

We can think about a solution for this issue later. - This is fine.
This is not an issue. This is fine.

Pamela812. If issue cannot be postponed, can I use "matter" ?"The matter "graphics" can be put off""The matter "graphics" can be left as last to be discussed"" The matter "graphics" can be discussed later""Please treat this matter with the maximum urgence"

No. "Matter" and "issue" are not things that you can move in time.
You can postpone a discussion about an issue, or a decision on an issue, or a meeting about an issue, or the treatment of an issue, but the issue itself is just "there." It does not move. It will cease to be a problem once you discuss it, solve it, or decide it is not a problem anymore.

So these sentences are fine:
The decision (discussion) on the design of the graphics can be postponed.
Discussion on the issue about graphics can be placed last on the meeting agenda, because it is the least important item we need to deal with.
We can think about the issue and discuss it at the next meeting.
This issue is an important topic. We must deal with it.

Pamela81 · Answer

Hi,
thank you so much. It is very complicated to understand this :-(

I have to take some time and then I get back with other questions.

Thank you for your efforts to explain me the concept !

Pamela

Pamela81 · Answer

Hi,
I have thought about it...

Now it is clear to me that "issue" and "matter" cannot be moved in time. Is "matter" a synonym for "issue" or does "matter"means "topic" ?

Then, you wrote: "Discussion on the issue about graphics can be placed last.." OK I understand this BUT:

1. If I don´t think that this discussion is a problem (or issue) could I replace "issue" with "topic" ? It would be:
"Discussion on the topic graphics can be placed last".
2. Why did you use "on" instead of "about" I would say "discussion "about" or "regarding" could it work?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Pamela

To keep on doing something

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