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Prepositions after verbs

Persist in vs persist with

Persist in usually means continue doing an action or holding a belief. Persist with usually means continue using or working on something despite difficulty.

Quick answer

Which preposition is correct with persist?

Use persist in for actions, behaviour, or beliefs, and persist with for continued use of a method, plan, or activity. Both suggest continuing despite problems.

She persisted in asking difficult questions.
They persisted with the original design.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
persist in + activity

Continuing an action or behaviour

Persist in is followed by a noun or -ing form for actions that continue over time.

He persisted in denying the claim.
2
persist in + belief

Keeping the same opinion

Use persist in for beliefs or attitudes that do not change.

She persisted in her view that the policy would fail.
3
persist with + thing

Continuing to use or work on something

Persist with refers to a method, system, plan, or project.

The company persisted with the software update.
4
persist with + activity

Continuing an activity despite difficulty

Persist with can also describe staying with a course of action.

He persisted with the training programme.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
persist in
She persisted in complaining.
continue an action or behaviour
persist with
They persisted with the experiment.
continue using or working on something
persist on
Incorrect: He persisted on asking questions.
Nonstandard after persist in this meaning
persist through
We persisted through the winter.
through is an adjunct showing time or difficulty, not the selected preposition

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using on instead of in

Persist in is the standard form for repeated actions or behaviour.

✕ She persisted on arguing. ✓ She persisted in arguing.

Confusing in and with

Use in for actions and with for methods or things.

✕ They persisted in the old software. ✓ They persisted with the old software.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. He persisted ___ asking for more time.
2. The team persisted ___ the original strategy.
3. Which sentence is standard English?

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Frequently asked questions

Can persist in be followed by an -ing verb?

Yes. Persist in often takes an -ing form, such as persist in trying.

Can persist with refer to people?

Usually it refers to things, methods, or activities rather than people.

Is persist on correct?

Not usually. Standard English uses persist in or persist with depending on meaning.

pack-with-in-into-for, on paint in, on, with, by or for? "park in" or "park at"? "partake in" or "partake of"? pass through, by, on, in or to? pave with, in, by, for or to? pay for, to, by, in or on? "peddle by" or "peddle to"? "peek at" or "peek into"? "peel off" or "peel for"? "pee on" or "pee in"? "peer into", "peer through" or "peer at"?

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