Persist in [Verb]ing

How to use "persist in" correctly

This is an entry on my list of Common Errors in English Usage. Visit the main page for direct links to additional entries.

The verb persist should be followed by the preposition in and a gerund (“-ing verb”) rather than by an infinitive (verb from starting with to):

persist to cause trouble

persist in causing trouble

Related Resources

Common Errors in English Usage: Errors in diction and idiom commonly made by native speakers of English

List of Common Errors in English Usage (PDF): Printable version of the complete list

Common Grammar Errors: A list of common errors in grammar (topics like subject-verb agreement and parallelism) as distinct from usage

List of Common Errors in English Usage: PDF version

© 2006, 2008, and 2019 C. Brantley Collins, Jr.