Grammar Tips & Articles »

Insist vs. Persist

Here is another interesting grammar.com article that tells you the difference between the verbs insist and persist, that can be easily confused words. To start with, insist means to urge while persist means to continue something. Let us dive into the details – 


1:51 min read
25,740 Views
  Ramya Shankar  —  Grammar Tips
Font size:

Insist

To insist is to demand something forcefully or urge someone to do something. It can be used in positive as well as negative sense. A few examples

●    Our CEO insisted that the company was doing well in-spite of the stocks being down.

●    I insist you take the medicine on time to prevent further problems.

●    I dint want to go but he insisted me to come along.

●    Rather than insisting me to go to theatre with you, why don’t you watch a movie with me at home?

●    She insisted me to take up more work.

The word insist has its roots from the Latin word insistere (in+sistere) which means upon+stand. Therefore, it means to have a strong stand or be assertive in something.

Persist

To persist is to continue something in-spite of obstacles. Example

●    His persistence and hard work earned him the success he has today.

●    I will persist my studies even if it means doing a part-time job to fund it.

Insist vs. Persist

●    Persisted drinking can be harmful for your health.

●    My hand allergy is a persisting problem which has no solution.

●    The unpleasant smell still persists throughout the area.

Persist has originated from the Latin persistere (per+sistere), which means through + to stand or stand through (something) in a steadfast or continuous manner.

The difference

The words look similar and come from similar roots, hence there can be confusions around it. Often, insistence can be a reason for persistence. For example,

●    If you insist on working hard, you can persist getting good marks in exam,

●    If you insist on maintaining good quality, you can persistently get good customers.

●    I insisted on not believing their theories, but to persist our research with the facts collected.

Insistence vs persistence Just like the verb forms, the nouns are different.

●    Her insistence on following up the matter with persistence was the reason behind our victory. 

Rate this article:

Have a discussion about this article with the community:

0 Comments

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this article to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Insist vs. Persist." Grammar.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.grammar.com/insist_vs._persist>.

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Check your text and writing for style, spelling and grammar problems everywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Check your text and writing for style, spelling and grammar problems everywhere on the web!

    Browse Grammar.com

    Free Writing Tool:

    Instant
    Grammar Checker

    Improve your grammar, vocabulary, and writing -- and it's FREE!


    Quiz

    Are you a grammar master?

    »
    Identify the sentence with correct use of the future perfect tense:
    A By next year, she will have completed her degree.
    B She finished her book before the movie started.
    C They have been working on the project for weeks.
    D We will be finishing our meal by the time they arrive.

    Improve your writing now:

    Download Grammar eBooks

    It’s now more important than ever to develop a powerful writing style. After all, most communication takes place in reports, emails, and instant messages.