3 ms·

"Keep at it!", "Hold the line!" appear to be orders to be doing something right now.

• mkl 2y ago
  They're orders to continue a present activity into the future.
  • amoss 2y ago
    Is the continuation not an activity in the present time, or that starts in the present time? Characterizing this as being in the futures seems to be an incorrect boundary case.
    • mkl 2y ago
      They're definitely orders about the future. "Keep at it" has the present as context, "hold the line" is a bit ambiguous, "don't let it happen again" has the past as context, but they're all talking about the future.