兩者均表示“堅持”，區別如下：　
　
1. 從含義上看，insist 主要指堅持某種意見或主張等，persist 則指堅持行動或行為，或固執地堅持某種意見。如：　　
He insisted on my staying there. 他堅持要我留在那兒。　　
He persists in reading in bed. 他老愛在床上看書。　
　
2. 從搭配上看：用作不及物動詞后接介詞時，insist 后搭配介詞on，persist 后搭配介詞 in。如：　　
I always insist on wholesome bread. 我一貫主張要吃全麥面包。　　
He persists in his bad habit. 他堅持不改壞習慣。　
　
另外，insist 可用作及物或不及物動詞，用作及物動詞時，其后通常接 that 從句(是否用虛擬語氣，視情況而定，即看從句內容是否為事實)，而 persist 通常只用作不及物動詞(其后不接 that 從句)。如：　　
He insisted that she (should) do it. 他堅持要她做那事。　　
He insisted that she had done it. 他堅持說她做過那事。　　
The doctor insisted that he (should) take the medicine, but he insisted that he was not ill. 醫生堅持要他服此藥，但他堅持說他沒有病。　　
注意不說：He persisted that she (should) do it. / He persisted that she had done it.　　
　　
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