两者均表示坚持，区别如下：　
　
1. 从含义上看，insist 主要指坚持某种意见或主张等，persist 则指坚持行动或行为，或固执地坚持某种意见。如：　　
He insisted on my staying there. 他坚持要我留在那儿。　　
He persists in reading in bed. 他老爱在床上看书。　
　
2. 从搭配上看：用作不及物动词后接介词时，insist 后搭配介词on，persist 后搭配介词 in。如：　　
I always insist on wholesome bread. 我一贯主张要吃全麦面包。　　
He persists in his bad habit. 他坚持不改坏习惯。　
　
另外，insist 可用作及物或不及物动词，用作及物动词时，其后通常接 that 从句(是否用虚拟语气，视情况而定，即看从句内容是否为事实)，而 persist 通常只用作不及物动词(其后不接 that 从句)。如：　　
He insisted that she (should) do it. 他坚持要她做那事。　　
He insisted that she had done it. 他坚持说她做过那事。　　
The doctor insisted that he (should) take the medicine, but he insisted that he was not ill. 医生坚持要他服此药，但他坚持说他没有病。　　
注意不说：He persisted that she (should) do it. / He persisted that she had done it.　　
　　
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