Difference between persist and insist

[Guest]

Test No. incompl/inter-97 "Letter of Complaint (4)", question 9

and must ......... that you do something immediately to put the matter right.

(a) persist
(b) resist
(c) insist
(d) desist

Test No. incompl/inter-97 "Letter of Complaint (4)", answer 9

and must insist that you do something immediately to put the matter right.

Correct answer: (c) insist

Your answer was: incorrect
and must persist that you do something immediately to put the matter right.
_________________________

What's the difference between "insist" and "persist"? Especially as "on" has been omitted in your example.

[Alan]

Insist can be used with on and also a that clause as in: I insist that you keep quiet/I insist on your silence. In both cases it means that you are quite clear in telling somebody what they must do. Persist is usually followed by in and means continue doing something although other people don't like you doing it.
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Phrasal Verbs/look