The verb to build · Conjugation
Present Continuous of build
The answer: am / is / are building
A1
An action happening now, at the moment of speaking.
Quick answer
The Present Continuous of the verb to build is am / is / are building.
Example: I am building a sandcastle right now.
Full conjugation in the Present Continuous
| Pronoun | Form | Contraction |
|---|---|---|
| I | am building | I'm building |
| You | are building | You're building |
| He / She / It | is building | He's / She's / It's building |
| We | are building | We're building |
| You (pl.) | are building | You're building |
| They | are building | They're building |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. She building ❌
The Present Continuous always has two parts: am, is or are + the -ing form. Without the helper verb, the sentence is wrong: say she is building, I am building. Without -ing, it is wrong too: she is build ❌.
2. I am knowing ❌
Some verbs describe a state, not an action: know, understand, want, need, like, love, believe, remember. They are not normally used in the continuous, even for right now: I know the answer, I don't understand.
3. I am playing football every Saturday ❌
For habits and routines, use the Present Simple: I play football every Saturday. Use the Present Continuous only for now or for a short time: I am playing football right now. With build: I build for a habit, I am building for right now.
Practice quiz
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Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate build in the Present Continuous?+
Use am, is or are (the present of be) + the -ing form building. Use am with I, is with he, she and it, and are with you, we and they. For example: I am building, she is building, they are building. In speech, you usually say I'm, she's, they're.
When do you use the Present Continuous of build?+
Use it for an action happening now, at the moment of speaking. Also use it for a situation that is only temporary (this week, these days). Common signal words are now, right now, at the moment and Look!
What is the difference between I build and I am building?+
I build is the Present Simple: a habit or a fact. I am building is the Present Continuous: an action happening now, or for a short time. Compare: I play football every Saturday and I am playing football right now.
How do you make the negative and the question of build in the Present Continuous?+
Negative: add not after am, is or are: I'm not building, she isn't building, they aren't building. Question: put am, is or are before the subject: Are you building…?, Is she building…? Do not add do: Do you are building? is wrong.
What is the -ing form of build?+
The -ing form of build is building. You just add -ing: build → building. You also use it in the Past Continuous (I was building) and after a preposition (before building).
Related pages: build Present Continuous
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Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/build/present-continuous
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.
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More forms of the verb to build are coming soon.