The verb to buy · Conjugation
Present Continuous of buy
The answer: am / is / are buying
A1
An action happening now, at the moment of speaking.
Quick answer
The Present Continuous of the verb to buy is am / is / are buying.
Example: I am buying bread right now.
Full conjugation in the Present Continuous
| Pronoun | Form | Contraction |
|---|---|---|
| I | am buying | I'm buying |
| You | are buying | You're buying |
| He / She / It | is buying | He's / She's / It's buying |
| We | are buying | We're buying |
| You (pl.) | are buying | You're buying |
| They | are buying | They're buying |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. She buying ❌
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 buying, I am buying. Without -ing, it is wrong too: she is buy ❌.
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 buy: I buy for a habit, I am buying for right now.
Practice quiz
Going further
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Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate buy in the Present Continuous?+
Use am, is or are (the present of be) + the -ing form buying. Use am with I, is with he, she and it, and are with you, we and they. For example: I am buying, she is buying, they are buying. In speech, you usually say I'm, she's, they're.
When do you use the Present Continuous of buy?+
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 buy and I am buying?+
I buy is the Present Simple: a habit or a fact. I am buying 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 buy in the Present Continuous?+
Negative: add not after am, is or are: I'm not buying, she isn't buying, they aren't buying. Question: put am, is or are before the subject: Are you buying…?, Is she buying…? Do not add do: Do you are buying? is wrong.
What is the -ing form of buy?+
The -ing form of buy is buying. You just add -ing: buy → buying. You also use it in the Past Continuous (I was buying) and after a preposition (before buying).
Related pages: buy Present Continuous
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
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/buy/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 buy are coming soon.