Base
I buy bread at the corner shop every morning.
Every morning marks a present routine.
Past Tense of Buy: Bought and Bought
Buy is an irregular verb. The past tense and the past participle are the same form: bought. Do not say buyed.
Base
buy
Past
bought
Past participle
bought
Third person: buys · -ing form: buying
ABB: form patternExamples
Base
We buy fruit at the market on Saturdays.
On Saturdays describes a regular habit.
Past
She bought a new bag yesterday.
Bought is the past form; it does not need have.
Past
I bought these shoes last week.
Last week is a finished past time.
Past participle
We have bought tickets for the show.
After have, the participle is bought.
Past participle
He has bought a birthday gift for his mother.
The participle has the same form as the past.
Usage notes
Buy or by?
Buy is the verb: buy a ticket. By is a small word: a book by a famous writer, go by bus. They sound the same, /baɪ/, but are spelled differently.
Bought or brought?
Bought means paid for something: I bought bread. Brought means carried something here: I brought bread to the party. They are different verbs.
Common mistakes
I buyed a new phone.
I bought a new phone.
Buy is irregular. Its past form is bought, not buyed.
She has buy a ticket.
She has bought a ticket.
After has, use the past participle bought.
I went to the shop for buy milk.
I went to the shop to buy milk.
To show a purpose, use to plus the base form.
Practise this verb
0/8
Choose the right form
Choose the form that completes each English sentence.
1.She ___ a new jacket yesterday.
2.We have ___ the tickets.
3.I always ___ milk at that shop.
4.This book is ___ a famous writer.
Write the missing form
Type the correct form of buy in each sentence.
Correct the mistake
Rewrite the English sentence with the correct verb form.
8.Choose the mistake in this sentence.
Answer key
1. She ___ a new jacket yesterday.
Answer: bought
Yesterday is a finished past time, so use bought.
2. We have ___ the tickets.
Answer: bought
Have takes the past participle bought.
3. I always ___ milk at that shop.
Answer: buy
Always marks a present habit: I buy.
4. This book is ___ a famous writer.
Answer: by
By shows who wrote it. Buy is the verb.
5. My mom ___ a cake for my birthday last year.
Answer: bought
A finished past action uses bought.
6. They have ___ a new car.
Answer: bought
Have plus the participle is have bought.
7. He is ___ a gift now.
Answer: buying
Now needs the -ing form: buying.
8. I buyed some apples yesterday.
Answer: I bought some apples yesterday.
The past of buy is bought, not buyed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the past tense of buy?
The past tense of buy is bought: She bought a new bag yesterday.
Is it bought or brought?
Bought is the past of buy, to pay for something. Brought is the past of bring, to carry something here.
Is buyed correct?
No. Buy is irregular. The past tense and the past participle are both bought.