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ENGLISH VERB

build on

to start from, to develop

  • Irregular verb
  • Gerund: building on
  • Past participle: built on

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Simple present · now, habits and facts

  1. I I start from
  2. you you start from
  3. he, she, it he starts from
  4. we we start from
  5. they they start from

Past

Simple past · finished actions

  1. I I started from
  2. you you started from
  3. he, she, it he started from
  4. we we start from
  5. they they started from

Future

Future · “will”

  1. I I'm going to start from
  2. you you're going to start from
  3. he, she, it he's going to start from
  4. we we're going to start from
  5. they they're going to start from

Present continuous

Present continuous · happening right now

  1. I I am starting from
  2. you you are starting from
  3. he, she, it he is starting from
  4. we we are starting from
  5. they they are starting from

Present perfect

Present perfect · “have done”

  1. I I have already started from
  2. you you have already started from
  3. he, she, it he has already started from
  4. we we have already started from
  5. they they have already started from

Conditional

Conditional · “would”

  1. I I would start from
  2. you you would start from
  3. he, she, it he would start from
  4. we we would start from
  5. they they would start from

Imperative

Imperative · requests and orders

  1. start from!

How to use build on

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Every lesson builds on the one before.

    Each lesson builds on the previous one.

  2. Past

    She built on her mother's recipe and improved it.

    She started from her mother's recipe and improved it.

  3. Future

    Next year we will build on this success.

    Next year we'll build on that success.

  4. Present continuous

    We are building on the ideas from the last meeting.

    We're developing the ideas from the last meeting.

  5. Present perfect

    The team has built on his research for years.

    The team has been building on his research for years.

  6. Conditional

    I would build on what already works.

    I would start from what already works.

  7. Imperative

    Build on your strengths, not your weaknesses.

    Develop your strengths, not your weaknesses.

Good to know

  • "Build on" is to start from something that already exists and go beyond: "build on last year's results".

Where you hear build on

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

English for Brazilians · Intermediate Level 2

  • Each idea builds on the last one. Each idea builds on the last one.
  • I built on Rachel's idea. I built on Rachel's idea.
  • We'll build on this episode. We'll build on this episode.
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Intermediate Level 2 · building on what you said

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: irregular verb.