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(ordered by seriousness) vocabulary for learners tests and games awkward plurals sayings and proverbs tattoo fails our Twitter page our YouTube channel
Verb Root (or "Root Form of a Verb")
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What Is a Verb Root? (with Examples)
A verb root (which is also known as the "root form of a verb" or the base form of a verb) is the version of the verb that is listed in the dictionary.The verb root is the same as the infinitive form but without the "to." For example:
| Infinitive Form | Verb Root |
|---|---|
| to dive | dive |
| to jump | jump |
| to wonder | wonder |
In other words, the verb root is the form of the verb without any endings (e.g., "-s," "-ing," and "ed").
The Other Verb Forms
The verb root is used to create the other forms of the verb. There are five forms of a verb:
Got it? Take a quick test.Examples of Verb Root
Here are some examples of verb roots:- watch (The verb root "watch" is used to make these three forms: watches, watched, watching. Note that watched is both the past form and the past-participle form. This is common.)
- play (This is used to make these forms: plays, played, playing.)
- live (This is used to make these forms: lives, lived, living.)
- think (This is used to make these forms: thinks, thought, thinking.)
- drink (This is used to make these forms: drinks, drank, drinking, drunk. Note that the past form of the verb "to drink" is not the same as the past-participle form.)
The Verb Root Appears in Most of the Present Tense
The verb root appears in all versions of the present tense except the third person singular (shaded red). For example:| Conjugation | Example 1 | Example 2 |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person singular | I play | I concur |
| 2nd person singular | You play | You concur |
| 3rd person singular | He plays She plays It plays | He concurs She concurs It concurs |
| 1st person plural | We play | We concur |
| 2nd person plural | You play | You concur |
| 3rd person plural | They play | They concur |
The Verb Root Appears in the Imperative Mood (i.e., Commands)
The verb root is used for commands (i.e., the imperative mood. For example:- Eat a live toad the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.
- Next time I see you, remind me not to talk to you. (Comedian Groucho Marx)
The Verb Root Appears in the Subjunctive Mood
The verb root of a verb appears in the subjunctive mood. For example:- I propose he stay with us.
- Saddam Hussein systematically violated every UN resolution that demanded he disarm and destroy his chemical and biological weapons. (US politician Henry Waxman)
The Five Verb Forms
The table below shows the five verb forms in English.| Verb Type | 1 The Verb Root (aka "Base Form" or "Uninflected Form") |
2 The -S Form (aka "Third Person Singular Present Tense Form") |
3 Past Form (aka "The Past Tense Form") |
4 The -ING Form (aka the Present Participle Form |
5 The Past Participle Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | play | plays | played | playing | played |
| Regular | use | uses | used | using | used |
| Regular | marry | marries | married | marrying | married |
| Irregular | bring | brings | brought | bringing | brought |
| Irregular | run | runs | ran | running | run |
| Irregular | fall | falls | fell | falling | fallen |
| Irregular | drink | drinks | drank | drinking | drunk |
Why Should I Care about the Verb Roots?
Understanding the verb forms (including the root form) is essential when learning English because it allows teachers and pupils to talk about the components that form the various tenses.For example, with some verbs, the root form, past form, and past participle form are the same (e.g., let, I let, I had let). However, with others, they are all different (e.g., take, I took, I had taken).
Knowing the various verb forms is a great starting point for learning these complex rules and exceptions.
Key Point
- Learning English? Learn the five verb forms.
Ready for the Test?
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