What Is the Verb Root of a Verb? (with Examples)
What Is the Verb Root of a Verb? (with Examples)
The verb root (or base form) of a verb is the form listed in the dictionary.The verb root is the same as the infinitive (e.g., to dive, to jump, to wonder) but without the to. It is the version of the verb without any endings (e.g., -s, -ing, and ed).
Examples of Verb Root
Here are some examples of verb roots:- watch (This is used to make these forms: watches, watched, watching.)
- 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.)
The Verb Root Is the Same as Most of the Present Tense
The verb root appears in all versions of the present tense except the third person singular. 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 |
See Also
What are verbs? What is the infinitive form? What is the present tense? What is the third person? What is the imperative mood? What is the subjunctive mood? Glossary of grammatical terms
