Root Forms: What They Are and How To Use Them

Do you know what root forms are? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on root forms, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What are root forms?

According to Grammarly, there are many types of verb tense and verb form:

  •   Future Tense Form:
    •  Future Perfect Tense
    •  Simple Future Tense
    •  Future Continuous Tense
    •  Future Perfect Continuous Tense
  • Present Tense Form:
    •  Simple Present Tense
    •  Present Perfect Tense
    •  Present Continuous Tense
    •  Present Perfect Continuous Tense
  •   Other Forms:
    •  Infinitive Form/Infinitive Endings
    •  Past Participle Form
    •  Present Participle Form
    •  Subjunctive Mood
    •  Imperative Mood
    •  Finite Forms
    •  Perfective Verbs
    •  Imperfective Verbs
    •  Weak Verbs
    •  Strong Verbs
  • Past Tense Form:
    •  Past Perfect Tense
    •  Simple Past Tense
    •  Past Continuous Tense
    •  Past Perfect Continuous Tense

The root form of a verb is the infinitive form of the verb minus the “to” in front of it. According to Grammar Monster, this form does not add endings like ed or ing, but is simply the base form of a verb. Verbs have been conjugated since Ancient Greek verbs for Greek nouns. An irregular past tense verb will have a past form of the verb that does not follow normal rules of verb conjugation, unlike regular verbs which follow a standard conjugation. Each verb will conjugate slightly differently in different tenses, such as the third person singular form versus the first person plural form. A root word can also refer to the often Latin word that forms prefixes for different words. The verb root of a verb tells us if the version of the verb will be regular or irregular. Learning the meaning of new words is a great way to expand your vocabulary!

The word root can also refer to parts of plants or a tooth. According to Dictionary, the word root can refer to a plant part that usually grows underground. This secures the plant in place, will absorb minerals and water, and also stores food that is manufactured by leaves and other plant parts. These are considered to grow in a root system. Plants like eudicots and magnoliids have a central taproot with many narrower lateral roots that branch off while monocots have threadlike fibrous roots. There are many parts of a plant including the stem, tuber, buds and more. Root vegetables include a beet or carrot. There are many types of roots including aerial roots, a primary root, a fourth root, adventitious roots,  branch roots, and more quantity of roots on vascular plants or the host plant.  Plants in heterogeneous soil have a number of roots.

The word root comes from the Middle English wroten, from the Old English wrōtan. This word is akin to wrōt meaning “a snout.”

What are examples of root verbs?

Root verbs can be used in many different contexts in the English language. Trying to use a word or grammatical technique in a sentence is one of the best ways to memorize what it is, but you can also try making flashcards or quizzes that test your knowledge. Try using this term of the day in a sentence today! Below are a couple of examples of roots that can help get you started incorporating this tool into your everyday use.  Take a look at these common root verb examples from English Study Here and see how many common root verbs you can identify!

  •  Describe
  •  Cut
  •  Look
  •  Avoid
  •  Choose
  •  Sit
  •  Discover
  •  Protect
  •  Improve
  •  Reduce
  •  Allow
  •  Tend
  •  Arrive
  •  Hold
  •  Open
  •  Report
  •  Live
  •  Find
  •  Receive
  •  Supply
  •  Succeed
  •  Stand
  •  Create
  •  Ask
  •  Push
  •  Need
  •  Face
  •  Exist
  •  Suggest
  •  Think
  •  Influence
  •  Relate
  •  Achieve
  •  Mean
  •  Affect
  •  Keep
  •  Forgive
  •  Run
  •  Fly
  •  Win
  •  Cost
  •  Walk
  •  Start
  •  Explain
  •  Hide
  •  Join
  •  Develop
  •  Apply
  •  Collect
  •  Go
  •  Experience
  •  Correct
  •  Depend
  •  Cross
  •  Could
  •  Return
  •  Remember
  •  Carry
  •  Perform
  •  Buy
  •  Catch
  •  Smile
  •  Grow
  •  Disappear
  •  Enjoy
  •  Visit
  •  Complete
  •  Damage
  •  Use
  •  Write
  •  Throw
  •  Rise
  •  Mention
  •  Meet
  •  Eat
  •  Accept
  •  Provide
  •  Reach
  •  Contain
  •  Sleep
  •  Shoot
  •  Answer
  •  Tell
  •  Save
  •  Leave
  •  Call
  •  See
  •  Continue
  •  Record
  •  Set
  •  Fall
  •  Drive
  •  State
  •  Watch
  •  Pay
  •  Dress
  •  Increase
  •  Study
  •  Come
  •  Follow
  •  Learn
  •  Travel
  •  Inform
  •  Imagine
  •  Care
  •  Expect
  •  Suppose
  •  Drink
  •  Say
  •  Try
  •  Make
  •  Train
  •  Take
  •  Deal
  •  Believe
  •  Arrange
  •  Help
  •  Reveal
  •  Prefer
  •  Laugh
  •  Measure
  •  Argue
  •  Read
  •  Touch
  •  Deliver
  •  Prevent
  •  Clean
  •  Involve
  •  Become
  •  Check
  •  Do
  •  Afford
  •  Lend
  •  Wonder
  •  Have
  •  Control
  •  Limit
  •  Clear
  •  Give
  •  Survive
  •  Cause
  •  Forget
  •  Build
  •  Finish
  •  Prepare
  •  Remove
  •  Hear
  •  Agree
  •  Show
  •  Understand
  •  Consist
  •  Deny
  •  Share
  •  Regard
  •  Contribute
  •  Know
  •  Result
  •  Order
  •  Love
  •  Get
  •  Talk
  •  Identity
  •  Own
  •  Happen
  •  Send
  •  Begin
  •  Wait
  •  Hope
  •  Want
  •  Form
  •  Like
  •  Speak
  •  Sound
  •  Admit
  •  Release
  •  Repeat
  •  Listen
  •  Treat
  •  Feel
  •  Change
  •  Must
  •  Complain
  •  Sell
  •  Play
  •  Mind
  •  Produce
  •  Move
  •  Express
  •  Reply
  •  Replace
  •  Matter
  •  Turn
  •  Invite
  •  Offer
  •  Sing
  •  Encourage
  •  Last
  •  Destroy
  •  Point
  •  Press

What are examples of root vegetables?

Root vegetables can be used in many different contexts in the English language. Trying to use a word or grammatical technique in a sentence is one of the best ways to memorize what it is, but you can also try making flashcards or quizzes that test your knowledge. Try using this term of the day in a sentence today! Below are a couple of examples of roots that can help get you started incorporating this tool into your everyday use.  Take a look at these common root vegetable examples from Palomar and see how many common root vegetables you can identify!

  • Corm
  • Eleocharis dulcis (Chinese water chestnut)
  • Sagittaria spp. (arrowhead or wapatoo)
  • Colocasia antiquorum (eddoe or Japanese potato)
  • Amorphophallus konjac (konjac)
  • Nymphaea spp. (waterlily)
  • Colocasia esculenta (taro)
  • Pteridium esculentum
  • Ensete spp. (enset)
  • Typha spp.
  • Xanthosoma spp. (malanga, cocoyam, tannia, yautia and other names)
  • Ginger rhizomes
  • Rhizome
  • Canna spp. (canna)
  • Cordyline fruticosa (ti)
  • Zingiber officinale (ginger, galangal)
  • Typha spp. (cattail or bulrush)
  • Panax ginseng (ginseng)
  • Curcuma longa (turmeric)
  • Nelumbo nucifera (lotus root)
  • Maranta arundinacea (arrowroot)
  • Arthropodium spp. (rengarenga, vanilla lily, and others)

Overall, root forms can refer to types of vegetable, plant parts of verb type.

Sources:

  1. Root Definition & Meaning | Dictionary 
  2. Verb Root (or “Root Form of a Verb”) | Grammar Monster 
  3. Root Vegetable Photos | Palomar 
  4. 200 Most Common Verbs List in English | English Study Here