Do you know what root verbs are? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on root verbs, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!
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Kevin
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December 3, 2021
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Common Questions
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What are root verbs?
According to Grammarly, there are many types of verb tense and verb form:
- Present Tense Form:
- Simple Present Tense
- Present Perfect Tense
- Present Continuous Tense
- Present Perfect Continuous Tense
- Past Tense Form:
- Past Perfect Tense
- Simple Past Tense
- Past Continuous Tense
- Past Perfect Continuous Tense
- Future Tense Form:
- Future Perfect Tense
- Simple Future Tense
- Future Continuous Tense
- Future 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
Today we will explore the root form of a verb, which is the infinitive form of the verb minus the “to” in front of it. According to Grammar Monster, his form does not add endings like ed form or ing form , but is simply the base form of a verb. Verbs have been conjugated since Ancient Greek verbs for Greek nouns. Make sure to take a closer look at base verbs and a verb’s ending so you know if it is a regular or irregular verb in different verb forms – 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.
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!
- Wait
- Own
- Believe
- Cut
- Sound
- Return
- Measure
- Inform
- Learn
- Deal
- Have
- Allow
- Hope
- Involve
- Follow
- Buy
- Describe
- Avoid
- Perform
- Prefer
- Exist
- Imagine
- Relate
- Record
- Apply
- Feel
- Press
- Explain
- Wonder
- Care
- Drive
- Catch
- Run
- Reply
- Answer
- Shoot
- Forgive
- Clear
- Finish
- Control
- Look
- Lend
- Become
- Contribute
- Deny
- Damage
- Influence
- Mind
- Result
- Do
- Forget
- Try
- Keep
- Read
- Turn
- Touch
- Develop
- Reduce
- Could
- Sit
- Face
- Disappear
- Cross
- Sing
- Admit
- Cause
- Talk
- Invite
- Create
- Tell
- Point
- Mention
- Treat
- Begin
- Contain
- Correct
- Reach
- Suppose
- Continue
- Want
- Expect
- Regard
- Eat
- Afford
- Clean
- Remove
- Deliver
- Travel
- Discover
- Release
- Supply
- Accept
- Watch
- Go
- Make
- Use
- Love
- Complete
- Succeed
- Argue
- Smile
- Express
- Produce
- Write
- Experience
- Prevent
- Fly
- Order
- Understand
- Remember
- Laugh
- Grow
- Collect
- Dress
- Must
- Live
- Leave
- Call
- Like
- Study
- Choose
- Give
- Help
- Arrive
- Need
- Come
- Tend
- Repeat
- Matter
- Arrange
- Know
- Happen
- Form
- Survive
- Protect
- Cost
- Hear
- Build
- Visit
- Affect
- Identity
- Get
- Prepare
- Suggest
- Fall
- Take
- Share
- Sell
- Carry
- Sleep
- Agree
- Show
- Move
- Mean
- Provide
- Start
- See
- Drink
- Set
- Find
- Receive
- Replace
- Hide
- Check
- Open
- Increase
- Save
- Enjoy
- Improve
- Last
- Pay
- Consist
- Win
- Push
- Hold
- Stand
- Throw
- Complain
- Send
- Think
- Play
- Listen
- Destroy
- Report
- Offer
- Limit
- Train
- Join
- Change
- Depend
- Speak
- Encourage
- Achieve
- Reveal
- Rise
- Ask
- Say
- Walk
- State
- Meet
What are other literary techniques and devices?
There are many different literary and grammatical techniques and devices that you might see when you are reading prose or poetry. It is important to recognize these terms because they are always used for some purpose. Knowing these devices can help readers understand the author’s deeper meaning and why they are using such a device. Take a look at the below list of grammatical devices from OED and see how many you know! Then try researching ones that are unfamiliar to you.
- construction
- element
- part of speech
- modal verb | modal auxiliary verb | modal auxiliary
- possessive adjective
- indirect passive
- combining form (comb. form)
- past participle
- indefinite
- predicative
- impersonal (impers.)
- apodosis and protasis
- non-finite
- locative
- double object
- protasis
- nominative
- imperative (imper.)
- case
- prepositional phrase
- non-referential
- comparative
- bare infinitive
- clause
- phrase (phr.)
- apposition
- adverb (adv.)
- nominal relative | nominal relative clause
- special use
- prefix
- prepositional object
- parenthetical | parenthetically
- auxiliary verb | auxiliary
- adjective
- preposition (prep.)
- optative
- cognate object
- perfect
- filler
- complementary
- second person
- direct speech
- postmodify | postmodifier
- indirect object
- causative
- premodify | premodifier
- zero
- number
- compound | compounding
- infinitive
- interjection
- present participle
- common noun
- plural
- passive
- definite article
- dual
- participle | past participle | present participle
- cataphoric
- antecedent
- main verb
- determiner
- passive infinitive
- verb (v.)
- demonstrative
- declarative
- relative
- subjunctive
- stem
- phrasal verb
- quasi-
- genitive
- abstract
- subject
- progressive
- masculine
- noun phrase
- complement
- feminine
- gerund
- indirect speech
- transitive
- singular
- prepositional passive
- sentence adverb |sentence adverbial
- indirect question
- subjective
- collective noun
- appositive
- vocative
- inflection | inflected | inflectional
- noun (n.)
- neuter
- collocation | collocate
- tense
- mass noun
- conditional
- pleonasm | pleonastic
- third-person
- subordinate clause
- agree | agreement
- finite
- intensifier
- that-clause
- superlative
- active
- past tense
- personal pronoun
- verbal noun
- mood
- parasynthetic
- head
- possessive
- conjunction (conj.)
- base form
- morpheme
- agent noun
- objective
- proper noun | proper name
- indicative
- direct object
- person
- anaphoric
- copular verb | copula
- adverbial | adverbially
- attributive
- possessive pronoun
- periphrasis | periphrastic
- modify | modifier
- exclamation mark
- participial adjective
- present tense
- dative
- main clause
- pro-form
- concrete
- construed (const., constr.)
- article
- gender
- intransitive
- to-infinitive
- positive
- direct question
- absolute (absol.)
- interrogative
- similative
- accusative
- combination
- unmarked genitive
- pronoun (pron.)
- reflexive
- instrumental
- count noun
- object | direct object | indirect object
- simple
- ellipsis | elliptical
- anticipatory
- first person
Overall, root verbs are the base form of the verb. These look like the infinitive form of the verb but without the word to in front of them.
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