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