diff --git a/src/execution/execute.js b/src/execution/execute.js
index 6ec28d5ea2..b272c5754d 100644
--- a/src/execution/execute.js
+++ b/src/execution/execute.js
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ import promiseReduce from '../jsutils/promiseReduce';
 import type { ObjMap } from '../jsutils/ObjMap';
 import type { MaybePromise } from '../jsutils/MaybePromise';
 
+import { getOperationRootType } from '../utilities/getOperationRootType';
 import { typeFromAST } from '../utilities/typeFromAST';
 import { Kind } from '../language/kinds';
 import {
@@ -415,47 +416,6 @@ function executeOperation(
   }
 }
 
-/**
- * Extracts the root type of the operation from the schema.
- */
-export function getOperationRootType(
-  schema: GraphQLSchema,
-  operation: OperationDefinitionNode,
-): GraphQLObjectType {
-  switch (operation.operation) {
-    case 'query':
-      const queryType = schema.getQueryType();
-      if (!queryType) {
-        throw new GraphQLError(
-          'Schema does not define the required query root type.',
-          [operation],
-        );
-      }
-      return queryType;
-    case 'mutation':
-      const mutationType = schema.getMutationType();
-      if (!mutationType) {
-        throw new GraphQLError('Schema is not configured for mutations.', [
-          operation,
-        ]);
-      }
-      return mutationType;
-    case 'subscription':
-      const subscriptionType = schema.getSubscriptionType();
-      if (!subscriptionType) {
-        throw new GraphQLError('Schema is not configured for subscriptions.', [
-          operation,
-        ]);
-      }
-      return subscriptionType;
-    default:
-      throw new GraphQLError(
-        'Can only execute queries, mutations and subscriptions.',
-        [operation],
-      );
-  }
-}
-
 /**
  * Implements the "Evaluating selection sets" section of the spec
  * for "write" mode.
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index c439340a0a..697734cf47 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -320,6 +320,8 @@ export {
   introspectionQuery,
   // Gets the target Operation from a Document
   getOperationAST,
+  // Gets the Type for the target Operation AST.
+  getOperationRootType,
   // Convert a GraphQLSchema to an IntrospectionQuery
   introspectionFromSchema,
   // Build a GraphQLSchema from an introspection result.
diff --git a/src/subscription/subscribe.js b/src/subscription/subscribe.js
index a7fc1f69a8..2c8eb4f65f 100644
--- a/src/subscription/subscribe.js
+++ b/src/subscription/subscribe.js
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import {
   collectFields,
   execute,
   getFieldDef,
-  getOperationRootType,
   resolveFieldValueOrError,
   responsePathAsArray,
 } from '../execution/execute';
@@ -29,6 +28,7 @@ import type { ObjMap } from '../jsutils/ObjMap';
 import type { ExecutionResult } from '../execution/execute';
 import type { DocumentNode } from '../language/ast';
 import type { GraphQLFieldResolver } from '../type/definition';
+import { getOperationRootType } from '../utilities/getOperationRootType';
 
 /**
  * Implements the "Subscribe" algorithm described in the GraphQL specification.
diff --git a/src/utilities/__tests__/getOperationRootType-test.js b/src/utilities/__tests__/getOperationRootType-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e86e109cef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utilities/__tests__/getOperationRootType-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,136 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2015-present, Facebook, Inc.
+ *
+ * This source code is licensed under the MIT license found in the
+ * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree.
+ */
+
+import { expect } from 'chai';
+import { describe, it } from 'mocha';
+import { getOperationRootType } from '../getOperationRootType';
+import { parse, GraphQLSchema, GraphQLObjectType, GraphQLString } from '../../';
+
+const queryType = new GraphQLObjectType({
+  name: 'FooQuery',
+  fields: () => ({
+    field: { type: GraphQLString },
+  }),
+});
+
+const mutationType = new GraphQLObjectType({
+  name: 'FooMutation',
+  fields: () => ({
+    field: { type: GraphQLString },
+  }),
+});
+
+const subscriptionType = new GraphQLObjectType({
+  name: 'FooSubscription',
+  fields: () => ({
+    field: { type: GraphQLString },
+  }),
+});
+
+describe('getOperationRootType', () => {
+  it('Gets a Query type for an unnamed OperationDefinitionNode', () => {
+    const testSchema = new GraphQLSchema({
+      query: queryType,
+    });
+    const doc = parse('{ field }');
+    expect(getOperationRootType(testSchema, doc.definitions[0])).to.equal(
+      queryType,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('Gets a Query type for an named OperationDefinitionNode', () => {
+    const testSchema = new GraphQLSchema({
+      query: queryType,
+    });
+
+    const doc = parse('query Q { field }');
+    expect(getOperationRootType(testSchema, doc.definitions[0])).to.equal(
+      queryType,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('Gets a type for OperationTypeDefinitionNodes', () => {
+    const testSchema = new GraphQLSchema({
+      query: queryType,
+      mutation: mutationType,
+      subscription: subscriptionType,
+    });
+
+    const doc = parse(
+      'schema { query: FooQuery mutation: FooMutation subscription: FooSubscription }',
+    );
+    const operationTypes = doc.definitions[0].operationTypes;
+    expect(getOperationRootType(testSchema, operationTypes[0])).to.equal(
+      queryType,
+    );
+    expect(getOperationRootType(testSchema, operationTypes[1])).to.equal(
+      mutationType,
+    );
+    expect(getOperationRootType(testSchema, operationTypes[2])).to.equal(
+      subscriptionType,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('Gets a Mutation type for an OperationDefinitionNode', () => {
+    const testSchema = new GraphQLSchema({
+      mutation: mutationType,
+    });
+
+    const doc = parse('mutation { field }');
+    expect(getOperationRootType(testSchema, doc.definitions[0])).to.equal(
+      mutationType,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('Gets a Subscription type for an OperationDefinitionNode', () => {
+    const testSchema = new GraphQLSchema({
+      subscription: subscriptionType,
+    });
+
+    const doc = parse('subscription { field }');
+    expect(getOperationRootType(testSchema, doc.definitions[0])).to.equal(
+      subscriptionType,
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('Throws when query type not defined in schema', () => {
+    const testSchema = new GraphQLSchema({});
+
+    const doc = parse('query { field }');
+    expect(() => getOperationRootType(testSchema, doc.definitions[0])).to.throw(
+      'Schema does not define the required query root type.',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('Throws when mutation type not defined in schema', () => {
+    const testSchema = new GraphQLSchema({});
+
+    const doc = parse('mutation { field }');
+    expect(() => getOperationRootType(testSchema, doc.definitions[0])).to.throw(
+      'Schema is not configured for mutations.',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('Throws when subscription type not defined in schema', () => {
+    const testSchema = new GraphQLSchema({});
+
+    const doc = parse('subscription { field }');
+    expect(() => getOperationRootType(testSchema, doc.definitions[0])).to.throw(
+      'Schema is not configured for subscriptions.',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('Throws when operation not a valid operation kind', () => {
+    const testSchema = new GraphQLSchema({});
+
+    const doc = parse('{ field }');
+    doc.definitions[0].operation = 'non_existent_operation';
+    expect(() => getOperationRootType(testSchema, doc.definitions[0])).to.throw(
+      'Can only have query, mutation and subscription operations.',
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/utilities/getOperationRootType.js b/src/utilities/getOperationRootType.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..72f7b3d8cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utilities/getOperationRootType.js
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2015-present, Facebook, Inc.
+ *
+ * This source code is licensed under the MIT license found in the
+ * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree.
+ *
+ * @flow strict
+ */
+
+import { GraphQLError } from '../error/GraphQLError';
+import type {
+  OperationDefinitionNode,
+  OperationTypeDefinitionNode,
+} from '../language/ast';
+import { GraphQLSchema } from '../type/schema';
+import type { GraphQLObjectType } from '../type/definition';
+
+/**
+ * Extracts the root type of the operation from the schema.
+ */
+export function getOperationRootType(
+  schema: GraphQLSchema,
+  operation: OperationDefinitionNode | OperationTypeDefinitionNode,
+): GraphQLObjectType {
+  switch (operation.operation) {
+    case 'query':
+      const queryType = schema.getQueryType();
+      if (!queryType) {
+        throw new GraphQLError(
+          'Schema does not define the required query root type.',
+          [operation],
+        );
+      }
+      return queryType;
+    case 'mutation':
+      const mutationType = schema.getMutationType();
+      if (!mutationType) {
+        throw new GraphQLError('Schema is not configured for mutations.', [
+          operation,
+        ]);
+      }
+      return mutationType;
+    case 'subscription':
+      const subscriptionType = schema.getSubscriptionType();
+      if (!subscriptionType) {
+        throw new GraphQLError('Schema is not configured for subscriptions.', [
+          operation,
+        ]);
+      }
+      return subscriptionType;
+    default:
+      throw new GraphQLError(
+        'Can only have query, mutation and subscription operations.',
+        [operation],
+      );
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/utilities/index.js b/src/utilities/index.js
index e627206197..3fa3529342 100644
--- a/src/utilities/index.js
+++ b/src/utilities/index.js
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@ export type {
 // Gets the target Operation from a Document
 export { getOperationAST } from './getOperationAST';
 
+// Gets the Type for the target Operation AST.
+export { getOperationRootType } from './getOperationRootType';
+
 // Convert a GraphQLSchema to an IntrospectionQuery
 export { introspectionFromSchema } from './introspectionFromSchema';