“Become” is the verb for changing into a new state, role, or condition. It often describes a process or result of change, not a deliberate action like “make.” In this module, you learn how “become” works across present, past, and past participle forms: become, became, become.

Use “become” for the present and future with most subjects, and “becomes” with he, she, and it. It describes what is happening over time, what is generally true, or what will happen. It is commonly followed by an adjective, a noun, or an expression of status.

Subject	Form	Example
I	become	I become nervous before interviews.
you	become	You become more confident with practice.
he	becomes	He becomes impatient when he waits.
she	becomes	She becomes a manager next month.
it	becomes	It becomes dangerous after dark.
we	become	We become friends over time.
they	become	They become tired during long meetings.

Use “became” as the simple past of “become.” It describes a completed change at a past time or during a past period. It is used for a single past event or a sequence of changes in a story.

Subject	Form	Example
I	became	I became interested in finance last year.
you	became	You became calmer after the call.
he	became	He became a citizen in 2020.
she	became	She became sick during the trip.
it	became	It became clear after we checked.
we	became	We became aware of the problem.
they	became	They became famous overnight.

The past participle is “become,” used with auxiliary verbs like “have” and “has.” It connects a past change to the present or to another past time. This form is also used in perfect tenses and some passive-like structures, but “become” itself is usually not used in the true passive voice.

Subject	Form	Example
I	have become	I have become more patient recently.
you	have become	You have become an important part of the team.
he	has become	He has become very successful.
she	has become	She has become a better speaker.
it	has become	It has become harder to park هنا.
we	have become	We have become close friends.
they	have become	They have become more careful.

“Become” is commonly followed by an adjective to describe a new state, or a noun phrase to describe a new identity or role. It can also be followed by expressions like “a problem,” “a habit,” or “a tradition” to show something developing into a recognized thing. The focus is on the end state after change.

Word/Phrase	Definition	Example
become + adjective	change into a state or quality	The room became quiet.
become + noun	change into a role or identity	She became an engineer.
become + more or less	gradual change in degree	He became more confident.
become + a problem	develop into something difficult	The delay became a problem.

Choose the form by the time relationship you want. “Become” is for present or general truths, “became” is for a completed past change, and “have or has become” connects a past change to now or emphasizes the result now. This helps you express whether the change is finished in the past or still relevant.

Rule	Example
Use become for present facts and habits	People become impatient in long lines.
Use became for a finished past change	The situation became serious yesterday.
Use have or has become for a past change with present relevance	The neighborhood has become safer.
Use had become to show the change happened before another past moment	By 2019, she had become the team lead.

“Get” and “become” can both describe change, but they differ in tone and style. “Get” is more informal and common in conversation, while “become” is more neutral or formal and often used in writing. “Become” also sounds more deliberate and gradual in many contexts.

Rule	Example
Use become for neutral or formal style	The policy became effective in June.
Use get for informal spoken change	I got tired after work.
Become often sounds more gradual than get	He became confident over time.
Get is common with feelings and temporary states	She got angry quickly.

“Be” describes a state, while “become” describes the change into that state. If you use “be,” you focus on what something is now; if you use “become,” you focus on the transition. This difference is essential for clear meaning in narratives and explanations.

Rule	Example
Use be for a stable state or identity	He is a doctor.
Use become for the transition into that state	He became a doctor in 2018.
Become highlights change and result	The sky became dark.
Be highlights description without change	The sky is dark.

“Become” has stress on the second syllable. “Became” also stresses the second syllable, with a long vowel sound in that syllable. Keep the first syllable reduced in casual speech so the stress pattern stays clear and natural.

Rule	Description	Notation	Example
Stress pattern	Stress the second syllable	bi KUM	become
Vowel in became	Long vowel sound in the stressed syllable	bi KAYM	became
Reduced first syllable	The first syllable is often weak and quick	bi	become, became
Final consonant	Clear m sound at the end	m	become

“Become, became, become” are the base form, simple past, and past participle of the same verb of change. Use “become” for present or general change, “became” for completed past change, and “have or has become” to connect a past change to the present. Use “become” when you want to emphasize transition rather than a simple state.