- Became is the simple past tense of “become.” Use it for a change that happened and finished in the past. She became a doctor in 2020.
- Become is the base form and the past participle. Use it after to, will, can, should, have, has, had. She wants to become a doctor. She has become a doctor.
“Have became” or “have become”? “Will become” or “will became”? These questions come up all the time, because “become” is an irregular verb and its past participle looks like the base form, not the past form. This guide covers the meaning of become and became, every verb form, simple rules, common mistakes, and a quick quiz.
What Does “Become” Mean?
Become means to start being something, or to change into a new state, role, or condition.
- She wants to become a pilot. (a new role)
- The sky is becoming dark. (a new condition)
- It has become clear that we need help. (a new situation)
It also has two less common meanings:
- To suit or look good on someone (formal): That color becomes you.
- Become of: used to ask what happened to someone or something. What became of your old school friend?
What Does “Became” Mean?
Became has the same meaning as “become,” but it tells us the change took place in the past and is finished. It is the simple past tense.
- The weather became cold last night.
- He became a father in May.
- My phone became slow after the update.
“Became” does not change for I, you, he, she, we, or they. One form works for every subject.
All Forms of “Become”
| Form | Word | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base form | become | I, you, we, they; after “to” and modal verbs | They become tired easily. |
| Third person singular | becomes | he, she, it | It becomes dark at six. |
| Simple past | became | finished past action | She became upset. |
| Past participle | become | after have, has, had | She has become upset. |
| -ing form | becoming | ongoing action; gerund | He is becoming stronger. |
The pattern to memorize: become → became → become. The past participle goes back to “become,” not “became.”
Become vs Became: The Main Rule
| Become | Became | |
|---|---|---|
| Tense | Base form / past participle | Simple past |
| Time | Present, future, or perfect tenses | A finished moment in the past |
| Comes after | to, will, can, should, have, has, had | the subject directly (she became) |
| Example | I will become a teacher. I have become a teacher. | I became a teacher last year. |
Easy test: if a helper word (have, has, had, will, to, can, should) comes right before the verb, use become. If the subject comes right before it and the action is finished, use became.
Have Become or Have Became?
The correct form is always have become, has become, or had become. Perfect tenses need the past participle, and the past participle of “become” is become.
| Wrong | Right |
|---|---|
| I have became tired. | I have become tired. |
| It has became clear. | It has become clear. |
| I’ve became a manager. | I’ve become a manager. |
| They had became friends. | They had become friends. |
| She should have became a lawyer. | She should have become a lawyer. |
Will Become or Will Became?
After will, would, can, could, may, might, must, and should, always use the base form become.
- She will become famous. (not “will became”)
- Water can become ice. (not “can became”)
- You should become more patient.
The same goes for “to”: I hope to become an artist.
Became vs Had Become
Both talk about the past, but they show different time relationships.
- Became = a single past event. He became a manager in 2022.
- Had become = something that was already completed before another past event. By the time I met him, he had become a manager.
Use “had become” when you need to show which past event happened first.
To Become or To Becoming?
Usually the correct form is to become, because “to” is part of the infinitive.
- I want to become a nurse.
- He decided to become a vegetarian.
“To becoming” is correct only when to is a preposition followed by an -ing word. This happens after expressions like look forward to, committed to, used to, and object to:
- I look forward to becoming a member.
- She is committed to becoming a better leader.
Can you start a sentence with “becoming”? Yes. In that position it works as a noun-like gerund: Becoming a parent changed his life.
Become vs Be: What Is the Difference?
| Verb | Shows | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Be | a state that already exists | She is a doctor. |
| Become | a change into that state | She became a doctor. |
Is “Become” an Action Verb?
No. Become is a linking verb. It connects the subject to a word that describes the subject’s new state, instead of showing a physical action. That word can be a noun or an adjective.
- He became a teacher. (noun)
- The room became quiet. (adjective)
It is not exactly the same as “to be,” but it works in a similar way, with the added idea of change. Other linking verbs include seem, appear, feel, stay, and remain.
Is “Became” a Word?
Yes. “Became” is a correct English word. It is the simple past tense of “become,” not a misspelling, but it is often used in the wrong spot, such as after “have” or “will.”
Become Is an Irregular Verb
Regular verbs add -ed (walk → walked → walked). “Become” is irregular, so its forms must be learned.
| Base | Past simple | Past participle |
|---|---|---|
| become | became | become |
| come | came | come |
| overcome | overcame | overcome |
| run | ran | run |
Notice that all of them use the same word for the base form and the past participle. If you can say “I have come,” you can say “I have become.”
Become in Different Tenses
| Tense | Example |
|---|---|
| Present simple | She becomes nervous before exams. |
| Present continuous | I am becoming stronger. |
| Past simple | I became excited. |
| Past continuous | The sky was becoming dark. |
| Present perfect | I have become confident. |
| Past perfect | She had become famous. |
| Future simple | I will become a pilot. |
| Future perfect | By 2030, she will have become a doctor. |
Common Mistakes With Become and Became
| Mistake | Correct |
|---|---|
| She will became famous. | She will become famous. |
| I want to became a doctor. | I want to become a doctor. |
| He has became rich. | He has become rich. |
| He becomed rich. | He became rich. |
| She is becomming better. | She is becoming better. (one M) |
| I became to understand. | I came to understand. / I began to understand. |
| He doesn’t became angry. | He doesn’t become angry. (base form after “doesn’t”) |
Spelling Tips
- Become: be + come. Two parts, one M.
- Becoming: drop the final “e” and add -ing. Only one M, no double.
- Became: be + came.
Real-Life Examples
School and career
- Sarah wants to become a teacher.
- Sarah became a teacher in 2024.
- Sarah has become a respected teacher.
Health
- I became sick yesterday.
- I have become healthier since I started walking.
Technology
- Smartphones have become more powerful every year.
- Computers became popular in the 1990s.
Everyday life
- The traffic became worse after noon.
- It will become colder tonight.
Useful Phrases With Become
- become aware: start to notice (I became aware of the problem.)
- become friends: They quickly became friends.
- become clear: It has become clear that we need more time.
- become used to: You will become used to the noise.
- become of: What became of the project?
- become known: The news became known on Monday.
Titles and roles: when you talk about a one-person position, you can leave out “a” or “the”: She became president in 2019.
Become vs Get vs Turn vs Grow
| Word | Feel | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Become | neutral to formal; works with nouns and adjectives | She became a manager. He became angry. |
| Get | informal, often for feelings or situations | I got tired. It’s getting late. |
| Turn | a noticeable change, often colors or moods | The leaves turned red. |
| Grow | a slow, gradual change | She grew tired of waiting. |
Synonyms of Become
Depending on the sentence: turn into, grow into, develop into, change into, transform into, evolve into, come to be, end up as, get, grow, turn.
For the “suit” meaning: suit, flatter, befit.
Pronunciation
- Become: /bɪˈkʌm/ (bih-KUM)
- Became: /bɪˈkeɪm/ (bih-KAYM)
- Becoming: /bɪˈkʌmɪŋ/ (bih-KUM-ing)
Easy Memory Trick
Say this out loud: “Today I become, yesterday I became, and I have become.”
Or remember the short rule: after a helper word, use “become”; after a subject in a finished past event, use “became.”
Quick Quiz: Become or Became?
Choose the correct word, then click the question to check.1. I hope to ____ an artist.2. She ____ upset after hearing the news yesterday.3. They have ____ successful entrepreneurs.4. He will ____ stronger with practice.5. The sky ____ dark at six o’clock last night.6. By the time I arrived, he had ____ famous. (become / became)7. Is “becomming” spelled correctly?8. Is “become” an action verb or a linking verb?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between become and became?
Become is the base form and past participle. Became is the simple past tense. Use “became” for finished past actions and “become” after to, will, can, should, have, has, and had.
Is it “have become” or “have became”?
Always have become. The past participle of “become” is “become.”
Is it “will become” or “will became”?
It is will become. After “will” you always use the base form.
What does became mean?
“Became” means “started to be” or “changed into” something in the past, as in “She became a nurse.”
Is “became” a word?
Yes. It is the simple past tense of “become.”
What is the simple past tense of become?
The simple past is became.
What is the past participle of become?
The past participle is become, the same as the base form.
What does “becomes” mean?
“Becomes” is the present tense for he, she, and it: “It becomes colder in winter.”
Is “become” an action verb?
No. It is a linking verb that connects the subject to a new state or role.
Is become a “to be” verb?
Not exactly. “Be” shows a state, while “become” shows a change into a state. Both are linking verbs.
What is the difference between “became” and “had become”?
“Became” describes one past event. “Had become” shows a change that was completed before another past event.
Is it “to become” or “to becoming”?
Use to become for the infinitive. Use “to becoming” only when “to” is a preposition, as in “I look forward to becoming a member.”
How do you spell become and becoming?
Become is spelled b-e-c-o-m-e. Becoming is b-e-c-o-m-i-n-g, with one M and no extra “e.”
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The Bottom Line
Remember the chain become → became → become. Use became for one finished moment in the past, and use become after to, modal verbs, and have, has, had. Never write “have became” or “will became,” keep “becoming” at one M, and remember that “become” is a linking verb that shows change. With those few rules, you will get this word right every time.
