become
‘become’
When something or someone becomes a particular thing, they start to be that thing. If you become a doctor, a teacher, or a writer, for example, you start to be a doctor, a teacher, or a writer.
Greta wants to become a teacher.
If someone or something becomes a certain way, they start to have that quality.
When did you first become interested in politics?
The past tense of ‘become’ is became.
We became good friends at once.
The smell became stronger and stronger.
The -ed participle is become.
Life has become a lot harder since James died.
When become is followed by a singular noun phrase, the noun phrase usually begins with a determiner.
I became an engineer.
The young man became his friend.
However, when the noun phrase refers to a unique job or position within an organization, the determiner can be omitted.
In 1960 he became Ambassador to Hungary.
He became CEO last July.
The following words can be used to mean ‘become’. These words can be followed only by an adjective. Don't use a noun phrase after them.
‘get’
In conversation, get is often used to talk about how people or things change and start to have a different quality.
It was getting dark.
She began to get suspicious.
‘grow’
In written English, grow is often used to talk about how people or things change and start to have a different quality.
Some of her colleagues are growing impatient.
The sun grew so hot that they had to stop working.
‘come’
If a dream, wish, or prediction comes true, it actually happens.
My wish had come true.
➜ See true - come true
‘go’
Go is used to talk about a sudden change in someone's body.
I went numb.
He went cold all over.
*
You say that someone goes blind or deaf.
She went blind twenty years ago.
Go is always used in the phrases go wrong and go mad.
Something has gone wrong with our car.
Tom went mad and started shouting at me.
‘go’ and ‘turn’
If you want to say that someone or something becomes a different colour, you use go or turn.
Her hair was going grey.
The grass had turned brown.
When she heard the news, she went pale.
He turned bright red with embarrassment.
In American English, you usually use turn, not ‘go’.
Be careful
Don't use ‘get’ or ‘become’ when you are talking about someone's face changing colour. Don't say, for example, that someone ‘gets pale’ or ‘becomes pale’.
Don't use ‘get’ or ‘become’ when you are talking about someone's face changing colour. Don't say, for example, that someone ‘gets pale’ or ‘becomes pale’.