Become past tense: became, become
begin to be
Become is an irregular English verb: the past simple of become is became and the past participle is become. Learn the three forms together — become – became – become.
Verb forms
Base form
/bɪˈkʌm/
Past Simple
/bɪˈkeɪm/
Past Participle
/bɪˈkʌm/
Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).
Example sentences
Base form · become
Caterpillars become butterflies in a few weeks.
Past Simple · became
She became the youngest manager in the company.
Past Participle · become
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Key tenses
| Present Simple | Past Simple | Present Perfect |
|---|---|---|
I become he / she / it becomes | I became | I have become |
| Present Continuous:I am becoming · he / she / it is becoming | ||
Common collocations
become aware
to start to notice something
Grammar guide
Become belongs to the small ABA group: the past participle is the same as the base form (become), and only the past simple (became) is different.
- Past simple – became: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
- Past participle – become: after have, has or had (present perfect, past perfect) and after be in the passive voice.
- Questions and negatives in the past simple use did + the base form: Did you become…? I didn’t become.
Verbs with the same pattern
Quick quiz
Which sentence is correct?
Questions about become
- What is the past simple of become?
- The past simple of become is became.
- What is the past participle of become?
- The past participle of become is become.
- What are the three forms of become?
- The three forms are become – became – become: base form, past simple and past participle.
- Is become a regular or an irregular verb?
- Become is irregular: its past simple is became, not becomed.