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Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak
CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com
became approved
Grammar usage guide and real-world examplesUSAGE SUMMARY
The phrase "became approved" is not correct in standard written English.
It is typically used incorrectly as "approved" is a past participle that does not fit with "became," which suggests a change of state. Example: "The proposal became approved after the committee's review."
⚠ May contain grammatical issues
Science
News & Media
Alternative expressions(3)
Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Human-verified examples from authoritative sources
Exact Expressions
6 human-written examples
Recently, my university's first LGBTQ+ organization became approved, on our campus, which was encouraging.
News & Media
After the study was able to demonstrate successful treatment, carbon ion therapy became approved as the best therapy available in Germany.
Science
This study was able to demonstrate excellent clinical results and carbon ion therapy became approved as the best therapy available in Germany.
Science
None of the development programs that were the first to demonstrate clinical proof of concept actually became approved drugs, illustrating the difficulty and risk inherent in creating drugs.
Advanced methods for biodegradation testing including the shake flask test and semiCAS procedure (SDA, 1965) became approved international methods (i.e., ASTM International D2667-95; OECD 301, 302 and 303 guidelines).
Etravirine became approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in early 2012 to be used in combination with other ARV medications in HIV-1-infected children aged 6 years to <18 years who are failing their regimens with HIV-1 strains resistant to NNRTIs and other ARVs.
Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources
Similar Expressions
54 human-written examples
Apple has a submission and registration process for third-party components to become approved extensions to QuickTime.
"Looking at Title II and how long it took for those rules to be approved, we could be looking at a year from the date the rules are proposed for crowdfund investing to become approved.
News & Media
Once the channel has been deemed appropriate and family-friendly, it becomes approved.
News & Media
It says a "channel review" includes "a human confirmation of many videos on the channel". Once the channel has been deemed appropriate and family-friendly, it becomes approved.
News & Media
One program, for example, allowed clients to become approved for a loan before searching for a house (at the time, an improvement on existing ideas), making them more credible to sellers; another allowed customers to fill out documents in their homes rather than in the mortgage office.
News & Media
Expert writing Tips
Best practice
Prefer using "was approved" or "received approval" for grammatical accuracy. This ensures clarity and avoids potential misunderstandings.
Common error
Avoid using "became" directly before a past participle like "approved". "Became" indicates a change of state, and it's better paired with adjectives or nouns (e.g., "became popular", "became a doctor"). Instead, use auxiliary verbs like "was" or "received" to form grammatically correct passive sentences.
Source & Trust
82%
Authority and reliability
3.2/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested
Linguistic Context
The phrase "became approved" functions as a verb phrase aiming to describe a change in status, indicating that something has transitioned into an approved state. However, Ludwig AI identifies it as not correct in standard written English, typically advising against it.
Frequent in
Science
50%
News & Media
50%
Encyclopedias
0%
Less common in
Formal & Business
0%
Social Media
0%
Reference
0%
Ludwig's WRAP-UP
In summary, while the phrase "became approved" aims to convey a change in status to an approved state, it's considered grammatically questionable. Ludwig AI suggests preferring alternatives like "was approved" or "received approval" for greater clarity and correctness. Although the phrase appears in both scientific and news contexts, adopting more standard phrasing is recommended for formal writing. Ludwig's analysis underscores the importance of grammatical precision, even when a phrase is somewhat understood in common usage.
More alternative expressions(10)
Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:
Was approved
Uses the passive voice with the auxiliary verb 'was' to indicate approval.
Received approval
Employs 'received' to denote the act of gaining approval.
Got approved
A more informal way of saying something was approved.
Has been approved
Uses the present perfect passive voice, indicating that approval happened at some point in the past and continues to be valid.
Gained approval
Emphasizes the active effort or process that led to approval.
Secured approval
Suggests that approval was difficult to obtain and was successfully achieved.
Obtained approval
A more formal version of 'gained approval'.
Met with approval
Implies that something was well-received and thus approved.
Was sanctioned
Suggests formal or official approval.
Was authorized
Indicates that someone with authority gave permission.
FAQs
Is it grammatically correct to say "became approved"?
No, the phrase "became approved" is generally considered grammatically incorrect. The correct phrasing is usually "was approved" or "received approval".
What is a more appropriate way to say "became approved"?
Instead of "became approved", use phrases like "was approved", "received approval", or "got approved" depending on the context and desired level of formality.
When should I use "was approved" instead of "became approved"?
"Was approved" should be used when describing something that has undergone a process and has been given approval. It's grammatically sound and widely accepted compared to "became approved".
What's the difference between "became approved" and "received approval"?
While "became approved" is technically incorrect, "received approval" is the correct and formal way of saying something was granted approval.
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Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Source & Trust
82%
Authority and reliability
3.2/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested