should have become

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase 'should have become' is correct and usable in written English.
It is often used to talk about something that could have happened, but didn't. Example: She should have become a doctor, but instead she decided to pursue a career in finance.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Aerial bombardment should have become a rare thing..

The New Yorker

It never should have become anything other than that.

The Guardian - Opinion

Aerial bombardment should have become a rare thing...

The New Yorker

From here on this should have become a happier story.

The Guardian - Opinion

"There are places that should have become logistics clusters but did not.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Pixar quickly became the animation powerhouse that Disney once was — and should have become again.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

It's awful that he himself should have become the object of mourning so young.

The New Yorker

Their job should have become easier thanks to biotechnology, a powerful new tool in plant breeding.

The Economist

According to the rule-of-thumb, half of all its species should have become extinct.

The Economist

Many thought that George should have become the British Communist party general secretary.

The Guardian

Statistically, it should have become easier to get into college starting about that time.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "should have become" to express a missed opportunity or a deviation from an expected outcome. It implies a sense of regret or unrealized potential.

Common error

Avoid using "should of become" as it's a common misspelling. Remember that "should've" is a contraction of "should have", and "have" is the correct auxiliary verb.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "should have become" functions as a modal perfect construction indicating a past action that was expected or desirable but did not occur. This highlights a discrepancy between what was anticipated and what actually happened, as shown in Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Academia

30%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Wiki

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "should have become" is a versatile phrase used to express that something was expected or desired to happen in the past but did not. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically sound and widely applicable. Its use conveys a sense of regret, missed opportunity, or criticism. Predominantly found in news, academic, and scientific contexts, it maintains a neutral register suitable for diverse writing styles. Remember to avoid the common error of "should of become" and focus on using "should have" to maintain grammatical correctness.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

ought to have been

Emphasizes a moral obligation or expectation that something should have occurred.

was meant to be

Focuses on the intended or predetermined nature of an outcome that didn't materialize.

could have evolved into

Highlights the potential for a gradual development or transformation that was unrealized.

might have transformed into

Suggests a possible change or conversion that didn't take place.

should have developed into

Indicates an expected progression or growth that did not occur.

was supposed to turn into

Implies an arrangement or plan for something to become something else, but it failed.

was destined to be

Suggests a preordained outcome that was ultimately unfulfilled.

should have progressed to

Focuses on a stage or level of advancement that was not reached.

was anticipated to grow into

Emphasizes that an expectation of growth was not met.

was projected to mature into

Highlights a forecast or prediction of maturation that didn't come to pass.

FAQs

How can I use "should have become" in a sentence?

"Should have become" indicates something that was expected or possible in the past but did not happen. For example, "He should have become a doctor, but he chose a different career path."

What's a more formal alternative to "should have become"?

A more formal alternative could be "ought to have become". For instance, instead of saying "She should have become the CEO", you could say "She "ought to have become" the CEO."

How does "should have become" differ from "could have become"?

"Should have become" implies a stronger expectation or obligation, while "could have become" indicates a possibility without the same level of expectation. "He should have become a lawyer" suggests it was expected, whereas "He "could have become" a lawyer" simply states it was possible.

What are some common mistakes when using "should have become"?

A common mistake is using "should of become" instead of "should have become". Remember, it's always "should have", or the contraction "should've", not "should of".