to became

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "to became" is not correct in English; it should be "to become." You can use "to become" when discussing a change of state or transformation into something else.
Example: "She hopes to become a successful artist one day."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Rome cannot be defaced by those who want it to became the set of the Godfather".

Independent

He left USIA in 1965 to became general manager of Time-Life International.

The New York Times

It went on to became the most popular operating system ever, with more than 800m users.

The Economist

The low-tech pump went on to became the most widely used in the world.

The Guardian

She rose up the ranks to became a major player herself.

The Guardian

"Typically with Sean he managed to became close to Liam Gallagher.

The Guardian

In the 1990s Kamiński moved on to became a deputy for the Nationalist Christian ZChN party.

The Guardian - Opinion

There is little question Way is being groomed to became a general manager.

The New York Times - Sports

What Dylan was writing about, and reacting to, became a crucial part of his music.

The Guardian

This odd Edwardian figure popped up into public life, and decided to became a demagogue.

The Guardian - Books

In the classic swing council of Calderdale, Labour won seven seats to became the largest party.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Always use "to become" instead of "to became". "Become" is the base form of the verb and is required after the infinitive marker "to".

Common error

Avoid using the past tense form "became" after "to". The correct infinitive form is always "to become". For example, instead of "He wanted to became a doctor", write "He wanted to become a doctor".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "to became" is intended to function as an infinitive phrase, typically indicating a future state or transformation. However, it is grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI confirms this, indicating the correct form is "to become".

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

47%

Wiki

24%

Science

22%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Formal & Business

3%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "to became" appears frequently across various sources according to Ludwig, it is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is always "to become". This error stems from using the past tense form "became" instead of the base form "become" after the infinitive marker "to". Remember to use "to become" when expressing a future state, intention, or transformation. Ludwig AI also suggests using alternatives like "to turn into" or "to evolve into", depending on the specific context.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

to become

Corrects the grammatical error of "to became" by using the base form of the verb "become".

to turn into

Emphasizes the transformation aspect, suggesting a change from one state to another.

to evolve into

Implies a gradual process of change and development over time.

to grow into

Suggests a natural progression or development towards a certain state or identity.

to be transformed into

Highlights a significant change, often implying an external force or influence.

to develop into

Focuses on the process of gradual improvement or advancement.

to be converted into

Implies a change in form, function, or purpose.

to mature into

Suggests a progression towards greater completeness or refinement.

to shape into

Focuses on the action of molding or influencing something into a particular form.

with the aim of becoming

Highlights the intention or goal of transforming into something else.

FAQs

How to correctly use "to become" in a sentence?

Use "to become" when you want to express a future state or transformation. For instance, "She wants "to become" a successful writer" is correct, whereas "She wants to became a successful writer" is not.

What is the difference between "to become" and "to became"?

"To become" is the correct infinitive form, while "to became" is grammatically incorrect. Always use the base form of the verb after "to" in the infinitive form.

Are there any synonyms for "to become" that I can use?

Yes, depending on the context, you can use phrases like "to turn into", "to evolve into", or "to grow into".

Why is "to became" considered grammatically incorrect?

The word "became" is the past tense form of "become". When using the infinitive form, which includes the word "to", you should always use the base form of the verb, which is "become". Hence, "to became" is incorrect.