This expression is used to show how something is changing. This pattern has the same meaning as “getting + adjective”. It is more common to use “getting” in spoken English when using adjectives.
- I am becoming hot.
(= I am getting hot.)
Subject + be verb + becoming + adjective…
- I am becoming tired.
- She is becoming angry.
- We are becoming sick.
- The weather is becoming cold.
We can also use comparative adjectives. These emphasize that the change is continuing over a period of time.
- This book is becoming more interesting.
- The weather is becoming warmer these days.
- Her attitude is becoming worse.
We can also use double comparatives to emphasize a trend or something that is continuing to change.
- The marketing budget is becoming bigger and bigger.
- Is my English becoming worse and worse?
Unlike “getting”, we can use “becoming + noun”.
- We are becoming friends.
We are getting friends.
This is the most common way that we use this sentence pattern.
Subject + be verb + becoming + noun…
- We are becoming good English speakers.
- They are becoming an effective team.
- He is becoming a superstar in Korea.
- We are becoming like brothers.
- He is becoming a psycho.
Bonus Tips and Points1. We can add extra information after the adjectives in this sentence pattern.
- I am becoming interested in cars.
- He is becoming tired of his job.
- She is becoming sick and tired of people spreading rumors about her.
- He is becoming excited about their vacation next month.
- We are becoming fascinated with politics.
2. We can also make questions. Here are some examples of questions.
- Are you becoming tired?
- Is he becoming a jerk?
- Is she becoming a team player?
- Why are fruit prices becoming more expensive?
Real-World English Conversations
A) It is becoming cold too early this year.
B) You are right. Or maybe we are just getting old.
A) Our boss is becoming crazier and crazier these days.
B) He is under a lot of pressure from the top management.
A) I understand, but he still needs to keep his cool.
A) My girlfriend is becoming a psycho these days.
B) What do you mean?
A) She calls me all the time and if I do not respond to her messages or pick up her calls, then she leaves me tons of voicemails yelling at me and crying.
B) Wow. You might need to break up with her.
A) This neighborhood is becoming quite nice.
B) Yes. They have been redeveloping it for a few years now.
A) I guess that means that rent and housing prices are sky-rocketing.
B) You are right. Housing prices are becoming much more expensive.
A) My son is becoming lazy.
B) How so?
A) He used to be a great student, but now all he does is lie around and play on his phone.
B) Then, you should take his phone away.
A) I might not have any other choice.
Use these free English lessons to learn the most common sentence patterns in the English language. If you learn these sentence and questions well, it will help you speak English well. Study the lessons thoroughly, practice making your own sentences, and come back to review often. If you do these three steps, your English speaking will improve quickly and you will be able to have natural English conversations.
English Sentence Patterns for Speaking Index
