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become, get, go, grow, etc: changes

Become, get, go, come, grow and turn can all be used with similar meanings to talk about changes. The differences between them are complicated – they depend partly on grammar, partly on meaning and partly on fixed usage.

become dark, become a pilot, etc​

Become can be used before adjectives and noun phrases.

  • It was becoming very dark.
  • What do you have to do to become a pilot?

Become is not usually used to talk about single deliberate actions.

  • Please get ready now. (not Please become ready now.)

get dark, younger, etc​

Get (informal) is very common before adjectives (without nouns).

  • It was getting very dark. (informal)
  • You get younger every day. (informal)

Get can also be used before past participles like lost, broken, dressed, married.

  • They got married in 1986, and got divorced two years later.

We generally use go, not get, to talk about changes of colour and some changes for the worse, like go mad (BrE) / go crazy (see here) below).

Get is not normally used before nouns to talk about changes.

  • I became a grandfather last week. (not I got a grandfather …)
note

For get used to, (see here).

get + infinitive​

We can sometimes use get with an infinitive to talk about a gradual change.

  • After a few weeks I got to like the job better.
  • She’s nice when you get to know her.

go red, go mad, etc​

Go can be used before adjectives to talk about change, especially in an informal style. This is common in two cases.

Colours​

Go (and not get) is used to talk about changes of colour, especially in British English.

  • Leaves go brown in autumn. (not Leaves get brown …)
  • She went white with anger.
  • Suddenly everything went black and I lost consciousness.

Other examples: go blue with cold / red with embarrassment / green with envy.

Turn can also be used in these cases (see below), and so can grow when the change is gradual. Go is more informal than turn and grow.

note

For more about get, (see here), (see here).

Changes for the worse​

Go (not usually get) is used before adjectives in some expressions that refer to changes for the worse. People go mad (BrE), crazy, deaf, blind, grey or bald; horses go lame; machines go wrong; meat, fish or vegetables go bad; milk goes sour; bread goes stale; beer, lemonade, musical instruments and car tyres go flat.

  • He went bald in his twenties.
  • The car keeps going wrong.

Note that we use get, not go, with old, tired and ill.

come true, etc​

Come is used in a few fixed expressions to talk about things finishing up all right. The most common are come right (BrE) and come true.

  • I’ll make all your dreams come true.
  • Trust me – it will all come right in the end.

Come + infinitive can be used to talk about changes in mental state or attitude.

  • I slowly came to realise that she knew what she was doing.
  • You will come to regret your decision.

grow old, etc​

Grow is used before adjectives especially to talk about slow and gradual changes. It is more formal than get or go, and a little old-fashioned or literary.

  • Without noticing it he grew old.
  • When they grew rich they began to drop their old friends.
  • As the weather grows colder, I think of moving to a warmer country.

Grow + infinitive can be used (like come + infinitive) to talk about changes in attitude, especially if these are gradual.

  • He grew to accept his stepmother, but he never grew to love her.

turn red, etc​

Turn is used mostly for visible or striking changes of state. It is common before colour words (and is not so informal as go).

  • She turned bright red and ran out of the room.
  • He turns violent after he’s had a couple of drinks.

We can use turn before numbers to talk about important changes of age.

  • I turned fifty last week. It’s all downhill from now on.

Turn into is used before nouns.

  • He’s a lovely man, but when he gets jealous he turns into a monster.
  • A girl has to kiss a lot of frogs before one of them turns into a prince.

Turn to and turn into can both be used before the names of materials.

  • Everything that King Midas touched turned (in)to gold.
  • They stood there as if they had been turned (in)to stone.

To talk about a change of occupation, religion, politics, etc, we sometimes use turn with a noun (with no preposition or article) or an adjective.

  • He worked in a bank for thirty years before turning painter.
  • Towards the end of the war he turned traitor.
  • At the end of her life she turned Catholic.

Turn (in)to can also be used to talk about changing one thing into another.

  • In the Greek legend, Circe turned men into pigs.

fall ill, etc​

Fall is used to mean ‘become’ in fall ill, fall asleep and fall in love.

A number of verbs which are related to adjectives have meanings like ‘get more …’ or ‘make more …’. Many of them end in -en. Examples:

  • The fog thickened.
  • The weather’s beginning to brighten up.
  • They’re widening the road here.
  • His eyes narrowed.
  • Could you shorten the sleeves on this jacket?

No change: stay, keep, remain​

To talk about things not changing, we can use stay, keep or remain before adjectives. Remain is more formal.

  • How do you manage to stay young and fit?
  • Keep calm.
  • I hope you will always remain so charming.

Stay and remain are also sometimes used before noun phrases.

  • Promise me you will always stay/remain my little boy.

Keep can be used before -ing forms.

  • Keep smiling whatever happens.
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For other uses of the words discussed in this section, see a good dictionary.