2009/05/15

Your English is getting better. I hope your relationships are, too. This is how to use "start", "become", "get", and "turn".

Recently, someone was complaining to me about her boyfriend. She told me:
  • × I am becoming not to like him.
  • ○ I'm starting not to like him.
That's a tough situation, don't you think? Not just the relationship, but the grammar, too! After "become", you need to use a noun or an adjective. In this case, she used an infinitive. For infinitives, use the verb "start".
  • I'm starting to wear shorts because of the warm weather.
  • It's starting to warm up.
We use "become" to talk about a change. You can use either an adjective or a noun:
  • She's becoming irritated with her boyfriend.
  • The weather is becoming warmer.
  • I'm becoming a big fan of cycling.
Other words you can use to talk about a change include "get" and "turn". "Get" and "turn" can only take an adjective directly:
  • It's getting warmer and warmer.
  • I get hungry after riding my bicycle around.
  • It will soon turn even warmer.
If you want to use a noun, you can use "turn", but not "get". You also need to use "to" or "into":
  • The season will soon turn to summer. (more naturally, though, "it will soon be summer")
  • If you leave dark chocolate in your bag in the heat, it will turn into a melted mess.
You are all turning into excellent English speakers. I'm becoming prouder of you all by the day. If you get confused, please ask me.

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