The verb to become · Conjugation
Past Perfect of become
The answer: had become
B2
A past action that happened before another past action.
Quick answer
The Past Perfect of the verb to become is had become.
Example: She had already become more confident when I arrived.
Full conjugation in the Past Perfect
| Pronoun | Form | Contraction |
|---|---|---|
| I | had become | I'd become |
| You | had become | You'd become |
| He / She / It | had become | He'd / She'd / It'd become |
| We | had become | We'd become |
| You (pl.) | had become | You'd become |
| They | had become | They'd become |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. I had became ❌
After had, use the past participle, not the Past Simple: I had become. The Past Simple of become is became, and the past participle is become.
2. Yesterday I had gone to the cinema ❌
Use the Past Perfect only for the earlier of two past actions. For one past action, the Past Simple is enough: Yesterday I went to the cinema. With become: became for one action, had become for the action that came first.
3. 'd = had or would?
'd can mean had or would. Usually, the next word tells you: I'd seen = I had seen, I'd see = I would see. With become, the two look the same. So look at the rest of the sentence: already or before suggests had; if suggests would.
Practice quiz
Going further
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Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate become in the Past Perfect?+
Use had + the past participle become. The form is the same for every person: I had become, she had become, they had become. The short form is 'd: I'd become.
When do you use the Past Perfect of become?+
Use it for an action that happened before another action in the past. It shows which action came first: When we arrived, the film had already started. The film started first, and then we arrived. Signal words: before, after, already, by the time.
What is the past participle of become?+
The past participle of become is become. You use it after have, has and had. It is different from the Past Simple. Learn the three forms together: become, became, become.
What is the difference between had become and have become?+
Have become (Present Perfect) connects the past to now. Had become (Past Perfect) connects an earlier past to a later past. Compare: I have finished my homework (so I can play now) and I had finished my homework before dinner.
How do you make the negative and the question of become in the Past Perfect?+
Negative: I hadn't become (had not). Question: put had before the subject: Had you become…? The past participle does not change.
Related pages: become Past Perfect
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/become/past-perfect
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.
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More forms of the verb to become are coming soon.