You move toward someone. You arrive at a place. You change into something new.
That is coming and becoming. Today we learn four words.
“Come,” “comer,” “coming,” and “become.”
Each word shares the idea of moving toward or changing into. Each does a different job.
Parents and children can learn these words together. They help with arrivals and growth.
What Does “Same Word, Different Forms” Mean?
One idea takes different shapes. The idea here is moving closer or turning into something.
“Come” is a verb. “Please come to the table.” Action.
“Comer” is a noun. “The first comer gets the prize.” Person who comes.
“Coming” is a noun or adjective. “The coming of spring is exciting.” Event. “This coming week.” Describes.
“Become” is a verb. “You will become stronger with practice.” Change into.
Same root. Different endings. Different jobs. The movement or change stays.
Personal Pronouns Change Their Form
Pronouns change for grammar. “I” becomes “me.” “We” becomes “us.”
Our words change for role and time. “I come home after school.” Present.
“The late comer missed the start.” Person. “Coming soon.” Event or description.
“She will become a doctor.” Future change.
Pronouns help us speak faster. Word families help us talk about arrivals and transformations.
When children know these four words, they describe movement and growth clearly.
From Verb to Noun to Adjective to Adverb – One Family, Many Words
“Come” is a verb. “Come here, please.” Action.
“Comer” is a noun. “New comers are welcome.” Person.
“Coming” is a noun. “The coming of the train was loud.” Event.
“Coming” is also an adjective. “The coming holidays are exciting.” Describes.
“Become” is a verb. “The caterpillar will become a butterfly.” Change verb.
We have no adverb. “Comingly” is not a word. “Becomingly” exists but is rare and not in keywords.
Four members. “Come” and “become” are verbs. “Comer” is a noun. “Coming” is noun or adjective.
One Root, Many Roles – How Words Grow from Actions to Qualities
The root “come” comes from Old English “cuman.” It meant to move toward.
People came home. They came to dinner. They came to help.
From that root, we add “-er” to name the person. “Comer” means one who comes.
We add “-ing” to name the event or describe the future. “Coming” is the arrival.
We add “be-” as a prefix to “come” to make “become.” “Be-” means around or about. “Become” means to come to be something new.
Help your child see this pattern. Come is the move. Comer is the person. Coming is the event. Become is the change.
Same Meaning, Different Jobs – Is It a Verb or a Noun?
Look at “come.” Always a verb. “Come to the party.” Action.
“Comer” is always a noun. “The first comer gets a sticker.”
“Coming” can be a noun. “The coming of winter means snow.” Or an adjective. “In the coming days.”
“Become” is always a verb. “She will become a great artist.”
Teach children to look at the word’s job. “Come” and “become” are actions. “Comer” is a person. “Coming” can be an event or a time.
Adjectives and Adverbs – When Do We Add -ly?
We do not add “-ly” to these words. No “comely” (that is a different word meaning attractive). No “comerly.” No “becomingly” (rare).
If you want to describe how someone comes, use a separate adverb. “She comes quickly.” “He came happily.”
This family stays simple. Focus on the verbs and the noun.
Children use “come,” “coming,” and “become” very often.
That is plenty for daily speech.
Watch Out for Tricky Spelling Changes (Double Letters, y to i, and More)
Spelling has one big change. The past tense of “come” is “came.” But that is not in our keywords.
For adding endings: “Come” adds “-er” to make “comer.” Drop the “e.” Com + er = comer.
“Come” adds “-ing” to make “coming.” Drop the “e.” Com + ing = coming.
“Become” is “be” + “come.” Write as one word. No spaces.
No double letters. No y to i. Just the silent “e” rule for “comer” and “coming.”
Practice with your child. Write “come.” Cross out the “e.” Add “er.” You get “comer.” Add “ing.” You get “coming.”
Write “be” next to “come.” Push them together. “Become.”
Very regular.
Let’s Practice – Can You Choose the Right Form?
Try these sentences. Fill in the blank with come, comer, coming, or become.
Please _____ to the living room for a story. (action verb)
The early _____ got the best seat. (person)
The _____ of autumn brings colorful leaves. (event)
A seed can _____ a flower. (change verb)
In the _____ weeks, we will practice reading. (adjective)
Every new _____ to our class gets a buddy. (person)
You will _____ stronger every day. (change verb)
The train is _____ down the track. (verb part with is)
Answers: 1 come, 2 comer, 3 coming, 4 become, 5 coming, 6 comer, 7 become, 8 coming.
Number 8 uses “coming” as a verb part with “is.” “Is coming” means it is on its way.
Number 5 uses “coming” as an adjective. “The coming weeks” means the weeks ahead.
Tips for Parents – Help Your Child Learn Word Families in a Fun Way
Call your child. “Come here, please.” Action.
Name the person. “You are the comer. I called, and you came.”
Talk about coming events. “The coming weekend will be fun.”
Watch a seed grow. “It will become a plant.”
Play a game. “I will become a monster!” Pretend.
Use a calendar. Circle the coming days. “Monday is coming soon.”
Draw a before and after picture. A caterpillar becomes a butterfly.
Do not correct every mistake. If your child says “comed” for past tense, gently say “We say came.”
Celebrate when your child uses “comer.” That is less common but useful.
Explain that “become” means to change into something new. “Ice can become water.”
Tomorrow you will come to the breakfast table. You will greet an early comer. You will talk about the coming vacation. You will watch your child become more independent.
Your child might say “I want to become a firefighter.” You will smile.
Keep coming. Keep naming comers. Keep talking about coming events. Keep celebrating who you become.
Your child will grow in language and in understanding of movement and change. Life is always coming and becoming.
