Learn Polish: Ten dziennikarz stał się snobem, kiedy poznał elitę. - This journalist became a snob when he met the elite.

The verb stać się (to become) requires the noun describing the outcome to be in the Instrumental case. So, the Nominative noun snob takes the masculine Instrumental ending -em to become snobem.

Why do we use the perfective stał się instead of the imperfective stawał się?

We use stał się because the sentence treats his change into a snob as a completed, definitive event triggered by meeting the elite. If we used the imperfective stawał się, it would mean he was gradually becoming a snob as an ongoing, unfinished process.

Could I use the verb został instead of stał się here?

Both verbs translate to "became" and require the Instrumental case, but stać się is more natural here. The verb zostać is typically used when someone takes on a profession or official role (like becoming a journalist). Stać się is preferred for abstract changes in personality, qualities, or states of being, like becoming a snob.

Why is the final word elitę rather than elita?