Verb dictionary/ない form + ことになる

[It Has Been Decided That]

Connection: Verb dictionary form + ことになる OR Verb ない-form + ことになる

This pattern indicates that a decision has been made by external factors, circumstances, rules, or other people (not the speaker's personal choice).

• Dictionary form + ことになる = it has been decided that [action] will happen
• ない-form + ことになる = it has been decided that [action] won't happen

Past form: ことになった = it was decided / it came to be that

Comparison with ことにする: ことになる is an external/circumstantial decision (decided by others, rules, or fate), while ことにする is a personal, voluntary decision by the subject.

Examples:

来月日本に行くことになりました。(It's been decided that I'll go to Japan next month. [e.g., by my company])

彼は会社を辞めることになった。(It was decided that he would quit the company. [circumstances led to this])

このプロジェクトは中止することになりました。(It has been decided that this project will be cancelled.)