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みんなの日本語 中級I - Lesson 3 says that V (dictionary form) ことにする is used to express
the decision to do something. If I say

> 私は日本へ行くことにしました。

this can be translated as “I decided to go to Japan”. This is perfectly clear
to me. However, what is the correct translation for

> 私は日本へ行くことにします。

? Is it “I will decide to go to Japan”, “I decide to go to Japan”, or “I
decided to go to Japan”? Can you explain to me when to use する in non-past
tense?
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2014-01-31T03:26:46.250
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2014-10-23T07:54:41.670
2014-10-22T03:56:18.550
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question
grammar translation tense
What is the difference between ことにする and ことにした?
We don't have a perfect parallel structure in English. The deciding is not in
the future tense even though the action that follows is.

I would go with:

> I will go to Japan.

At least for me, the most common type of the present tense にする that I hear is
for ordering food.

> らーめんにします。

=

> I will have the ramen.

In both cases, I take _will_ not to be the future tense but the volitional
will. You could replace with _choose_
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2014-01-31T05:50:56.847
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2014-01-31T05:50:56.847
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「する」is a generic verb. It's like "do" or "execute". Your second sentence is
like saying "I do go to Japan". As you probably already know, if the speaker
just want to tell the plan, the speaker says 「私は日本へ行きます。」. If I hear someone
says 「私は日本へ行くことにします。」, I feel that the speaker want to tell listener(s) that
he/she gave thoughts on something before saying it. So, for example, it's
weird if someone says it to a travel agent.

Conversation example:

A (to B): 「それで、どうするの。」  
B (to A): 「会社を辞めることにします。」  

next scene  
A (to C): 「Bは会社を辞めます。」 or 「Bは会社を辞めるそうです。」  
(A unlikely to say「Bは会社を辞めることにするそうです。」)  
C (to A): 「分かりました。」
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2014-10-23T07:54:41.670
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answer