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I just came across a sentence in the structure of V+ようになりましょう, and I'd like to understand what connotation it brings compared to the standard V+ようになる

As far as I know, ようになる is used when something becomes a certain way, in the sense that it happened not necessarily due to someone making it so; but with the volitional form, there's a will to have it become that way, right? To work towards that change? And if that's the case, how does it differ from ようにする?

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Do you remember the volitional form (う/よう) also has the sense of invitation or recommendation? For example, 食べよう can mean either "(Now) I'm going to eat" or "Let's eat". So ～ようになりましょう usually just means "Let's be/become ～". But when the subject is clearly "I", it emphasizes the speaker's own will/volition/intention.

  • 納豆を食べられるようになる。
    納豆を食べられるようになります。
    I (will) learn to eat natto.
    (More literally, "I (will) be able to eat natto." Expressed as a "fact" in the future.)

  • 納豆を食べられるようになろう。
    納豆を食べられるようになりましょう。
    Let's learn to eat natto!
    Okay, I (decided to) learn to eat natto.
    (The meaning depends on the context, but ましょう tends to mean "Let's" because it's has the polite ます)

  • このモンスターは成長すると空を飛ぶようになる。
    このモンスターは成長すると空を飛ぶようになります。
    This monster will start to fly when it grows up.
    (Correct: this is a description of a plain fact that happens in the future)

  • ❌このモンスターは成長すると空を飛ぶようになろう。
    ❌このモンスターは成長すると空を飛ぶようになりましょう。
    (Incorrect: Since the subject is neither "I" nor "you", there is no need to express someone's volition. Actually, the う/よう form has another uncommon function (inference/推量), so these are not incorrect as old-fashioned sentences said pompously by a prophet-like character. But beginners may forget this for now.)

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  • That makes sense. Now, how does ようになろう differ from ようにする?
    – Emesira
    Commented Mar 30, 2021 at 12:06
  • @Emesira ようになろう is the volitional form of ようになる, and ようになる and ようにする are completely different. If you don't know the difference between ようになる and ようにする, please check your textbook first.
    – naruto
    Commented Mar 30, 2021 at 12:23
  • As I said in the question, I know ようになる is used when something becomes a certain way; and I know, in comparison, that ようにする is used when you make an effort towards making things a certain way. ようになる and ようにする are "completely different", as you say, but what I'm not clear about is how does it differ, in terms of connotation, when you use ようになろう or ようにする? Using your example, 納豆を食べられるようになろう and 納豆を食べられるようにする, to me, both bring to mind the idea that the speaker is willing to work towards the goal of being able to eat natto...
    – Emesira
    Commented Mar 30, 2021 at 13:07
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    @Emesira A plain form is a plain form, and there's no willingness embedded in. You say "I make it so tomorrow" as something like a known plan, and nothing more than that. You may be willing but you may be unwilling. ようにする has something to do with causation but it has nothing to do with volition.
    – naruto
    Commented Mar 30, 2021 at 14:21
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    @Emesira The volitional form only describes something in the future, just as English "Let's" doesn't have the past form. On the other hand, ようにする can safely take the past form. 画面が西を向くようにした means "I made the screen face west" and this says nothing about whether this person was willing or reluctant to do so.
    – naruto
    Commented Mar 30, 2021 at 14:30

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