日焼け止めを塗っていれば、そんなことにはならなかっただろうに。
Why did we use には here after こと, what is the meaning? Can anyone explain what is the grammar of には and では
～ + に + なる is a basic set phrase that means "to go ～", "to become ～", "to end up with ～", "to turn out to be ～", etc. This に is roughly an equivalent of English "to".
- 大学生になる to become a university student
- 終わりになる to come to an end
- 元気になる to fee/get better, to recover
こと on its own refers to an event. Here, そんなこと refers to the resulting burnt skin, so it can be translated as "such a result/appearance". そんなこと is marked with に. は after に is a topic/contrast marker used in a negative clause.
Therefore:
日焼け止めを塗っていれば、
If you had put sunscreen on,そんなことにはならなかっただろうに。
(I suppose) You wouldn't have ended up with such an appearance.
