Learn Hardcore Japanese: happyou ga tyuusi ni natte zannen datta. - It was a pity that the presentation was canceled.

It’s the “become X” pattern: Xが Yになる = “X becomes Y.”
So 発表が中止になる means “the presentation becomes a cancellation” → “the presentation gets canceled.”
The particle に marks the resulting state after a change with なる.
Compare:

部屋がきれいになった = The room became clean.
会議が中止になった = The meeting was canceled.

Why is が used after 発表 instead of は?

が marks the grammatical subject and is natural when simply stating what happened (new or event information).
は would topicalize and can add contrast or set up comparison.

Neutral event: 発表が中止になって、残念だった。
Contrast/topic: 発表は中止になって、会議は予定どおりだった。

What does the 〜て in なって do here?

The て-form links clauses. Here it means “and/as a result,” often functioning as a soft reason:

“The presentation got canceled, so I was disappointed.”
This 〜て connection feels less explicit and softer than using から/ので.

Why is 残念 followed by だった? What is 残念 grammatically?

残念 is a na-adjective (形容動詞). Na-adjectives take the copula:

Non-past: 残念だ
Past: 残念だった
Polite past: 残念でした So 残念だった = “was unfortunate/a shame.”

Can I say 残念です or 残念でした instead?

Yes.

残念です = I feel it’s unfortunate (now); polite non-past.
残念でした = It was unfortunate; polite past (common in courteous speech). Choose based on time frame and politeness.

Why not use 中止された or 中止した?

Different focuses:

中止した (transitive): “(Someone) canceled (it).” Needs an agent: 主催者が発表を中止した.
中止された (passive): “(It) was canceled (by someone).” Common in reports but highlights the canceling action.
中止になった (intransitive/result): Neutral “ended up canceled,” focusing on the outcome. That’s why it flows well into a feeling like 残念だった.

Can I say 発表は中止だった?

Yes: “The presentation was canceled.”
However, 中止になって emphasizes the change/event (“it ended up being canceled”) and links naturally to the reaction 残念だった.
You could also say: 発表は中止で、残念だった。 (see next Q).

Can I use で instead of に, as in 発表が中止で、残念だった?

Yes. Nで is the te-form of the copula (“being N”), treating 中止 as a state: “With the presentation being canceled, it was a shame.”
Nuance:

中止で = matter-of-fact state.
中止になって = highlights the event/result.
Both are acceptable; 〜になって is the default for “ended up canceled.”

Where is “I” in the sentence? Who is disappointed?

Japanese often omits obvious subjects. Here, the speaker is understood: “(I) was disappointed.”
You can add it if needed: 私は発表が中止になって、残念だった。

What exactly does 残念 mean? Is it the same as “sad”?

残念 = “regrettable / what a shame / too bad,” expressing disappointment or regret, not deep sorrow.
For “sad,” use 悲しい. For sympathy toward a person, お気の毒に or かわいそう (context-dependent).

Does 発表 mean “presentation” or “announcement”?

Both are possible:

Academic/business talk: “presentation.”
News/official context: “announcement.”
Context decides which is intended.

How would I say this more politely or formally?

Polite: 発表が中止になって、残念でした。 (You can add ね for empathy.)
More formal/written: 発表が中止となり、誠に残念に存じます。
Business polite (spoken): 発表が中止になりまして、残念に思います。

Can I replace 〜て with から or ので to state the reason?

Yes:

発表が中止になったので、残念でした。 (softer, objective)
発表が中止になったから、残念だった。 (more direct/casual)
Meaning is basically the same; tone differs.

What about となって instead of になって?

〜となる is more formal/literary.
発表が中止となって、残念でした。 sounds like an official announcement or formal writing.

Which part shows past tense here? Does なって indicate past?

The て-form itself has no tense. The final predicate 残念だった sets the sentence in the past, and the linked event (中止になって) is understood as prior/background to that past feeling.
For a present feeling now: 発表が中止になって、残念です。

Can I add しまう to emphasize regret, like 〜になってしまって?

Yes:

発表が中止になってしまって、残念だった。
This adds a nuance of an unfortunate, unwelcome result (“ended up getting canceled”).

How do I pronounce it?

Reading: はっぴょうがちゅうしになってざんねんだった
Romaji (Hepburn): happyō ga chūshi ni natte zannen datta
Note the double consonant in はっぴょう (small っ) and the long vowels in ちゅうし (chūshi) and ひょう (hyō).