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Many causative verbs have their objectives as the form of infinitive or participle, but not to-infinitive. You don't say like
I got my car to be fixed.
What I wonder is that why it is so? Can't you use it as something with a future vibe? Like when you distinguish between "remember V-ing" and "remember to V"?
Can't it be seen as below? (I know it's wrong but)
I got my car fixed (The car was fixed)
I got my car to be fixed (The car was going to be fixed)
The way I often like to view the "Verb To Verb" structure is as 2 actions.
So I remembered to do it. (remember then do) I stopped to smoke. (stop then smoke) I wanted to go. (want then go).
So "I got it to be fixed" is fine, it means you got it (bought it, or chose it etc) in order to fix it. (second action, here passive but the logic is still fine!)
I wanted to go can be go or not go. Why does this have something to do with two following actions? Isn't it one action (thinking).
– Alexis_FR_JP
May 2 at 5:38
As EnglishAdam says, that construction plus the passive infinitive implies purpose, not future.
"I got the car to be fixed" implies that the purpose of getting the car was in order to be fixed and doesn't imply anything about time except that the car has already been "got".
You can sometimes use "to" with the causative "get," but the way to change the tense is by altering "get" not by changing the infinitive:
I got the mechanic to fix my car. (past)
I will get the mechanic to fix my car. (future)
This link is a pretty good resource on several different causative verbs.
