Use "to" or not?

Which sentence is correct?

I can't get my toolbox open.
I can't get my toolbox to open.

Are they both correct?

Solution 1:

1. I can't get my toolbox open.

2. I can't get my toolbox to open.

I agree with FumbleFingers that the following are correct paraphrases of the originals:

1. I can't put my toolbox in the state of being opened.

2. I can't make my toolbox go through the action of opening.

But I think the grammatical difference between them does not imply a personal vs. impersonal toolbox. The second can be just as passive on the toolbox's part. I replaced "perform" with "go through" to emphasize the passivity of the toolbox.

In short, they are both equally appropriate ways of saying the same thing, though the second is less common, and as FumbleFingers remarks below, can indicate more frustration.

Solution 2:

They're both grammatically valid, but the first is much to be preferred unless you want to 'personify' the toolbox as fighting back against your efforts to open it, which may be considered a bit extreme in most cases.

(1) can be paraphrased as I can't put my toolbox in the state of being opened.

(2) can be paraphrased as I can't make my toolbox perform the action of opening.

Note that in the first case the toolbox is just a passive object. In the second, it's a recalcitrant object that actively refuses to open itself despite your best efforts at persuasion.

We commonly say The door opened. Maybe an unnamed person opened it. Or the wind. Or maybe it just fell open. But toolboxes generally don't just open themselves, even figuratively. So the second example would be slightly colourful/informal/exaggerated/humorous metaphoric usage.

Solution 3:

They are both correct.

Open in the first example is acting as an adjective, and is describing the state of your toolbox, which will not become opened.

Open in the second example is part of an infinitive, and describes the action of the toolbox.

But in this case, they both mean the same.