Is 'Close to' a phrasal verb?

Question

Is 'close to' a verbal phrase?

Close to is neither a phrasal verb nor a verbal phrase (which are not the same thing). Close is a locational adjective which takes a to prepositional phrase with object nouns that denote locations (in this case, the location is metaphorical, on an imaginary scale of national power). Close is the predicate adjective of the sentence, is is the auxiliary verb. By the way, you may have been confused because of the spelling. There is a verb close, but it's pronounced /kloz/, while the adjective close of close to is pronounced /klos/, with an /s/, not a /z/. — John Lawler, Commented Apr 29, 2020 at 17:18
@JohnLawler - Isn't "to being" claimed to be a "verbal phrase" or some such, not a "prepositional phrase"? — Hot Licks, Commented Apr 29, 2020 at 17:49
I agree with JL. "Close" is an adjective with the preposition phrase "to being a superpower" as its complement. The whole expression "close to being a superpower" is thus an adjective phrase functioning as predicative complement of "be". — BillJ, Commented Apr 29, 2020 at 18:35
@HotLicks To being is not a phrase of any sort. It's not a constituent, just a string, like one of. To goes with being a superpower, not just with being — John Lawler, Commented Apr 29, 2020 at 19:32

Tinfoil Hat · Accepted Answer · 2020-04-29 23:07:01Z

1

The verb in your sentence is is—a linking verb. That makes close a subject complement and a predicate adjective.

To is a preposition. The object of that preposition is being a superpower—a gerund phrase that functions as noun.*

To test this, you can add an adverb and swap in a noun:

India is close to being a superpower.

India is very close to China.

_{*Warning: Grammar terms vary.}

answered Apr 29, 2020 at 23:07

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