In Portuguese, there is evidence that comparison always involves a clausal structure (and not a PP, as in French or English), since if the second term of the comparison is a pronoun, it shows up in the nominative case
(1) a. Ela é mais bonita do que eu
b. * Ela é mais bonita do que mim
(2) a. Elle est plus belle que moi
b. * Elle est plus belle que je
(3) a. She is prettier than me
b. * She is prettier than I
For this reason, a comparative clause (CP-CMP) is projected in all the comparative constructions. Inside the subordinating clause dominated by CP-CMP, there is nothing but the phrases lexically instantiated and a trace co-indexed with a Wh element, which is either lexically realized (as WNP 'o que', in 'do que' comparatives) or empty. When it is empty, there is a realized complementizer ('que' or 'como'). The syntactic category of the trace is either NP-MSR, for the trace of “que” and “o que” or ADVP-MSR,for the trace of “como”, and, in some cases, for the trace of “que” when it stands for an adverbial antecedent.
The general annotation scheme for comparative clauses (labeled CP-CMP) is as follows, depending on the comparative's initial word(s).
(CP-CMP (WADVP-1 0)
(C como)
(IP-SUB (ADVP-MSR *T*-1)
...))
(CP-CMP (WNP-1 0)
(C que)
(IP-SUB (NP-MSR *T*-1)
...))
(CP-CMP (WADVP-1 0)
(C que)
(IP-SUB (ADVP-MSR *T*-1)
...))
(PP (P @de)
(CP-CMP (WNP-1 (D @o)
(WPRO que))
(IP-SUB (NP-MSR *T*-1)
...)))
( (IP-MAT (NP-SBJ (PRO Eu))
(ET-D estive)
(NP-ADV (Q-F toda) (D-F a) (N noite))
(CP-CMP (WADVP-1 0)
(C como)
(IP-SUB (ADVP-MSR *T*-1)
(ADVP (ADV agora))))
(. .))
(ID CARDS0001,.6))
( (IP-MAT (NP-SBJ *pro*)
(NEG Não)
(VB-D merecia)
(NP-ACC (NP (ADV-R menos)
(N estatuário)
(PUNC ,)
(CP-CMP (WNP-1 0)
(C que)
(IP-SUB (NP-MSR *T*-1)
(NP-SBJ (NPR Phidias)))))
(PUNC ,)
(CONJP (CONJ-NEG nem)
(NP (ADJ-R-G menor)
(N pincel)
(PUNC ,)
(CP-CMP (WNP-2 0)
(C que)
(IP-SUB (NP-MSR *T*-2)
(NP-SBJ (D o)
(PP (P de)
(NP (NPR Apelles)
(PUNC ,)
(NP-PRN (NPR Português)
(ADJP (ADV-R tão) (ADJ-G ilustre)))))))))))
(PUNC .))
(ID B_001_PSD,2.10))
( (IP-MAT (CONJ E)
(, ,)
(PP (P d@)
(ADVP (ADV @ally)
(ADVP (ADV adyãte))))
(, ,)
(VB-D começou)
(NP-SBJ (D o) (N conde))
(PP (P a)
(IP-INF (VB manteer)
(NP-ACC (PRO$-F sua) (N terra))
(ADVP (ADV-R mais)
(ADV seguramente)
(CP-CMP (WADVP-1 0)
(C que)
(IP-SUB (ADVP-MSR *T*-1)
(NP-SBJ *pro*)
(ADVP (ADV ante))
(VB-D fazia))))))
(. .))
(ID CGE320,.19))
( (IP-MAT (NP-SBJ *exp*)
(NEG Não)
(VB-D passou)
(ADVP (ADV-R mais)
(CP-CMP (WADVP-1 0)
(C que)
(IP-SUB (ADVP-MSR *T*-1)
(NP-MSR (NUM dezoito) (N-P dias)))))
(. .))
(ID CARDS1005,.11))
( (IP-MAT (NP-SBJ (D-F A) (NPR Condessa))
(ADVP (ADV então))
(ADVP (FP só))
(TR-D tinha)
(NP-ACC (D-UM um)
(N filho)
(, ,)
(ADJP (ADV-R mais)
(ADJ moço)
(PP (P de)
(CP-CMP (WNP-3 (D o) (WPRO que))
(IP-SUB (NP-MSR *T*-3)
(NP-SBJ (PRO nós))))))
(, ,)
(ID A_003_PSD,69.1047))
( (IP-IMP (VB-SP Queira)
(NP-SBJ (NPR Deus))
(CP-THT (C que)
(IP-SUB (NP-SBJ (D-F a) (N tosse))
(SR-SP seja)
(ADJP (ADV-R menos)
(ADJ-G rebelde)
(PP (P d@)
(CP-CMP (WNP-1 (D @o) (WPRO que))
(IP-SUB (NP-MSR *T*-1)
(NP-SBJ *pro*)
(TR-P tem)
(SR-PP sido)
(PP (P em)
(NP (OUTRO-F-P outras) (N-P ocasiões)))))))))
(PUNC .))
(ID B_008,76.693))
When the comparison is between two XPs of the same category, ADVP-MSR is projected inside the second XP and not as its sister inside the clause.
( (IP-MAT (NP-SBJ (D-F A)
(NPR Senhora)
(PP (P de)
(NP (NPR Murça))))
(SR-D era)
(ADJP (ADJP (ADV-R mais)
(ADJ-F baixa)
(PP (P de)
(CP-CMP (WNP-1 (D o) (WPRO que))
(IP-SUB (ADJP (NP-MSR *T*-1)
(ADJ-F alta))))))
(, ,))
(ID A_003_PSD,98.1521))
( (IP-MAT (NP-SBJ *pro*)
(SR-D era)
(ADJP (ADV-R tão)
(ADJ-F boa)
(CP-CMP (WADVP-1 0)
(C como)
(IP-SUB (ADJP (ADVP-MSR *T*-1)
(ADJ-F bela)))))
(. .))
(ID A_003_PSD,113.1792))
When the comparative clause is dependent on conjoined XPs, CP-CMP is annotated under the higher XP (see
Shared Post Modifiers)( (IP-MAT (NP-SBJ (NP (PRO$ Meu) (N tio))
(, ,)
(NP-PRN (D o)
(NPR Marquês)
(PP (P de)
(NP (NPR (NPR Castello) (NPR Melhor))))
(, ,)
(NP-PRN (NPR (NPR Dom) (NPR Affonso)))))
(, ,)
(VB-D casou)
(PP (P com)
(NP (D-F a)
(N filha)
(ADJP (ADV-R mais) (ADJ-F velha))
(PP (P de)
(NP (D-F a)
(NPR Senhora)
(NPR Marquesa)
(PP (P de)
(NP (NPR Niza)))))
(, ,)
(CP-REL (WNP-1 (WPRO que))
(IP-SUB (NP-SBJ *T*-1)
(SR-D era)
(ADJP (ADJP (ADV-R tão) (ADJ-F boa))
(CONJP (CONJ e)
(ADJP (ADV-R tão) (ADJ-F bela)))
(CP-CMP (WADVP-2 0)
(C como)
(IP-SUB (ADVP-MSR *T*-2)
(NP-SBJ (PRO$-F-P suas) (N-P irmãs)))))))))
(, ,))
(ID A_003_PSD,102.1587))
SPECIAL CONSTRUCTIONS:
TANTO … COMO
(IP-MAT (NP-SBJ-3 *exp*)
(ADVP (ADV-R tanto)
(CP-CMP *ICH*-1))
(VB-D-3S fazia)
(IP-INF-3 (VB pagar))
(CP-CMP-1 (WADVP-2 0)
(C como)
(IP-SUB (ADVP-MSR *T*-2)
(NP-SBJ-4 *exp*)
(IP-INF-4 (VB ficar)
(P a)
(VB dever)))))
(. .))
TANTO/TÃO … QUANTO
ele é
(ADJP (QR tão)
(ADJ glorioso)
(CP-CMP (WADVP-1 (WADV quanto))
(IP-SUB (ADVP-MSR *T*-1)
(NP-SBJ (PRO eu)))))
tinha
(NP-ACC (ADJ-F-P tantas)
(N vacas)
(CP-CMP (WADVP-1 (WADV quanto))
(IP-SUB (ADVP-MSR *T*-1)
(NP-ACC (N bois)))))
( (IP-MAT (PP (P N@)
(NP (D-F @esta) (N opinião)))
(NP-SBJ (, ,)
(Q todo)
(D o)
(N auxílio)
(CP-REL (WNP-1 (WPRO que))
(IP-SUB (NP-SBJ *T*-1)
(ET-SD estivesse)
(PP (P em)
(NP (PRO$ nosso) (N poder))))))
(VB-R deveria)
(IP-INF (SR ser)
(VB-AN dado)
(PP (P a)
(NP (NPR Portugal)))
(ADVP (, ,)
(ADV-R tanto)
(CP-CMP (WADVP-2 (WADV quanto))
(IP-SUB (ADVP *T*-2)
(VB-SD pudesse)
(IP-INF (VB tender)
(PP (P para)
(IP-INF (IP-INF (VB desenvolver)
(NP-ACC (D-F a) (PRO$-F sua) (ADJ-F própria) (N energia)))
(CONJP (, ,)
(CONJ e)
(IP-INF (VB ensinar-)
(NP-DAT (CL -lhe))
(PP (P a)
(IP-INF (VB fiar-)
(NP-SE (CL -se))
(PP (P em)
(NP (PRO si) (FP mesmo))))))))))))))
(. .))
(ID VA_009,101.1623))
( (IP-MAT (CONJ e)
(PUNC ,)
(ADVP (ADV ordinàriamente))
(PUNC ,)
(ADVP (ADV-R tanto))
(VB-P cresce)
(NP-SBJ (D-F a) (N família))
(PUNC ,)
(CP-CMP (WADVP-1 (WADV quanto))
(IP-SUB (ADVP-MSR *T*-1)
(VB-P diminui)
(NP-SBJ (D-F a)
(N perfeição)
(PP (P d@)
(NP (D @o) (N serviço))))))
(PUNC .))
(ID A_004_PART_PSD,87.1115))
QUANTO MAIS
(CP-ADV (C porque)
(IP-SUB (NP-SBJ *exp*)
(, ,)
(PP (P de@)
(NP (OUTRO-F @outra) (N maneira)))
(, ,)
(NEG não)
(HV-P há)
(NP-ACC (CP-FRL (WNP-2 (WPRO quem))
(IP-SUB (NP-SBJ *T*-2)
(VB-SP dê)
(NP-ACC (PRO$ seu) (N dinheiro))
(PP (ADV assim)
(P em@)
(NP (D @o) (N ar)))
(, ,)
(CP-CMP (WADVP-3 (WADV quanto) (ADV-R mais))
(IP-SUB (ADVP-MSR *T*-3)
(NP-SBJ (D-P os) (N-P irmãos)))))))))
(. .))
(ID CARDS3127,.4))
QUE NEM
(CP-CMP (WADVP-1 0)
(C que)
(IP-SUB (ADVP *T*-1)
(FP-NEG nem)
...))
(IP-MAT (NP-SBJ (D-F a)
(N gente))
(VB-D-3S malhava)
(CP-CMP (WADVP-1 0)
(C que))
(IP-SUB (ADVP-MSR *T*-1)
(FP-NEG nem)))
(...))
[VPC14]
(IP-MAT (NP-SBJ (D-F a)
(N gente))
(VB-D-3S malhava)
(CP-CMP (WADVP-1 0)
(C que))
(IP-SUB (ADVP-MSR *T*-1)
(ADJP(FP-NEG nem)(ADJ-F-P parvas)))
(...))
COMO SE
The clauses introduced by “como se/quando” are treated as comparative clauses headed by como whose IP-SUB contains an adverbial trace and a CP-ADV headed by C.
( (IP-MAT (NP-SBJ *pro*)
(TR-D Tinha)
(ADVP (ADV ali))
(NP-ACC (Q-F-P todas) (D-F-P as) (PRO$-F-P suas) (N-P comodidades))
(CP-CMP (WADVP-1 0)
(C como)
(IP-SUB (ADVP-MSR *T*-1)
(CP-ADV (C se)
(IP-SUB (NP-SBJ *pro*)
(VB-SD estivesse)
(PP (P em)
(NP (NPR Bemfica)))))))
(. .))
(ID A_003_PSD,05.33))
UM COMO MAIS
(CP-D (C que)
(IP-IND (VB-P-3S faz)
(IP-INF-SBJ (NP-SBJ-2 *exp*)
(SR ser)
(NP-2 (D-UM um)))
(CP-CMP (WADVP-1 0)
(C como)
(IP-SUB (ADVP-MSR *T*-1)
(ADVP (ADV-R mais))))))
(. .))
