3. Clitic pronouns‎ > ‎3.1. Clitic functions‎ > ‎3.1.4 SE constructions (NP-SE)‎ > ‎

3.1.4.3 Indefinite SE

In impersonal se constructions, NP-SE is co-indexed with a null expletive subject (NP-SBJ *exp*).A plural (non-agreeing) NP is labeled NP-ACC.
[...]
(IP-MAT-PRN (CONJ mas)
(NP-SBJ-4 *exp*)
(FP já)
(NP-SE-4 (CL se))
(VB-D-3S vivia)
(ADVP (ADV-R melhor)))

[...]
(CORDIAL-SIN; ID VPA15)

(IP-SUB (IP-SUB (NP-SBJ-2 *exp*)
         (PP (P a@)
(NP (D-F @a)
(N gente)
(PP (P de@)
(NP (D-F @a) (N capitania)))))
(NEG não)
(NP-SE-2 (CL se))
(VB-P põe))
(CONJP (CONJ-NEG nem)
(IP-SUB (NP-SBJ-3 *exp*)
(NP-SE-3 (CL se))
(VB-P tira)))))))))))))
(. .))
(POST SCRIPTUM; ID PSCR0014,.10))

( (IP-MAT (NP-SBJ *exp*)
(HV-P Há)
(NP-ACC (D-UM um)
(N género)
(PP (P de)
(NP (N vaidade)
(, ,)
(CP-REL (WNP-2 (WPRO que))
(IP-SUB (NP-SBJ *T*-2)
(Q-F toda)
(VB-P consiste)
(PP (P em)
(IP-INF (NP-SBJ *pro*)
(VB-F procurarmos)
(CP-THT (C que)
(IP-SUB (NP-SBJ-3 *exp*)
(NP-SE-3 (CL se))
(VB-SP fale)
(PP (P em)
(NP (PRO nós))))))))))))
(. ;))
(TYCHO BRAHE; ID A_001_PSD,30.513))
 
(IP-MAT   (NP-SBJ-32 *exp*)
(ADVP (ADV Adonde))
(, ,)
(PP (P @em)
(NP (D-F @a)
(OUTRO-F outra)
(N religião)))
(, ,)
(VB-P-3S diz)
(NP-SE-32 (CL se))
(NP-ACC (Q-F-P muitas)
(N-P asneiras))
(. .))
(CORDIAL-SIN; ID VPA15)

( (IP-MAT (NP-SBJ-1 *exp*)
(VB-P Fizera@)
(NP-SE-1 (CL @se))
(NP-ACC (ADJ-F-P boas) (N-P diligências))
(PP (P para)
(IP-INF (NP-SE-2 (CL se))
(VB-F acharem)
(NP-SBJ-2 (ADV-R mais) (N-P provas))))
(. .))
(POST SCRIPTUM; ID CARDS1013,.6))

( (IP-MAT (CONJ e)
(NP-SBJ-1 *exp*)
(PP (P em@)
(NP (DEM @isto)))
(NP-SE-1 (CL se))
(VB-P vê)
(NP-ACC (NUM dous) (N-P efeitos) (ADJ-P contrários))
(. ;))
(TYCHO BRAHE; ID A_001_PSD,15.184))



When the verb is in the 3rd person singular, the construction is potentially ambiguous between a passive se-construction, in which the NP is the subject of the verb, and an indefinite se-construction, in which the NP is the object of the verb. Different solutions were taken by the different corpora.

In Tycho Brahe, ambiguous cases are annotated, by default, as passive constructions:

( (IP-MAT (VB-D Queimava)
          (NP-SE-1 (CL se))
          (NP-SBJ-1 (N louro))
          (PP (P com)
              (NP (ADJ-P certos) (N-P betumes) (ADJ-P odoríferos))))
[...]
(TYCHO BRAHE; ID C_001_PSD,67.989)

In Cordial-Sin, Post Scriptum and Wochwel, ambiguous cases are annotated, by default, as impersonal constructions:

(IP-MAT (NP-SBJ-1 *exp*)
        (PP (P @A)
            (NP (D-F-P @as)
                (N-P vezes)))
        (VB-P-3S apanha@)
        (NP-SE-1 (CL @se))
        (NP-ACC  (D-UM-F uma)
                 (N quantidade)
                 (PP (P @de)
                     (NP  (DEM @aquilo))))
        (. .))
(CORDIAL-SIN; ID VPA10)