Chapter 6A - Double comparatives

Question 1

You can use two comparatives, each preceded by the,in order to show one quality or amount is linked to another. The first comparative expresses a condition for the second comparative.

• The more you like to dance, the more you appreciate music with a Latin beat.
• The more I hear a pop song on the radio, the less I feel like buying it.
• The more exciting the soundtrack, the better the movie seems.
• The louder the music gets, the sooner I feel like leaving.

Answer 1

These structures are commonly used in double comparatives.

The more/less + clause
The more I listen to classical music, the more I appreciate it.

The + comparative form of adjective + clause
The more romantic a song is, the less my brother wants to listen to it.

The + more/less/fewer + noun/gerund + clause
The more dancing you do,the more natural you’ll feel on the dance floor.

Short double comparatives without verbs are common in conversation. Many of them end in the better.

The more, the merrier !
The bigger, the better !
The sonner, the better !