> Other English exercises on the same topic: | Comparisons [Change theme]
	> Similar tests: - Placement test : grammar for beginners - Comparatives / Superlatives - Comparative of superiority - Superlative + and adjective - Comparatives - Comparatives of superiority - Superlative - Comparative of superiority
	> Double-click on words you don't understand

The more ... the fewer ... - English lesson

This is the basic explanation, for beginners, of an aspect of grammar which is really problematic to many Learners, and even to more Advanced ones...

(If you want to go much further into this topic, you may study lesson test.) It deals with parallel progression  : the more ... the more... / the less ... the less ....

The terminology is deceiving.  It is really a comparison, therefore, it must be expressed by a comparative, which, because of the determiner 'the' preceding it,  is often wrongly mistaken for a superlative by Learners.

1) Used with a verb :

The only difficulty lies in the word order :  The +  comparative expression + subject + verb.

ex : The more I work, the more tired I am.

2) Used with an adjective : 

The + adjective in the comparative + subject + verb.

ex 1 : The older he grows, the more impatient he becomes. 

Here, together with the very little difficulty of building the comparatives of adjectives, must be added the problem we have already mentioned of the word order  (the verb must be placed at the end of the clause).

In the preceding example, 'old' is a short adjective. The comparative is built when you add '- er' to the short adjective => 'the older ...'

On the contrary, 'impatient' is a long adjective and is built with 'more'.=>  'the more impatient ... '

ex 2 : The higher you climb, the more dangerous it becomes !

- as far as 'negative progression' is concerned, 'the less ... the less ...' : there are no particular difficulties  :

ex : The less high you climb, the less difficult it will be. ( the word order)

3) Used with a noun :

ex : The more chocolate he eats, the fewer sweets he will need.

'Chocolate' is  an uncountable noun (that you can't count) => the more + uncountable.(more + countable/uncountable = big quantity)

On the contrary, 'sweet', is  a countable noun. (Sweets can be counted.) therefore, this word MUST BE PRECEDED by FEW =>  the fewer sweets =>   the fewer + countable. For a small quantity, with an uncountable, use less.

ex 2 : The less chocolate he eats, the more sweets he will ask for !

ex : The more exercises you do, the fewer mistakes you'll make. 

  Irregular forms  : 

-  bad - worse - the worst

-  good - better - the best

-  far - farther - the farthest ( concrete distance )

-  far - further - the furthest ( abstract distance )

Twitter Share
English exercise "The more ... the fewer ..." created by here4u with The test builder. [More lessons & exercises from here4u]
Click here to see the current stats of this English test

Please log in to save your progress.

1) OlderThe oldestThe olderOldestI don't know he gets, the hardest becomes heharder he becomesthe hardest he becamethe harder he becomesI don't know on his employees...
2) The gooderThe bestThe betterThe goodestThe goodderI don't know she knew him, the attachestthe more attachedthe attacherthe most attachedI don't know she grew to him.
3) The louderThe more loudThe most loudThe loudestI don't know he spoke during the lecture, the fewestthe mostthe fewerthe moreI don't know listeners he had. They couldn't bear his voice !
4) The furthestThe fartherThe furthestThe furtherI don't know he studied this murder case, the most involvedthe more involvedthe involvederI don't know the detective became in it.
5) You know how clumsy he is : the harderthe hardestthe more hardthe most hardI don't know he works, the worstthe worsethe betterthe bestI don't know employee he becomes. It's really bad luck !
6) The mostThe fewerThe lessI don't know customers came in, the more desperatethe less desperatethe most desperatethe fewer desperateI don't know the owner felt, and the less hopethe fewer hopethe more hopethe few hopeI don't know he had to get by.
7) The least fastThe fastestThe fasterThe less fastI don't know you drive your car on this narrow road, the dangerousestthe more dangerousthe most dangerousthe dangerouserI don't know you' ll become as a driver.
8) The most famousThe less famousThe least famousI don't know a school is, the fewer studentsthe little studentsthe most studentsthe few studentsI don't know want to attend it.
9) The coldestThe most coldThe colderThe least coldI don't know the weather became, the less peoplethe fewer peoplethe few peoplefew peopleI don't know there were in the streets.
10) The fartherThe furtherFartherFurtherI don't know you'll walk, the most exhaustedthe more exhaustedmost exhaustedmore exhaustedI don't know you will be.