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The more ..., the less (Step2)

Here is, again, a construction which looks easy to learners but is often an opportunity for them to make mistakes.This construction expresses a parallel progression: the more... the more... / the less... the less... When one element of the comparison increases, lthe second one does too... If it decreases, the other one does too. Yet, sometimes an element increases, whereas the other one decreases. The construction is then almost similar.  

The wording is misleading. It is a comparison, therefore a comparative should be used. (and is used!). Because of the word 'the' (here an adverb) preceding it, that structure is often mistaken for a superlative. It's not! 

1) Comparative used with a verb:

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

Make sure that you remember... The VERB is placed at the end of the clause. 

 - The more I know her, the more selfish I find her. 

Here, the (very little) difficulty lying in the construction of the comparatives of adjectives is added to the other issue of the word order (In English, the verb is always placed at the end of the sentence). 

(same structure)  The + adjective in the COMPARATIVE + subject + verb.

- a : The taller he gets, the more professional he becomes at basketball. 

In this example, 'tall' is a short adjective. The comparative is formed when you add "- er" to the short adjective => tall=> 'taller' => 'the taller...'

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

-The higher he jumps, the more effective he is for his team! 

- b :  - The 'negative progression', ('the less... the less... for the two different forms of adjectives) has no difficulty at all.

 - The less high you climb the mountain, the less difficult it will be for you. (word order) 

3) Comparative used with a noun: well, well...  That's when students forget what's most important: the WORD ORDER ! (Yet, it's the same!) 

- The more food they take with them, the fewer items they will have to buy. 

'Food' is an uncountable noun ( = that you can't count! = '(some) food') => 

the more + uncountable noun. (more + countables/ uncountables= expressing an increasing quantity)

On the contrary, ' an item' is 'countable'. (You can count items at the supermarket checkout!)

Then, it must be preceded by FEW =>  'a few items'=> 'fewer items'=> 'the fewer items'=>   the fewer + countable noun  in the plural.

- The less petrol you start with for this long trip, the more times  you'll have to stop to buy some! 

- The more exercises you do before the test, the fewer mistakes you'll make. 

* Irregular forms: 

-  bad => comparative form= worse - (superlative form - not used here!) = (the worst)

-  good => better - (the best)

-  far - farther - (the farthest) ( concrete distance)

   far - further - (the furthest) ('abstract distance')  

Well well! Here is the test... I know you'll overcome its difficulties quite easily... THE FORCE is with YOU!   

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1. Please, start with the comparative.

If the kids eat many sweets now, they won’t be hungry for the coming meal.
The most sweets the kids eat now, the less hungry they'll be for the coming mealThe more sweets the kids eat now, the less hungry they'll be for the coming mealThe more sweets the kids eat now, the hungrier they'll be for the coming mealThe less sweets the kids eat now, the more hungry they'll be for the coming mealThe sweeter the kids eat now, the more hungry for the coming meal they'll beI don't know.


2. If there are not many mistakes in your essay, you’ll get a good mark
The fewer mistakes you'll have in your essay, the worse mark you'll get.The fewer mistakes you'll have in your essay, the betterest mark you'll getThe more mistakes you'll have in your essay, the best mark you'll getThe more mistakes you'll have in your essay, the betterer mark you'll get.The fewer mistakes you'll have in your essay, the better mark you'll getThe less mistakes you'll have in your essay, the better mark you'll get.I don't know.


3. If you read many chapters of the book, you’ll understand it well…
The more chapters of the book you read, the most good you'll understand itThe more chapters of the book you read, better you'll understand itThe more you read chapters of the book, the better you'll understand itThe more chapters of the book you read, the better you'll understand itThe more chapters you read of the book, the less you'll understand itThe most chapters of the book you read, you'll understand it wellerMore chapters of the book you read, the better you'll understand itI don't know.


4. If the sprinter runs very fast, he’ll get close to the champion’s record.
The more fast will run the sprinter, the closer he'll get to the champion's recordThe faster the sprinter will run, the closer he'll get to the champion's recordThe more fast the champion will run, the closer he'll get to the champion's recordThe fastest the champion will run, the closest he'll get to the champion's recordThe faster the champion will run, the more close he'll get to the champion's recordThe faster the champion will run, he'll get the more close to the champion's recordI don't know.


5. If you leave school very slowly, you’ll be late for your tennis lesson.
The slowlyier you leave school, the latest you'll be for your tennis lessonThe more slowly you leave school, the later you'll be for your tennis lessonMore slowly you leave school, more late you'll be for your tennis lessonThe more slowly you leave school, the latest you'll be for your tennis lessonThe more slowly you leave school, the latest you'll be for your tennis lessonThe most slowly you leave school, later you'll be for your tennis lessonI don't know.


6. If you don’t go to bed quickly, your sleeping time will be short.
The most quickly you go to bed, the shortest your sleeping time will beThe less quickly you go to bed, the shorter your sleeping time will beThe quicklyest you go to bed, the shortest your sleeping time will beMore quickly you go to bed, more shorter your sleeping time will beThe most quickly you go to bed, the more short will be your sleeping timeThe less quickly you go to bed, the more short your sleeping time will beI don't know.


7. If the teacher has many students, he spends much time correcting their tests.
The more students has the teacher, the more time correcting their tests he spendsMore students the teacher has, the most time he spends correcting their testsMost students the teacher has, more time he spends correcting their testsThe fewer students the teacher has, the more time he spends correcting their testsThe most students the teacher has, the most time he spends correcting their testsThe more students the teacher has, the more time he spends correcting their testsI don't know.


8. If he is too insolent, he’ll be punished by his parents and teachers…
More insolent, the less he'll be punished by his parents and teachersThe more insolent, the more he'll be punished by his parents and teachersThe more insolenter, the more he'll be punished by his parents and teachersThe insolenter he is, the more punished he'll be by his parents and teachersThe most insolent, more he'll be punished by his parents and teachersI don't know.


9. If you train very often, your reading will become fluent.
The most often you train, the fluentest will become your readingThe most often you train, the most fluent your reading will becomeThe more often you train, the more fluent your reading will becomeMore often you train, the most your reading will become fluentThe oftener you train, the fluenter your reading will becomeThe oftener you train, the fluenter your reading will becomeI don't know.


10. If it rains a lot today, you'll find a lot of snails tomorrow.
The more it will rain today, the fewer snails you'll find tomorrowMost it will rain today, the most snails you'll find tomorrowThe more it rains today, the more snails you'll find tomorrowThe more it will rain today, the less snails you'll find tomorrowMore it will rain today, the more you'll find snails tomorrowI don't know.