The … the … comparatives

The … the … comparatives

Exercise 2

Choose the correct forms to complete the following the… the… comparatives.

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1 ______, the more you realise life isn't about how you look.

a.Older you get

b.The oldest you get

c.As older you get

d.The older you get

2 The more he talks, ______ how stupid he is.

a.more you realise

b.the more you realise

c.the most you realise

d.you realise more

3 Research shows ______ about getting a good job, the better you do in school

a.the least you care

b.the less you care

c.as less you care

d.the most you care

4 ______, the easier it is to beat the competition.

a.As more connections you have

b.The most connections you have

c.The more connections do you have

d.The more connections you have

5 Studies suggest ______ at work, the more productive you become.

a.the happier you are

b.the happier are you

c.the happiest you are

d.happier you are

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6 If anything goes wrong, contact me as soon as you can; ______.

a.as sooner the better

b.the sooner is the better

c.the sooner, the better

d.the soonest, the better

7 ______, the less I care about what people may think.

a.The older I get

b.As older I get

c.The older do I get

d.As older as I get

8 ______, the better he gets.

a.The most practicing

b.The more he practices

c.As he practices more

d.More he practices

9 In Halloween, people look for the creepiest costumes. ______.

a.The creepiest, the better

b.More creepy better

c.As creepier the better

d.The creepier, the better

10 The more authority he has, ______ he becomes.

a.less reasonable

b.the less reasonable

c.the least reasonable

d.not reasonable

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The … the … comparatives

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Comparative adjective or adverb

We can repeat the structure the + comparative + subject + verb to describe a cause-and-effect relationship between two things that depend on each other, where the degree of one action affects the degree of another. For example:

• The healthier you eat, the better you feel. (=If you eat healthier, you feel better.)
• The harder he works, the more stressed he is. (=If he works harder, he is more stressed.)

Note that when we have the verb be in this structure, we can omit it.

• The longer the wait, the more agitated the people become. 
• =The longer the wait is, the more agitated the people become. 

The more/the less + noun

You can also use a noun in the same structure instead of an adjective or adverb.

•  The more exercise you do, the fitter you get.
• The less carbohydrates you consume, the healthier you will be.

The more/the less + clause

Or you can use the more/the less + subject + verb instead of using an adjective or noun.

• The more you read, the wiser you get. 
• The more you know, the less you need to say. 

The …, the better

We can use the structure the + comparative adjective, the better to express preference in relation to the quantity or quality of something.

• Please call me soon. The sooner, the better. 
• A: ‘Isn’t this fridge too big?’   B: ‘No, the bigger, the better.’ 

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