The more…, the more…

  • B2 · Upper-intermediate
  • Grammar lesson
  • 60 min

The + comparative, the + comparative for two things that change together: The more you use a language, the easier it gets. The student hears a retired teacher talk about learning Italian at sixty, matches and builds the pairs, fixes the usual mistakes, and argues about popular "rules of life".

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The more…the less…the better

What's in the lesson

  1. 1Warm-up
  2. 2In this lesson
  3. 3Listen: Italian at sixtyListening comprehension
  4. 4What does it mean?Grammar exercise
  5. 5Find the pairsGrammar exercise
  6. 6the more…, the more…Grammar rule
  7. 7Match the halvesGrammar exercise
  8. 8Complete the pairsGrammar exercise
  9. 9Find the mistakeGrammar exercise
  10. 10Questions for your teacherGrammar exercise
  11. 11Say it naturallySpeaking practice
  12. 12Rules of lifeSpeaking practice
  13. 13About youGrammar exercise
  14. 14Wrap-up

Homework

  1. 1Homework: say it in one sentenceGrammar exercise
  2. 2Homework: which sentence is correct?Grammar exercise
  3. 3Homework: build the sentencesGrammar exercise
  4. 4Homework: never too lateDiscussion

Two slides from the lesson

Warm-up

A few questions about you before we start.

  1. Do you know anyone who started something completely new after the age of sixty?
  2. What skill of yours has improved a lot because you practice it often?
  3. In your opinion, does learning get easier or harder as people get older?

Grammar rule

the more…, the more…

Two things change together: when one changes, the other changes too. The first part is usually the cause or the condition; the second part is the result. Both parts start with the, and a comma goes between them.

PatternExample
the + -er / more + adjective or adverb + subject + verbThe colder the night is, the brighter the stars look.
the more / the less + subject + verbThe more he complains, the less I listen.
the more / the less / the fewer + nounThe more questions you ask, the fewer surprises you get.
the short version: no verb (be is left out)The fresher the bread, the better the sandwich.
fixed phrasesThe cheaper, the better. (cheap is best)

Word order

  • The adjective, the adverb or the noun stays right after the comparative: The more crowded the train is… (not The more the train is crowded) · the more quietly you speak · the fewer cars there are
  • For the future, the first part has the present, as in an if part, and the second part can have will: The quicker we pack, the sooner we'll be at the beach.
  • You will also hear the result first, without its the: It gets easier the more you do it.

Watch out

  • the in both parts: The quieter the street, safer the kids are → the safer the kids are
  • a comparative, not a superlative: The most you smile… → The more you smile…
  • one comparative, not two: the more safer → the safer · the more better → the better
  • with plural nouns, careful English uses fewer (the fewer cars); with uncountable nouns, less (the less noise)

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