Meaning
Expresses a proportional relationship where an increase (or decrease) in one factor leads to a corresponding change in another.
Primary Function
Comparative correlative
Communicative Purpose
To indicate that as one variable grows or shrinks, so does the other, often used for causal explanations.
Pattern
The more; the more/less
Core Structure
The more; the more/less
Função primária
Comparative correlative
Propósito comunicativo
To indicate that as one variable grows or shrinks, so does the other, often used for causal explanations.
Situações de gatilho
Analytical discussions, arguments supporting trends, scientific reasoning.
Contextos
Academic essays, reports, technical writing, everyday logical statements.
Padrão
The more; the more/less
Estrutura central
The more; the more/less
Slots de substituição
comparative adjective or adverb, contents of the second clause (e.g., outcome, benefit).
Colocados típicos
- The more you practise
- the better you become
- The sooner we begin
- the less pressure later on.
Substituições comuns
- ‘As … increases
- … increases’ – used in formal academic writing to avoid repetition of ‘the more.’
Erros comuns
Using a superlative instead of comparative (e.g., saying *The most study gives best results*), or omitting the second ‘the’ before the clause.
Similar / contraste
Conditional statements like ‘If you do X then Y will happen’, which are less concise for expressing proportional correlation.
Interferências
Learners from languages that lack fixed word order in comparatives may struggle with placing both clauses after ‘the more … the more/less …’ without rearrangement.
Família do chunk
- correlative comparative frames
Nuance
Conveys not just any relationship but one implying a natural law or strong tendency, making it persuasive and authoritative when used to explain processes.
Efeito pragmático
Signals causality and reliability; often employed to justify recommendations or predictions based on observed trends.
Dica de memória
The more + clause, the more + clause.
Nota
This chunk is highly versatile, capable of expressing both positive and negative correlations with slight variations.
Upgrade path
The greater the investment, the higher the probable return.
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