the more ... the more ...

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   used to say that as one thing increases, another thing increases or changes in the same way

   Grammar: Each part starts with 'the' and a comparative adjective or adverb; the first clause gives the cause or condition.

   Patterns

   • the more someone does something, the more something happens
   • the more + adjective + subject + verb, the more + adjective + subject + verb

   The more you read, the more you learn.

   The more carefully she listened, the more clearly she understood the problem.

   The more people who join the club, the more money we can raise.

2. 2phrasefixed phrase

   used with other comparatives to show that one change causes another change

   Grammar: The same pattern works with 'less', 'fewer', 'better', 'worse', etc.: 'the less you worry, the better you sleep.'

   Patterns

   • the less someone does something, the less something happens
   • the better ..., the more ...

   The older I get, the less I care about fashion.

   The sooner we leave, the less traffic we will hit.

   The more he explained, the more confused everyone became.

Common combinations

the more you know

The more you know about the history, the more interesting the city becomes.

the more the better

For this recipe, the more cheese the better.

the more I think about it

The more I think about it, the more I agree with you.

the more time passes

The more time passes, the easier it gets.

Synonyms and how they differ

as ... as

Used for equal amounts, not for a cause-and-effect increase: 'as you read more, you learn more' is less fixed and less emphatic.

Commonly confused: the more ... the more ... or more and more?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “the more ... the more ...”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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