Double Comparatives

Comparative and Comparative

John is getting taller and taller!

The comparative which is repeated can be an

adverb, a pronoun, a determiner or an adjective,
with or without more or less.

Let’s take a closer look.

Double Comparatives
Comparative and Comparative
1. Adverb
“It’s becoming harder and harder to find a job.”
“Mary has been looking for a job more and more persistently.”
Double Comparatives
Comparative and Comparative
2. Pronoun

“These days we are learning more and more about some diseases.”
Double Comparatives
Comparative and Comparative
3. Determiner

“She is studying less and less

information/fewer and fewer
pages each day.”
Double Comparatives
Comparative and Comparative
4. Adjective

“Adele is getting thinner and thinner.”

Double Comparatives
Comparative and Comparative
5. More/less + adjective/adverb

“This exercise is getting more and more

difficult.”
“She is getting less and less worried
about the situation.”
Double Comparatives
Comparative and Comparative
The…the… work as correlative conjunctions when linking two
clauses to show that they vary proportionally.

“The warmer the weather, the better

I feel.”
Correlative Comparatives
the + comparative element

Look at these examples:

a) The more expensive the hotel, the better the service.

b) The younger you are, the easier it is to learn.

c) The more I thought about the plan, the less I liked it.
PRACTICE
 PRACTICE
Complete with the double comparatives. Use the adjectives in the box:

nervous big good expensive bad

1. bigger and bigger

The hole in your sweater is getting _________________.
2. more and more nervous
As I waited for my interview, I became _______________________.
3. Travelling is becoming ________________________.
more and more expensive
4. Since she has been in Britain, her English has got _______________.
better and better
5. As the day went on, the weather got ________________.
worse and worse
 PRACTICE
Complete the sentences using the structure the…the:

1. I didn’t like him when we first met. But the more I got to know
the more I liked him (like)
him,__________________.
 PRACTICE
Complete the sentences using the structure the…the:

2. It’s hard to concentrate when you’re tired. The more tired you are,
the harder it is to concentrate (hard)
_________________________.
 PRACTICE
Complete the sentences using the structure the…the:

3. She had to wait a very long time. The longer she waited,
the more impatient she became (impatient/become).
___________________________.
 PRACTICE
Complete the sentences using the structure the…the:

4. If you’re in business, you want to make a profit. The more goods you
the more profit you will make (profit)
sell, _________________________.