Advanced Comparative Patterns

What you’ll learn

Express proportional change and equal degree accurately.

បង្ហាញការផ្លាស់ប្ដូរ និងការប្រៀបធៀបដែលស្របតក្កវិជ្ជា។

Meaning and use

The + comparative, the + comparative expresses linked variation. Repeated comparatives describe progressive change. As…as compares equal degree; not nearly as…as marks a large difference. Avoid redundant comparative marking, and make the comparison logically parallel so readers compare like with like.

The more…, the more… បង្ហាញការផ្លាស់ប្ដូរដែលទាក់ទងគ្នា។ More and more បង្ហាញកាន់តែខ្លាំងឡើង។ As…as ប្រៀបធៀបស្មើគ្នា ហើយត្រូវប្រៀបធៀបអ្វីដែលត្រូវប្រភេទគ្នា។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Linked variation	The more I practise, the more confident I become.
Progressive / equal degree	more and more useful / as useful as

Examples

1. The earlier we leave, the sooner we will arrive.

   យើងចេញកាន់តែមុន យើងនឹងមកដល់កាន់តែឆាប់។

2. The lessons are becoming more and more challenging.

   មេរៀនកាន់តែមានបញ្ហាប្រឈមឡើង។

3. This route is not nearly as busy as the main road.

   ផ្លូវនេះមិនមមាញឹកជិតស្មើផ្លូវធំទេ។

4. Her salary is higher than mine.

   ប្រាក់ខែនាងខ្ពស់ជាងប្រាក់ខែខ្ញុំ។

Everyday conversation

Dara: How is your reading improving?

Maly: The more I read, the easier new articles become.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
The more you practise, more confident you become.	The more you practise, the more confident you become.	Both halves take the in this proportional pattern.
Her salary is higher than me.	Her salary is higher than mine.	Compare salaries with salaries, not a salary with a person.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Complete: The harder we work, ___ more we learn.
2. Correct: It is getting more and more easier.
3. Make the comparison parallel: Our costs are lower than the other company.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. the

   The second comparative also needs the.

2. It is getting easier and easier.

   Use repeated -er comparatives without more.

3. Our costs are lower than those of the other company.

   Those substitutes for the other company’s costs.

Quick recap

• Linked variation: The more I practise, the more confident I become.
• Progressive / equal degree: more and more useful / as useful as