Idiomatic syntax: the more..., no sooner..., so much so
Correlative frames: the more...the more, no sooner...than, hardly...when, as...as constructions, so much so that
I can deploy correlative frames with native rhythm and correct internal syntax.
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
The longer the negotiation dragged on, the less anyone remembered what it was about.
The longer the negotiation dragged on, the less anyone remembered what it was about.
No sooner had the paint dried than the toddler found a marker — so much so that we repainted twice.
No sooner had the paint dried than the toddler found a marker — so much so that we repainted twice.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Fixed double frames that carry native rhythm:
| Frame | Example |
|---|---|
| the X-er ..., the Y-er ... | The more you practise, the easier it gets. The sooner, the better. |
| no sooner ... than | No sooner had we left than it started to pour. |
| as ... as ever / as ... as they come | She's as sharp as they come. |
| so much so that | He loves maps — so much so that he papered a wall with them. |
| not so much X as Y | It's not so much a job as a calling. |
- *No sooner we had left when → No sooner had we left than
- *The more you practise, it gets easier → parallel the-frame required
- *so much that (intensifying a clause) → so much so that
Common Error Patterns
Frame halves mismatched
the...the parallel; no sooner...than; hardly...when
The longer the negotiation dragged on, the less anyone remembered what it was about.
The longer the negotiation dragged on, the less anyone remembered what it was about.
Double comparative frame with full clauses.
No sooner had the paint dried than the toddler found a marker — so much so that we repainted twice.
No sooner had the paint dried than the toddler found a marker — so much so that we repainted twice.
no sooner...than + so much so that chained.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in C2 course exercises