bubblehead0922 wrote:Hi everyone,

I am confused about the structure of the clauses followed by "the + comparative adjective..., the + comparative adjective....

In question #670 and #677 (OG2017), I am confused with the sentence structure provided in the correct answer. To me, the two clauses followed by the comparative adjective are not exactly parallel to each other in one sentence. For example, the positions of the verb are either before or after the subjects. Sometime, there is no verb in the first clause at all. Can someone please explain the grammatical rule on how to use this idiom?

Thx!

Many users here won't have the most recent version of the Official Guide. Would you mind posting the text of the questions?

DavidG@VeritasPrep wrote:

bubblehead0922 wrote:Hi everyone,

I am confused about the structure of the clauses followed by "the + comparative adjective..., the + comparative adjective....

In question #670 and #677 (OG2017), I am confused with the sentence structure provided in the correct answer. To me, the two clauses followed by the comparative adjective are not exactly parallel to each other in one sentence. For example, the positions of the verb are either before or after the subjects. Sometime, there is no verb in the first clause at all. Can someone please explain the grammatical rule on how to use this idiom?

Thx!

Many users here won't have the most recent version of the Official Guide. Would you mind posting the text of the questions?

Sure!
SC #677 (OG2017)

A long-term study of some 1,000 physicians indicates that the more coffee these doctors drank, the more they had a likelihood of coronary disease.

(A) more they had a likelihood of coronary disease
(B) more was their likelihood of having coronary diseases
(C) more they would have a likelihood to have coronary diseases
(D) greater was their likelihood of having coronary disease
(E) greater was coronary disease likely

The correct answer is D.

By reading the explanation, I think it makes sense to choose "their likelihood" as the subject and "greater" as the adjective phrase for the "likelihood".

I am confused with the sentence structure of the clauses in this type of expression. Should the verb be placed before or after the subject of each clauses? And do the two clauses need to be parallel to each other? I want to systematically learn the grammatical rules on this idiom. Thx!

DavidG@VeritasPrep wrote:

bubblehead0922 wrote:Hi everyone,

I am confused about the structure of the clauses followed by "the + comparative adjective..., the + comparative adjective....

In question #670 and #677 (OG2017), I am confused with the sentence structure provided in the correct answer. To me, the two clauses followed by the comparative adjective are not exactly parallel to each other in one sentence. For example, the positions of the verb are either before or after the subjects. Sometime, there is no verb in the first clause at all. Can someone please explain the grammatical rule on how to use this idiom?

Thx!

Many users here won't have the most recent version of the Official Guide. Would you mind posting the text of the questions?

SC#670 (OG2017)

Manufacturers rate batteries in watt-hours; if they rate the watt-hour higher, the longer the battery can be expected to last.

(A) if they rate the watt-hour higher, the longer
(B) rating the watt-hour higher, it is that much longer
(C) the higher the watt-hour rating, it is that much longer that
(D) the higher the watt-hour rating, it is that much longer that
(E) when the watt-hour rating is higher, the longer it is

The correct answer is C.

Compare the #677, the verb " can be" is placed after the subject " the battery". To me, it is very confusing on what the sentence structure should be look like in this type of sentence.