The covariational conditional construction, also known as the comparative correlative construction, is the commonly used "the X'er, the Y'er" structure in English, for example: "The more I think about it, the less I understand." "The sooner, the better." The structure is composed of two variables: an independent variable ('the X'er') and a dependent variable ("the Y'er").
In construction grammar this pattern is considered a construction because the pattern is not predictable from any other fact of English grammar already established about 'the'.
'The normally occurs with a head noun but in this construction, it requires a comparative phrase. The two major phrases resist classification as either noun phrases or clauses. The requirement that two phrases of this type be juxtaposed is another non-predictable aspect of the pattern. Because the pattern is not strictly predictable, a construction must be posited that specifies the particular form and function involved' (Goldberg 2006, 6).Goldberg, A. E. (2006). Constructions at Work: The nature of generalization in language. Oxford University Press.
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