The more the merrier

Good morning boys and girls!

Do you believe in what this saying means? 

"The more the merrier" is a popular saying made up by two comparative constructions, or at least a comparative and a half, that means that you are happy for more people to join a group or an activity you are taking part in.

 The structure is similar to the one formed by two comparative clauses. This construction is used to express that one thing depends on another. Have a look at the following example:

"The more money you have the more ambitious you are"

In this construction, the degree of ambition you may have depends on the amount of money you have. There exists a relation of dependency between both conditions.We can use "more" and "less" in this type of construction and we do not always have to use adjectives in the sentences. Other examples might be:

"The less work you do the lazier you become", "The more friendly you are the more friends you have" or "The more untidy you are the less responsible you become".

This construction is known as "Correlative Comparative" and it is also very popular in shorter forms where the subject and verb are omited like the one in the title of this post (where the subject "we" and the verb "be" are omited) or in some other situations like the following:

• When being asked how you take your coffe: 

- How do you like your coffee, sir?
- The stronger the better. (it is, is omited)

• When someone answers a question regarding when to start a task: 

- When should I start working?
- The earlier the better.  (you start is omited)

So, what do you think about this structure? Do you like it?

Leave me your comments if you please... the more the better!