Skip to main content

modifiers - Could you help me to do a syntax analysis of this sentence?



The more I use Froyo the more new stuff I discover.



Does it mean:



I more use Froyo, I discover more new stuff.




Answer



This is a parallel comparative. It shows up in a lot of languages:



Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose. [French: The more things change, the more they stay the same.]


Je größer desto besser [German: The bigger the better.]



If you were to express this mathematically, it would be something like:


a + n ~= b + n

where a, b, and n are positive numbers.


It's a common way of expressing how two things are related from an experiential perspective. In your example, the sentence expresses that using Froyo (currently, the latest Android operating system for smart phones) is a very rich experience, and the speaker learns something new practically upon every encounter with it. It is here used to express approval of the new OS.


More positive examples:



The more I get to know you, the more I like you. [The speaker's relationship with "you" is growing in a positive direction.]


The more I see Fellini films, the more I understand how film can be used expressively. [The speaker has learned a lot about movie-making from watching Fellini.]



It doesn't have to be an approving comment, however. Here are some negative examples:



The more I eat liver, the more I like steak. [In other words, the speaker really doesn't like liver.]


The more I go to class, the more bored I get. [The speaker really doesn't like going to class.]



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Is there a word/phrase for "unperformant"?

As a software engineer, I need to sometimes describe a piece of code as something that lacks performance or was not written with performance in mind. Example: This kind of coding style leads to unmaintainable and unperformant code. Based on my Google searches, this isn't a real word. What is the correct way to describe this? EDIT My usage of "performance" here is in regard to speed and efficiency. For example, the better the performance of code the faster the application runs. My question and example target the negative definition, which is in reference to preventing inefficient coding practices. Answer This kind of coding style leads to unmaintainable and unperformant code. In my opinion, reads more easily as: This coding style leads to unmaintainable and poorly performing code. The key to well-written documentation and reports lies in ease of understanding. Adding poorly understood words such as performant decreases that ease. In addressing the use of such a poorly ...

Is 'efficate' a word in English?

I routinely hear the word "efficate" being used. For example, "The most powerful way to efficate a change in the system is to participate." I do not find entries for this word in common English dictionaries, but I do not have an unabridged dictionary. I have checked the OED (I'm not sure if it is considered unabridged), and it has no entry for "efficate". It does have an entry for "efficiate", which is used in the same way. Wordnik has an entry for "efficate" with over 1800 hits, thus providing some evidence for the frequency of use. I personally like the word and find the meaning very clear and obvious when others use it. If it's not currently an "officially documented" word, perhaps its continued use will result in it being better documented.