quo ... eo (The More, the More)

The More, The More

Level 5

Quo and a comparative in the first half, eo and a comparative in the second.

How It Works

Comparative word	Example
an adverb: magis, melius	Quo magis legis, eo melius scribis. The more you read, the better you write.
an adjective: maior, longior	Quo maior est arbor, eo longior est umbra. The bigger the tree, the longer the shadow.
a noun: plus	Quo plus habet, eo plus cupit. The more he has, the more he wants.

The Latin order matches the English order: the quo half comes first. Eo here is the ablative of is, and it has nothing to do with the verb eo (I go).

Quanto and tanto work the same way, and the Vulgate likes them. Mark 7:36 repeats the comparative in the second half: tanto magis plus.

Quo plus habet, eo plus cupit.
The more he has, the more he wants.
Plus stands in both halves. Quo and eo each go with their plus.
Quo magis legis, eo melius scribis.
The more you read, the better you write.
Magis and melius are comparative adverbs, and both verbs are indicative.
Quo maior est arbor, eo longior est umbra.
The bigger the tree, the longer the shadow.
Maior and longior are comparative adjectives. Each half has its own est.
Quo celerius currimus, eo citius advenimus.
The faster we run, the sooner we arrive.
Celerius and citius are comparative adverbs.
Quanto autem eis praecipiebat, tanto magis plus praedicabant.
But the more he ordered them, the more they spread the word.
Mark 7:36. Quanto and tanto replace quo and eo, and the Vulgate repeats the comparative in magis plus.

Using a plain word where the comparative belongs.
Quo multum habet, eo multum cupit.
Quo plus habet, eo plus cupit.
The pattern needs a comparative in each half. Multum (much) is a plain word, and the comparative of multum is plus.

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

quo ... eo (The More, the More)Level 5The More, The More

Quo and eo are ablatives of difference used with comparatives, so the ablative of difference comes first.

quiiseo

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