Covariational conditional

Covariational Conditional refers to the most commonly used 'the Xer the Yer' structure in English, for example: The more you think about it the less you understand. The sooner the better. The structure is composed of two variables, an independent variable ('the Xer') and a dependent variable ('the Yer). It has also been called the 'comparative correlative construction'.

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).

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