Question

The more he was criticized .................. he was to complete the task.

• A. less able
• B. the less able
• C. less able to
• D. the less able to

Hint:

In comparative sentences, use the structure "the more... the less..." to show the relationship between two qualities.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

The sentence provided is an example of a correlative comparative structure often used in English to describe relationships where two related qualities or actions change together. The correct completion involves using a phrase that accurately reflects this relationship:

The more he was criticized the less able he was to complete the task.

Explanation:

1. Correlative Comparatives: The structure "the more... the..." is typically used to express a relationship involving increase or decrease. In this context, criticism and ability are inversely related; as criticism goes up, ability goes down.
2. Correct Choice: "the less able" fits this structure perfectly by indicating that as one aspect increases, the other diminishes.
3. Alternative Options:
   • "less able" lacks the comparative correlative structure.
   • "less able to" is also missing the necessary correlation.
   • "the less able to" extends the phrase unnecessarily without additional context.

In conclusion, the less able is the correct phrase used to complete the sentence in accordance with English grammatical rules related to comparative correlations.