B1
越来越 and 越…越… — more and more
The two 越 patterns in Chinese for change over time and for one thing rising with another, and why neither takes 很.
越来越 says something is increasing over time. It goes straight in front of the adjective, and the sentence usually ends in 了, because a change is exactly what is being reported.
天气越来越冷了。
Tiānqì yuè lái yuè lěng le.
The weather’s getting colder and colder.
他的中文越来越好了。
Tā de Zhōngwén yuè lái yuè hǎo le.
His Chinese keeps getting better.
The 了 is the change-of-state one — what is being announced is that things are not as they were.
越 A 越 B — the more, the more
The other pattern ties two things together: as one increases, so does the other. Each 越 goes in front of its own verb or adjective.
他越说越快。
Tā yuè shuō yuè kuài.
The more he talked, the faster he got.
我越想越生气。
Wǒ yuè xiǎng yuè shēngqì.
The more I think about it, the angrier I get.
东西越贵越好吗？
Dōngxi yuè guì yuè hǎo ma?
Is more expensive always better?
English needs the more … the more, with both halves marked. Chinese needs one character twice, and the two clauses sit side by side with nothing between them.
No 很, in either
The same rule as 比: 越 is already supplying the degree, so an adverb of degree has nothing left to do.
天气越来越很冷了。
天气越来越冷了。
很, 非常 and 太 are all out. 越来越 has said everything about how cold it is getting.
Two subjects, one pattern
The halves need not share a subject. When they differ, each goes in front of its own 越.
他越说，我越糊涂。
Tā yuè shuō, wǒ yuè hútu.
The more he explained, the less I understood.