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Jazzgirl, I think your 'the better...' example was great. I tried but couldn't come up with a way of expressing the concept. I can see how 'the' equates to 'how much', when you think of 'how much' as 'on that account', but I'd be hopeless at explaining it further!

Elle, for tennis and coverage of tennis, I usually just go to the BBC Sport page, click on 'tennis' and then check to see if there's a 'Coverage on BBC' box at the side. This usually gives details - when I looked today, there was information about the times the Davis Cup is on television and on the Red Button this weekend.

Thanks Malone. I found Chambers' explanation confusing, so tried to work it out in my own simple way.
Rusty, what will be your next tricky poser I wonder !?
The salmon "went down" a treat and was enjoyed by my lunch guests.

Hello, Elle!
I would not have got that answer.
Rightly or not, I pronounce mat(rix) as the thing the cat sat on, not like May.
None of the explanations have been a help, really.
I cannot grasp the concept of "how much" equalling "the".
No point in saying I do, if it is way over my standard of education.
This motorised bikes story has just turned up today.
I know little about it.
But I am astonished the Team Sky bikes are heavier than the rest.
They won't paint the frames because the paint would add unwanted weight to them.
That's how meticulous they are.
So them having the heaviest bikes seems very odd!
I think the bikes are checked more thoroughly now.
The man who made the motorised wheels delivered them to somewhere in France.
I walked only to postbox.
Had a birthday card to post for a young one across the water.

Hey, Rusty!
I think you just have a "blind spot" with the "how much /the" conundrum.
We all have them over something or other!
I know I do!
You are very good at sending birthday cards etc. to your relatives, and friends and their children.
I like to remember these occasions too.
It is a while since you have been "over the sea to Ireland.........to see the sun go down on Galway Bay".
( Another Bing song, that I have in my collection!)
Do you have any plans for a visit to Donegal and Norn Iron any time soon?
Or are you awaiting better weather?
It is still damp here....I was planning a walk , but ended up having a "zizz" instead!
Not intentionally I might add......I fell asleep reading my book!
No disrespect to the author.....I was just very tired!!
Do you think the 'weightier' tyres is an indication that Team Sky was cheating?
Maybe by using motorised ones?
Sounds suspicious?

Hello, Elle,
No, I simply do not know these things, so I ask.
I discovered another one this morning but have not explored it yet.
A "dangling participle".
The mind boggles!
I have friends coming over from Norn Iron at the end of March.
I will have a chat with them about going over.
Same with Donegal.
I follow Donegal newspapers and Highland Radio on Twitter and I am up to date with what is going on over there, before the locals tell me!
Team Sky's boss, Dave Brailsford, uses a phrase that is a mantra to him.
"Marginal Gains".
Every tiny bit of weight, or a slightly better skin suit, things like that, are the difference between gold and silver.
So, the cycling world will be perplexed.
Why were Team Sky's bikes heavier?
Be good to hear what they have to say about it.
But...I read last week, that either them, or British Cycling, have hired spin doctors.
Spin doctors manipulate the truth.
Why are they needed?
Trotty Tweeted earlier that she was training with Dani King this morning.
First in a long time.
Dani was punted by Sutton.
So, I am wondering has she been invited back?
I've just ordered a book from Amazon.
"The Old Devil".
It is about Clarence Darrow, the great American trial lawyer.
Should be good!

Having read Rusty's post, I'll make sure no dangling (or hanging) participles creep into mine. (Dangling participles are much more interesting than you'd think... honestly.)

Hello, Malone!
I shall take your word for it!
I'll explore them tomorrow.

example (I love this one)

We spent most of our holiday sitting on the back porch watching the cows playing Scrabble and reading.

...OR

I enjoyed eating a bowl of strawberries covered in cream

The cows were playing Scrabble?
Clever cows!
Um...is there a "dangling participle" in there?