Progressive change (steeds)

Progressive change with "steeds"

When describing something continually changing, English often repeats a comparative adjective ("taller and taller", "more and more") or uses "increasingly" ("increasingly sustainable").

In Dutch, express this ongoing change simply by placing steeds before a comparative adjective or adverb. You do not need to repeat the comparative.

The city is being expanded because more and more inhabitants are coming.
De stad wordt uitgebreid omdat er steeds meer inwoners komen.
Those skyscrapers in the center are getting taller and taller.
Die wolkenkrabbers in het centrum worden steeds hoger.

Depending on the context, steeds translates naturally to either "[X] and [X]" or "increasingly [X]".

That building is becoming increasingly sustainable.
Dat gebouw wordt steeds duurzamer.
The new infrastructure makes the city increasingly accessible.
De nieuwe infrastructuur maakt de stad steeds bereikbaarder.

This structure also works with adverbs to describe how an action changes over time.

We must expand that network faster and faster.
Wij moeten dat netwerk steeds sneller uitbreiden.
The facilities for the inhabitants are getting better and better.
De voorzieningen voor de inwoners worden steeds beter.