Scribd
Upload
26 views

Parallelism

Uploaded by

Anurag bisht
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
26 views

Parallelism

Uploaded by

Anurag bisht
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

What is Parallelism in Grammar?

Parallel sentence elements in grammar are just like parallel lines in geometry: they
face the same direction and never meet.

More precisely, in grammar, it’s less about meeting and more about
balance. Parallelism in grammar is defined as two or more phrases or clauses in a
sentence that have the same grammatical structure.

Parallelism mistakes

Lack of parallelism can happen in a lot of ways, but the mistake is usually clear
enough to make you wince when you hear it. Read on for the most common
parallelism problems you’ll encounter—and how to avoid them.

Examples

Olympic athletes usually like practicing, competing, and to eat ice cream
sandwiches.

In this sentence, practicing and competing are gerunds (verbs functioning as


nouns) and “to eat” is an infinitive. It sounds pretty awkward—just like being an
athlete with a sweet tooth.

Instead:

Olympic athletes usually like practicing, competing, and eating ice cream
sandwiches.

or

Olympic athletes usually like to practice, compete, and eat ice cream sandwiches.

Note that you don’t need to repeat the “to” in each instance of the infinitive form
of the verb. As long as the form of the verb is the same in all three cases, you’re
good to go.
Noun number

Non Parallel-

Public transit such as buses or a train can help reduce air pollution.

Multiple buses, one train? That’s not going to solve any environmental issues.
Here’s a better solution:

Parallel

Public transit such as buses or trains can help reduce air pollution.

Examples of Parallellism

Correcting Faulty Parallelism

To avoid faulty parallelism, the sentence above should be corrected to:

Correct: I like jogging and walking.

Words, phrases, and clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction (and, but, or,
nor, for, so, yet) need to have parallel grammatical construction.

Incorrect: We all need good nutrition and to exercise on a regular basis.

Correct: We all need good nutrition and regular exercise.

Words, phrases, and clauses joined by a correlative conjunction (not only... but
also, both... and, either... or, neither... nor) need to have parallel grammatical
construction.
Incorrect: like both to read books and watching movies.

Correct: like both to read books and to watch movies.

Words, phrases, and clauses joined by a comparative expression (as much as,
more than, less than) need to have parallel grammatical construction.

Incorrect: enjoy going out to a movie as much as I like to rent a movie and stay
home to watch it.

Correct: enjoy going out to a movie as much as I enjoy renting a movie and
staying home to watch it.

Rule to Remember

Items joined by a coordinating or a correlative conjunction, or by a comparative


expression need to be parallel in their grammatical form.

In the following example, inserting because before each of the elements makes
each point a subordinate adverbial clause and adds to the clarity of the whole
sentence.

Incorrect: Many people maintain a healthy diet because they want to look
healthy, it increases their energy, and they want to live longer.

Correct: Many people maintain a healthy diet because they want to look
healthy, because it increases their energy, and because they want to live longer.

Words, phrases, and clauses in a series should be parallel in grammatical


construction.
Incorrect: He is smart, honest, and has a great sense of responsibility.

Correct: He is smart, honest, and very responsible.

You might also like