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Parallel Structures

The document explains the concept of parallel structure in writing, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the same pattern of words to convey equal importance among ideas. It provides examples of parallel structures at the word, phrase, and clause levels, as well as common mistakes that disrupt parallelism. Additionally, the document includes practice exercises to reinforce the understanding of parallel structures.

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3 views

Parallel Structures

The document explains the concept of parallel structure in writing, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the same pattern of words to convey equal importance among ideas. It provides examples of parallel structures at the word, phrase, and clause levels, as well as common mistakes that disrupt parallelism. Additionally, the document includes practice exercises to reinforce the understanding of parallel structures.

Uploaded by

shekshavalivali876
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Tutoring and Testing Center

PARALLEL STRUCTURES
Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same
level of importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level. The usual way to join parallel
structures is with the use of coordinating conjunctions such as "and" or "or."

Words
A parallel structure that begins with a word must continue with similar words and word endings.

He gave me the sun, the moon, and the stars. (nouns)


Mary likes hiking, swimming, and bicycling. (gerunds)
I love green, red, and white balloons. (adjectives)
She spoke quietly, slowly, and clearly. (adverbs)

Phrases
A parallel structure that begins with a phrase must continue with similar phrases.

He walked around the house, through the garden, and out of the gate. (prepositional phrase)

Mary likes to hike, to swim, and to ride a bicycle. (infinitive phrase)


OR
Mary likes to hike, swim, and ride a bicycle.
(Note: You can use "to" before all the verbs in a sentence or only before the first one.)

Clauses
A parallel structure that begins with a clause must continue with clauses.

The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, not eat too much, and do some warm-
up exercises before the game.

Lists
Be sure to keep all the elements in a list in the same form.

The dictionary can be used for these purposes: to find word meanings, pronunciations, correct
spellings, and irregular verbs.

The toys were everywhere -- under the table, on the couch, and in the closet.

Based on the information from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_parallel.html.


Mixed structures are not parallel
Switching to a different pattern within a sentence or changing the voice of a verb (from active to passive or vice
versa) will break the parallelism. To check if the structure is parallel, line up the lead-in word with each
separate section of the pattern.
1. Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle.
likes hiking
likes swimming
likes to ride [does not match the pattern of gerunds; can be changed to
‘riding’]

Mary likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bicycle.


2. The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and in a detailed
manner.
write quickly
write accurately
write in a detailed manner [does not match the pattern of adverbs; can be changed to
‘thoroughly’ & have the same meaning]

The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and thoroughly.
3. The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last minute to study for
the exam, completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and his motivation was low.
he waited
he completed
his motivation was low [does not match the pattern of verbs; can be changed to ‘lacked ’]

The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last minute to study for
the exam, completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and lacked the motivation.

Parallel Structures Practice Exercises


1. She likes to jog in the park and shopping.
2. John encourages his brother to play basketball, spend time practicing soccer, and learns to play
piano.
3. Students not only want good grades but also to have fun.
4. The meeting will discuss human resource problems and how employee motivation is
decreasing.

Suggested Answers (may vary)

1. She likes jogging in the park and shopping.

2. John encourages his brother to play basketball, practice soccer, and learn piano.

3. Students want good grades and fun experiences.

4. The meeting will discuss human resource problems and employee motivation decreases.

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