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Parallelism

Parallelism is the use of consistent grammatical structures in writing to enhance clarity and emphasis, particularly in lists and paired items. It includes various literary devices such as anaphora, antithesis, and climax, which help create rhythm and flow in communication. Correcting faulty parallelism ensures that sentences maintain grammatical consistency, improving readability and the overall impact of the message.

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Parallelism

Parallelism is the use of consistent grammatical structures in writing to enhance clarity and emphasis, particularly in lists and paired items. It includes various literary devices such as anaphora, antithesis, and climax, which help create rhythm and flow in communication. Correcting faulty parallelism ensures that sentences maintain grammatical consistency, improving readability and the overall impact of the message.

Uploaded by

illves :p
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Parallelism refers to using similar words, clauses, phrases, sentence structure, or other

grammatical elements to emphasize similar ideas in a sentence. It makes the sentence concise,
clear, and easy to read.Parallel structure is important especially in items in a series, paired
items, and items in an outline or list.

Specific types of parallelism

There are distinct literary terms to describe literary devices that make up specific types of
parallelism.

* Anaphora sets the stage by echoing words at the start of clauses, spotlighting them for
emphasis, as in "In time we will prevail, in time we will be victorious."

* Antithesis introduces a dance of opposites within parallel structures, creating a striking


contrast with examples like "Man proposes, God disposes."

* Asyndeton cuts the conjunctions, leaving a trail of related but unlinked ideas, as Julius
Caesar's succinct "Veni, vidi, vici" illustrates, while its counterpart, syndeton, embraces these
connectors for effect.

* Climax takes us on an ascending journey, arranging elements so each surpasses the last in
significance, much like Shakespeare's layered importance in "O'erthrows thy joys, friends,
fortune and thy state."

* Epistrophe, or epiphora, mirrors anaphora by repeating phrases at sentence ends, a tactic


Barack Obama famously used with his rallying "Yes we can."

* Symploce blends the beginning and end by employing both anaphora and epiphora, wrapping
sentences in a symmetrical embrace of repetition.

References:

https://boords.com/blog/parallelism-what-is-it-and-how-to-use-it-in-your-writing
https://www.lynchburg.edu/academics/writing-center/wilmer-writing-center-online-writing-lab/
grammar/parallelism/

Parallelism is the use of consistent pattern structure of sentences to create balance and
emphasis. This helps to improve clarity and consistency in written and spoken communication.
An example of that is the repetition of the same grammatical form to present related ideas. By
doing so teachers can demonstrate effective ways to organize information and express ideas to
learners.

Some of the example of parallelism:

➢ I love playing video games, writing poems and watching anime.


➢ She was thoughtful, caring and loving.
➢ We provide excellent customer service, timely delivery, and high-quality products.

What Is Parallelism in Writing?


Parallelism is the repetition of grammatical elements in a piece of writing to create a harmonious
effect. Sometimes, it involves repeating the exact same words, such as in the common phrases
“easy come, easy go”. Other times, it involves echoing the pattern of construction, meter, or
meaning. It is based on the word “parallel,” which means “to run side by side with.” There are
two kinds of parallelism in writing—parallelism as a grammatical principle and parallelism as a
literary device.

What Is Parallelism In Grammar?


Sentences are easier and more pleasant to read if there is an agreement in their grammatical
structure, particularly when it comes to lists. This principle is known as parallelism, parallel
structure or parallel construction.

For example:
Faulty parallelism: “The finale was illogical, rushed, and it disappointed.” (Two adjectives and a
verb.)
Successful parallelism: “The finale was illogical, rushed, and disappointing.” (Three adjectives.)

What Is Parallelism as a Literary Device?


Writers sometimes use parallelism as a figure of speech that goes beyond just the grammatical
structure of a sentence. They might repeat a word or several words at the start of successive
clauses—a type of parallelism known as “anaphora.”
It’s possible to also put opposite ideas into parallel positions within a sentence, bringing
attention to their contrasting character. For example, Neil Armstrong’s line when he first stepped
onto the surface of the moon: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

What Is the Purpose of Parallelism in Writing?


Writers use parallelism, alongside other literary devices such as assonance and alliteration,
to create flow and rhythm. Parallelism is particularly popular among orators because it usually
simplifies the structure of sentences, so the speaker can hold an audience’s attention for longer
and present their message in digestible terms. Parallelism also useful when a writer wants to
emphasize the relationship between two or more ideas. It can set up a comparison or contrast
between two things.

Parallelism
Conjoined items in a sentence must be in the same grammatical form.

Incorrect: I like to jog and walking.


In the above sentence, to jog and walking are not parallel in grammatical construction.

Parallelism is the matching of the forms of words, phrases, or clauses within a sentence. Editing
your work for parallel construction improves clarity and emphasizes your points.

Rule to Remember : Conjoined items in a sentence must be in the same grammatical form, i.e.
grammatically parallel.

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: I enjoy going out to a movie as much as I like to rent a movie and stay home to watch
it.
Correct: Ienjoy 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.
Items in a bulleted list should also be parallel in their grammatical form. For example,

Incorrect: Set up your own wiki:


● Explore sample wiki sites
● Creating an account on free hosting services
● Selecting a wiki name
● How to choose privacy options
● Creating and customizing your wiki site

Correct: Set up your own wiki:


● Explore sample wiki sites
● Create an account on free hosting services
● Select a wiki name
● Choose privacy options
● Create and customize your wiki site

https://www.masterclass.com/articles/writing-101-what-is-parallelism

https://www.niu.edu/writingtutorial/grammar/parallelism.shtml

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