This presentation covers distinguishing between parallel and nonparallel elements.
Think About Parallelism In the Following Way: Your sentence is like a seesaw. Your job is to make the sentence balanced or parallel (to the ground) by making sure the structure is the same. If something is off-balance, then the seesaw is not parallel.
W hat Is Parallelism? Parallelism in writing means that similar parts in a sentence (2 or more) must have the same structure. Their parts are comparable and balanced. Allows writing to flow smoothly and helps avoid misunderstandings. When similar parts do not follow the same structure, you have created a non-parallel structure called faulty parallelism.
Understanding Parallelism Use similar structures to express similar ideas. C = correct / F = faulty parallelism Put nouns with nouns Faulty (F): I enjoy basketball more than playing video games. Correct (C): I enjoy basketball more than video games. Put verbs with verbs (and use same tense) F: On our anniversary, we ate, danced, and were singing. C: On our anniversary, we ate, danced, and sang. Put adjectives with adjectives F: My history class was both interesting and a challenge. C: My history class was both interesting and challenging.
Parallelism in Pairs & Lists When you present two or more items in a series joined by and or or, use similar form for each item. F: I am doing well in my English class, in my math class, and in history. F: I am doing well in my English class, in my math class, and my history class. C: I am doing well in my English class, in my math class, and in my history class.
Parallelism in Comparisons In comparisons, the items being compared must have parallel structure. F: Driving to Austin is as fast as to fly. C: Driving to Austin is as fast as flying. F: Buying textbooks is almost as expensive as tuition. C: Buying textbooks is almost as expensive as paying tuition. C: Textbooks are almost as expensive as tuition.
Parallelism with Paired Words When a sentence uses correlative conjunctions, the items joined by them must be parallel. F: My underwater basket-weaving course is both interesting and a challenge. C: My underwater basket-weaving course is both interesting and challenging. F: You must either make a C in the course or taking it again will be the consequence. C: You must either make a C in the course or take it again. F: I would rather work hard and pass than to repeat the course. C: I would rather work hard and pass than repeat the course.
Parallel Structure Do I maintain parallelism with a participle? Or should I use an infinitive?
Parallel Structure Do I maintain parallelism with a list of nouns? Or should I use an adjective + noun structure?
A parallelism item on an objective test might look like this...
Sample Item Directions: Choose the sentence that has no errors in structure. A. Eileen bought new shoes for the party, a gold charm for her mother, and to treat her best friend Maria to lunch. B. Eileen decided to buy new shoes for the party, purchasing a gold charm for her mother, and treating her best friend Maria to lunch. C. Eileen purchased new shoes for for the the party, party, a gold a gold charm for her mother, and and lunch for for Maria, Maria, her her best best friend.
This is where your knowledge of parts of speech will come in handy! Look at the structure of the sentence. What is the repeated pattern or formula?
Explanation: Sample A. Eileen bought new shoes for the party, a gold charm for her mother, and to treat her best friend Maria to lunch. B. Eileen decided to buy new shoes for the party, purchasing a gold charm for her mother, and treating her best friend Maria to lunch. Item Directions: Choose the sentence that has no errors in structure. The structure of the list for choice A is: noun phrase + noun phrase + infinitive phrase. This sentence is NOT parallel! The structure of the list for choice B is: infinitive phrase + participle phrase + participle phrase. This sentence is NOT parallel!
Explanation: Sample Item Directions: Choose the sentence that has no errors in structure. C. Eileen purchased new shoes for the party, a gold charm for her mother, and lunch for Maria, her best friend. The structure of the list for choice C is: noun phrase + noun phrase + noun phrase. This sentence is parallel!
Items in a series must have parallel str ucture. Parallelism looks like this: Hans Solo,, and. Hans Solo,, and.
Here is an example: Hans Solo ate the pizza, wiped his lips, and burped with contentment. Ate = past tense verb; wiped = past tense verb; and burped = past tense verb.
Don t create problems by mixing grammatical elements. Non-parallel structure looks like this: Hans Solo,, and. Hans Solo,, and.
The problem looks like this: Hans Solo ate the pizza, wiped his lips, and burping with contentment. Now look what you ve done! Ate and wiped = past tense verbs, but burping = present participle!
Quick Test, Par t 1 Directions: In the items that follow, choose the sentence that has no errors in structure. Let s see how you perform!
Item 1 A. Barking dogs, kittens that were meowing, and squawking parakeets greet the pet shop visitors. B. Barking dogs, meowing kittens, and and squawking parakeets squawking greet parakeets the pet greet shop visitors. the pet shop C. Dogs visitors. that bark, kittens that meow, and C. parakeets Dogs that bark, squawking kittens greet that meow, the pet and shop visitors. parakeets squawking greet the pet shop visitors.
Item 2 A. During class, Samuel spent his his time time flirting flirting with Brittney, with Brittney, eating eating candy, candy, doodling and doodling on the on the assignment sheet. sheet. B. During class, Samuel spent his time flirting with Brittney, he ate candy, and doodling on the assignment sheet. C. During class, Samuel spent his time to flirt with Brittney, to eat candy, and doodling on the assignment sheet.
Item 3 A. Alex looked everywhere for his math book under the bed, on his desk, and he searched inside the refrigerator. B. Alex looked everywhere for his math book viewing under the bed, searching on his desk, and inside the refrigerator. C. Alex looked everywhere for for his his math math book under the bed, on his his desk, and and inside the the refrigerator.
Item 4 A. The manager wanted staff who who arrived on on time, smiled time, smiled at the customers, at the customers, and didn t and snack didn t on the snack chicken on the nuggets. chicken nuggets. B. The manager wanted staff who arrived on time, would be smiling at the customers, and would not be snacking on the chicken nuggets. C. The manager wanted staff who arrived on time, smiled at the customers, and no snacking on the chicken nuggets.
Item 5 A. After giving Jeremy her her phone number, Felicia Felicia had to had tolerate tolerate his late his night late calls, night stupid calls, conversations, stupid and conversations, requests for and her math requests homework. for her math B. After homework. giving Jeremy her phone number, Felicia had B. to After tolerate giving his Jeremy late night her phone calls, the number, fact that Felicia he had carried to tolerate on stupid his late conversations, night calls, the and fact requests that he for her carried math on homework. stupid conversations, and requests for C. After her math giving homework. Jeremy her phone number, Felicia had C. to After tolerate giving being Jeremy woken her phone up late number, at night, Felicia having had stupid to tolerate conversations, being woken and up he late constantly at night, having requested her stupid math conversations, homework. and he constantly requested her math homework.
Quick Test, Par t 2 Directions: In the items that follow, choose the correct word or phrase within the context suggested by the sentence. Now try a different type!
Item 6 Pasta boiling in water,, and garlic bread baking in the oven welcomed Francisco as he opened the door. A. simmered tomato sauce in the pan B. tomato sauce simmering in in the the pan pan C. tomato sauce that simmered in the pan D. saucy tomatoes that were simmering in the pan
Item 7 During our vacation in the Bahamas, we hope, to enjoy beautiful sunsets, and to dance ourselves dizzy at reggae clubs. A. that we eat delicious seafood B. that eating delicious seafood occurs C. to eat delicious seafood D. eating delicious seafood
Item 8 Karen wished Ray chewed with his mouth closed, for otherwise he was everything she wanted in a date; he was tall, intelligent, and. A. he looked good B. being good looking C. one handsome man to look at D. handsome
Item 9 To win Laurie s love, Albert visited the florist for roses, the drugstore for a box of chocolates, and. A. bought an expensive gold necklace at the jewelry store B. the jeweler for an an expensive gold gold necklace C. the jeweler where he bought an expensive gold necklace D. to buy an expensive gold necklace
Item 10 Kimberly won t date Terry because he is too short, too noisy, and. A. because he picks his teeth with his fingers B. too impolite C. is the most impolite man she has ever met D. Picking his teeth with his fingers
Grammar Bytes! provides additional handouts and exercises on parallel structure. Go to chompchomp.com! chomp! Ms. Icaro edited some of chomp! the pictures.
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