Parallel

Structure
aka Parallel Construction or Parallelism

Odd One Out

Camping
Boat rides
Hiking
Skiing

Loneliness
Despair
Sadly

They raise corn and wheat.

They make their own wine.
They are digging for clams.

in the pit of his stomach

across his forehead
his eyes
through his veins

Odd One Out

Camping
Boat rides
Hiking
Skiing

Loneliness
Despair
Sadly

They raise corn and wheat.

They make their own wine.
They are digging for clams.

in the pit of his stomach

across his forehead
his eyes
through his veins

Parallel Structure
- means using the same pattern of words,
phrases, or clauses within the sentence to
show that two or more ideas have the same
level of importance.
- refers to identical grammatical structures
that create a rhythm and balance to
connect a flow of ideas.

 Parallel

structure makes sure

that your writing is:
balanced,
clear,
concise,
fluent,
easier for others to
understand, and
more stylish.

Items in a series must have parallel structure.

Parallelism looks like this:
Shane

, and

Shane

, and

Here is an example:
Shane ate the pizza, wiped his lips, and
burped with contentment.

Ate = past tense verb;

wiped = past tense
verb; and burped =
past tense verb.

Dont create problems by mixing grammatical elements.

Non-parallel structure looks like this:

Shane

, and

Shane

, and

The problem looks like this:

Shane ate the pizza, wiped his lips, and
burping with contentment.

Now look what youve

done! Ate and wiped
= past tense verbs, but
burping = present
participle!

Think about it.

Make sure each item in a series has the same

structure.

Not parallel: Superbugs are adapting, spreading,

and kill thousands.

Parallel: Superbugs are adapting, spreading, and

killing thousands.

Think about it.

Superbugs are adapting, spreading, and kill

thousands.

Notice that two of the verbs in the series end in

ing, but the third (kill) does not. (Not parallel)

Superbugs are adapting, spreading, and killing

thousands.

All three of the verbs in the series end in ing.

(Parallel)

Do you see the difference?

Not Parallel:
Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to
ride a bicycle.

Parallel:
Mary likes hiking, swimming, and
riding a bicycle.

Can you see the difference?

Not Parallel:
The production manager was asked to write his
report quickly, accurately, and in a detailed
manner.
Parallel:
The production manager was asked to write his
report quickly, accurately, and thoroughly.

Use parallel structure on both

sides of coordinating conjunctions
(and, but, yet, or, nor, for, so)
Examples:

She possessed all the wizards charm yet

none of the wizards insight.

Consult a doctor if your coughing persists

or if your coughing worsens over the
weekend.

Quick Test, Part 1

Directions: In the items that follow, choose
the sentence that has no errors in structure.

Lets see
how you
perform!

Item 1
A. Barking dogs, kittens that were meowing, and
squawking parakeets greet the pet shop
visitors.
B. Barking
Barkingdogs,
dogs,meowing
meowing
kittens,
kittens,
andand
squawking
parakeets greet
squawking
parakeets
the pet greet
shop visitors.
the pet shop
C. visitors.
Dogs that bark, kittens that meow, and
C. parakeets
Dogs that bark,
squawking
kittensgreet
that meow,
the petand
shop
visitors. squawking greet the pet shop
parakeets
visitors.

Item 2
A. During
Duringclass,
class,Samuel
Samuelspent
spent
hishis
time
time
flirting
flirting
with
Brittney,
with
Britney,
eatingeating
candy,candy,
and doodling
and doodling
on the on
assignment
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
Alex looked
lookedeverywhere
everywhereforfor
hishis
math
math
book
book
under the
under
thebed,
bed,on
onhis
hisdesk,
desk,
and
and
inside
inside
thethe
refrigerator.
refrigerator.

Item 4
A. The manager
managerwanted
wantedstaff
staffwho
who
arrived
arrived
on on
time,
smiledsmiled
time,
at the customers,
at the customers,
and didnt
and
snack
didnt
on
the chicken
snack
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
After giving
givingJeremy
Jeremy
her
her
phone
phone
number,
number,
Felicia
Felicia
had
to tolerate
had
to tolerate
his late
hisnight
latecalls,
nightstupid
calls,conversations,
stupid
and requests for and
conversations,
her math
requests
homework.
for her math
B. homework.
After giving Jeremy her phone number, Felicia had
B. After
to tolerate
givinghis
Jeremy
late night
her phone
calls, the
number,
fact that
Felicia
he had
carried
to
tolerate
on stupid
his lateconversations,
night calls, theand
factrequests
that he for
her math
carried
onhomework.
stupid conversations, and requests for
C. her
Aftermath
giving
homework.
Jeremy her phone number, Felicia had
C. After
to tolerate
givingbeing
Jeremy
woken
her phone
up latenumber,
at night, Felicia
havinghad
stupid
to
tolerate
conversations,
being woken
and
uphe
late
constantly
at night, having
requested
her math
stupid
conversations,
homework. and he constantly requested
her math homework.

Quick Test, Part 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
tomato sauce
saucesimmering
simmering
in in
thethe
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
to eat
eat delicious
deliciousseafood
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
handsome

Item 9
To win Lauries 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
the jeweler
jewelerfor
foran
anexpensive
expensive
gold
gold
necklace
necklace
C. the jeweler where he bought an expensive gold
necklace
D. to buy an expensive gold necklace

Item 10
Kimberly wont date Terry because he is too short,
too noisy, and _________.
A. because he picks his teeth with his fingers
B. too
too impolite
impolite
C. is the most impolite man she has ever met
D. Picking his teeth with his fingers

Revise your rhythm

1.

First, practice using each of the

following parallel structures by writing
sample sentences for each.

Then, select a piece of writing that

you want to energize. Look for
sentences that can be expanded in
one of the following ways using
parallel structures:

Use prepositional

phrases as in

- "History will show that he walked away with ... with

... and with ....
- "She walked down . through and across .

Ex: He spoke with grace, with eloquence, and with

passion.

Revise your rhythm

2. Use

who clauses, as in

"She was a woman who ... who ... and who...." (Or
an idea that , that, that.)
Ex: She was a woman who helped everyone, who gave
encouragement to all, and who had faith in humanity.

3. Use to-infinitive phrases as in "Students

need to help their troubled friends to ..., to ..., to
...."
Ex: Students need to help their friends to withstand peer
pressure, to face adversity, to make good choices.

Revise your rhythm

4. Use clauses, as in "If we are to..., if we are to...,
if we are to ..., then we must act now." Or "This was a
place
where, where , and where."

Ex: If we are to be free, if we are to succeed, if we

are to live, then we must act now.
5. Use participles, as in __________ing,
_________ing, ___________ing, the.

Ex: Laughing, dancing, sweating, the girls partied

into the night.