PARALLELISM

Parallelism involves using similar forms of words or phrases to show similar ideas. This
frequently means using the same form for words or phrases in a list, as in:

I enjoy swimming, skiing, and hunting.

This sentence, which employs parallel construction in the –ing forms is much clearer and
smoother than the following sentence, which is not parallel:

I enjoy swimming, skiing, and to hunt.

Consider each pair below:

1. I came. I would see and be conquering.

2. I came. I saw. I conquered.

3. Jean is both an artist and she spends time at athletics.

4. Jean is both an artist and an athlete.

5. He slowed down and came sliding and the winning run was scored.
6. He slowed down, slid, and scored the winning run.

Do 2, 4, and 6 sound more smoothly and clearly written to you? The underlined parts of 2, 4,
and 6 are parallel. Two or more single words (slowed, slid, scored) can be parallel as can entire
sentences (I came. I saw. I conquered.) But remember, parallel words must have the same
grammatical form - a noun must be balanced with a noun, a past tense verb with a past tense
verb.

In the following examples, note how much easier it is to read the column with parallel
construction.

Lacking Parallel Construction Having Parallel Construction

I enjoy sewing and to plan wardrobes I enjoy sewing and planning wardrobes.
It’s important to make good grades as well as It’s important to make good grades as well as to
having fun. have fun.
She expected a man to have a good job, to be She expected a man to have a good job, to be
good-looking, and who would pamper her every good-looking, and to pamper her every whim.
whim.
His experience made him sullen, bitter, and a His experience made him sullen, bitter, and
cynic. cynical.
She asked him whether he could take shorthand She asked him whether he could take shorthand
and his experience. and what experience he had had.
By hard work and because I invested my savings By hard work and by investing savings in the
in the company, I won a promotion. company, I won a promotion.
She wanted a house with seven rooms, a two-car She wanted a house with seven rooms, a two-car
garage, and it should be in a good location. garage, and a good location.

Here are examples of thesis statements, which, of course, should always use parallel
construction.

My summer job a t a resort was worthwhile My summer job at a resort was worthwhile
because it gave me money for college, I hadn’t because it gave me money for college, experience
had a full-time job before, and I had time for in a full-time job, and time for recreation.
recreation. A college student should not live at home because
A college student should not live at home because he needs to be independent, he will make more
he needs to be independent, friendships in a dorm, friends in a dorm, and he won’t waste time
and he wastes time commuting. commuting.

Consider the following:

She judged the painting for accuracy, for style, and for quality.
They all felt that he had cheated, that he had lied, and that he had been let off lightly.

It would also be correct to write these sentences the following way, but they would lose
emphasis.

She judged the paintings for accuracy, style, and quality.

They all felt that he had cheated, lied, and been let off lightly.

Some groups of words demand a parallel construction:

not only. . .but also yesterday. . .today
either. . .or both. . .and
neither. . .nor whether. . .or
then. . .now on one hand. . .on the other hand

Exercise 1. Rewrite each of the following, using parallelism to accentuate the parallel ideas.

Example: We would break some windows, hopped a few trains.

We had a few fights.

Rewrite: We broke a few windows, hopped a few trains, and had a few fights.

1. Tom enjoys swimming, and he likes to skate too.

Rewrite: ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
2. He wore a green sued jacket, and his shirt was flowered. He was wearing platform shoes,
multicolored.
Rewrite: ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

3. At 16, I was full of wildness, outspoken, and I was an uncaring person.

Rewrite: ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

4. The work was difficult and there was danger in it.

Rewrite: ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

5. Like many women, she had several roles: wife, mother, going to school, and job.
Rewrite: ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

6. When the teacher left the room, I talked loudly, was fighting with my classmates, and would
throw paper airplanes and even climbed on the desks.
Rewrite: ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

7. When I disobeyed, my parents punished me: no going out, I couldn’t talk on the telephone,
and was not allowed to have company.
Rewrite: ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

8. Slowly, with ease, and soundless, the dancers moved offstage.

Rewrite: ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

9. The drums pounded, did throb, were rising and falling.

Rewrite: ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

10. Good writing must be honest, have freshness, and precise words.
Rewrite: ______________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Exercise 2. Below are the skeletons of sentences: fill in the blanks in each sentence with
parallel words or phrases of your own. Take care that your sentences make sense and
that your parallels are truly parallel.

1. It is much harder to ___________________ than to __________________.

2. If you __________________ and __________________, you will feel healthy.
3. The way we dress reveals our _______________________, our _____________________
and our _____________________.
4. At those parties, we had lots of fun. We ______________, _______________, and
_________________.
5. _________________ and __________________ make me nervous.
6. It was a clear April day. In the park, ________________, _______________, and
_________________.
7. My chief objectives in this course are _______________, ________________, and
_________________.
8. The mob was more interested in ________________ than in _________________.