PARALLELISM

Parallel Structure
ODD ONES OUT
 WHAT IS A PARALLELISM?

• It is when phrases in a
sentence have similar or
the same grammatical
structure

• Provides a phrase with

balance and clarity
 WHAT IS A PARALLELISM?

• Serves to give phrases a

pattern and rhythm

• The repetition of two

grammatical form in two or
more parts of a sentence
 WHICH IS CORRECT?

It is better to give “It is better to give

than receiving” OR than to receive”
“Simple is beauty” “Simplicity is beaut
Which word among the following has a
different grammatical form?

Dig, cook, dance, singing

Dig, cook, dance, sing

BASIC FORM or INFINITIVE FORM
Which word among the following has a
different grammatical form?
PAST FORM
Locked, ate, took, looked,
waits, ran
Simple form/singular

Locked, ate took, looked,

waited, ran
PAST FORM
Which word among the following has a
different grammatical form?
ADJECTIVES
Beautiful, simple,
intelligent, actively, lazy
ADVERB

Beautiful, simple,
intelligent, active, lazy
ADJECTIVES
Which has a parallel structure?

A. I like to jog, bake, paint, and watch

movies
B. I like to jog, bake, paint, and
watching movies
C. I like jogging, baking, painting,
and watching movies
 REMEMBER!!!

When a series is composed of verbs,

do not mix forms. For example,
mixing an infinitive (a verb beginning
with to) and a gerund (a verb form
ending in –ing) breaks parallel
structure
 PARALLEL WORDS

On the word level, a noun should be

grouped with other nouns, an
adjective with other adjectives, and
so on.
Which has a parallel structure?

A. The company is looking for a

candidate that is friendly, organized,
meticulous, and is going to arrive at
ADJECTIVES
work on time
VERB PHRASE

B. The company is looking for a

candidate that is friendly,
organized, meticulous, and
ADJECTIVE
punctual
 PARALLEL PHRASES

Parallel structure should be used to

balance a series of phrases with the
same grammatical structure. For
example, avoid mixing noun phrases
with verb phrases
 Which has a parallel structure?

A. Initial trials showed that exposure to

the chemical caused memory
problems, intermittent dizziness, and
NOUN PHRASE
prevents sleep.
VERB PHRASE

B. Initial trials showed that exposure to the

chemical caused memory problems,
intermittent dizziness, and insomnia.
NOUN
 PARALLEL CLAUSES

Parallelism is also applicable to a

series of clauses in a sentence
 Which has a parallel structure?

A. The report card stated that the

student often talked in class, that he
bullied other students, and rarely
finished his homework.
ADVERBIAL CLAUSE

B. The report card stated that the

student often talked in class, that
he bullied other students, and that
he rarely finished his homework.
“that clause”
 LIST AFTER COLON (:)

A list that follows a colon should

always have parallel elements.
Which has a parallel structure?

A. Mainstream economist have attributed the

recession to several key causes: deregulation
policies, spike in interest rates, manufacturing
orders declining, and the emergence of asset
bubbles
B. Mainstream economist have attributed the
recession to several key causes: the enactment of
deregulation policies, the spike in interest rates,
the decline in manufacturing orders, and the
emergence of asset bubbles
C. Mainstream economist have attributed the
recession to several key causes: deregulation
policies, high interest rates, low manufacturing
orders, and asset bubbles
PARALLEL CONSTRUCTION IN
PAIRS
Use parallel construction when a
sentence contains a pair of connected
ideas. Pairs can be connected by
coordinating conjunctions, which
include and, nor, but, or, and yet.
Which has a parallel structure?

A. She planned to collect data by either

using an online survey or phone
VERB PHRASE
interviews.
NOUN PHRASE

B. She planned to collect data by either

using an online survey or conducting
phone interviews.
VERB PHRASE

C. She planned to collect data by either

online surveys or phone interviews.
NOUN PHRASE
 PARALLEL CONSTRUCTION IN
PAIRS
Use parallel construction when a pair of
ideas are linked by a correlative
conjunction, such as not only… but
also, either… or, and neither… nor
 Which has a parallel structure?

A. His paper argues that the distinctive

divergence in the two artists’ style was
not only shaped by their mutual rivalry
but also because of the idiosyncratic
tastes in patrons
B. His paper argues that the distinctive
divergence in the two artists’ style was
shaped not only by their mutual rivalry
but also by the idiosyncratic tastes in
patrons
The same rule applies to pairs connected by a word of comparison,
such as over, than, or as
 OUTLINES AND HEADINGS

Headings that divide a paper into

sections should be parallel. Likewise, a
parallel structure should be applied to
elements in paper outlines.
 Which has a parallel structure?

NOUN PHRASE NOUN PHRASE

1. Origin of homeopathy 1. Origin of

2. Initial reception VERB PHRASE homeopathy
3. Rising to popularity in 2. Initial reception
the 19th century 3. Rise to popularity in
4. Recent studies show the 19 th
century
lack of evidence 4. Lack of evidences in
recent studies

ADVERBIAL PHRASE
 REMEMBER!!!
Maintaining parallel structure helps
you avoid grammatically incorrect
sentences and improves your writing
style. Although lack of parallelism is
not always strictly incorrect,
sentences with parallel structure are
easier to read and add a sense of
 WHICH IS CORRECT?

It is better to give “It is better to give

than receiving” OR than to receive”
“Simple is beauty” “Simplicity is beaut
“Simple is beautiful”
 AGAIN…
• To achieve parallelism, ther must be
the same grammatical structure
among the elements in your
sentences
• Simple uses of parallelism create
readable and understandable
passages. Sentences are best
THANK YOU FOR
LISTENING!