Lesson 14—Parallelism 1. The law of parallelism Whenever a sentence contains a list or comparison, the items in that list or comparison should be parallel; that is, they should have the same grammatical form. This rule is called the law of parallelism. Gina hated to take charge, draw attention to herself, and she hated seeming like a know-it-all. This sentence lists three things that Gina hated, but those things are given different grammatical forms. The underlined phrases are not parallel. The sentence sounds much better if the three items are phrased as gerunds. Gina hated taking charge, drawing attention to herself, and seeming like a know-it-all. The underlined words all have the same form, so the sentence reads more smoothly. Comparisons should be parallel also. Believe it or not, I like to read more than I like going to parties. This sentence compares two things: to read and going to parties. The first phrase is an infinitive, but the second contains a gerund. The sentence reads more smoothly if the items have the same form. Believe it or not, I like to read more than I like to go to parties. Believe it or not, I like reading more than I like going to parties. 2. Infinitives and gerunds Using the law of parallelism often involves choosing between infinitives and gerunds (see Lesson 12). Remember that infinitives are noun phrases like to run, to see, and to think, and that gerunds are nouns like running, seeing, and thinking. www.cracksat.net These sentences all have the same basic structure. In the first sentence, pizza is the object of the verb like. In the next two sentences, to swim (an infinitive) and swimming (a gerund) play the same role. Therefore, they must also be nouns. Gerunds and infinitives are often interchangeable. For instance, saying I like to swim is very much like saying I like swimming. But the sentences aren’t identical. If you are unable to swim, but enjoy watching swim meets, then I like swimming conveys your sentiment but not I like to swim. Although infinitives and gerunds are often interchangeable, here are some simple rules to help you to choose between them in certain situations. The gerund is usually better for indicating a general class of activity, while the infinitive is often better for indicating a specific activity in which someone actively participates. Kayaking is a healthful sport, but can sometimes be dangerous. Curtis and Dan want to kayak this afternoon. The first sentence discusses a general activity, but the second discusses a specific activity. The infinitive often indicates purpose more strongly than does the gerund. Maia went to the store to buy groceries. Notice that the gerund buying could not logically replace the infinitive to buy, because Maia had a purpose in going to the store, and this purpose is conveyed by an infinitive and not by a gerund. 3. Parallel constructions The English language contains many parallel constructions, which are the common ways of phrasing comparisons. www.satpanda.com When you use any of these parallel constructions, you must make sure of two things: that you use the correct phrasing, and that A and B are parallel. To improve your use of parallelism, practice underlining the A’s and B’s when you see any of these parallel constructions, and making sure that they have the same form. We should be concerned more than . Parallelism practice In each of the sentences below, circle the words or phrases that are parallel, and then write the form of those words or phrases (adjectives, prepositional phrases, gerunds, infinitives, nouns, etc.) in the blank. 1. You can register for the test by mail, by phone, or on the Web. __________ 2. Having good study practices is even more important than working hard. __________ 3. The more you get to know her, the more you will like her. __________ 4. The produce is not only exceptionally fresh, but also reasonably priced. __________ 5. The show is less a concert than it is a three hour nightmare. __________ Complete each of the sentences below with the appropriate word or phrase—infinitive or gerund—using the given verb. 6. (Exercise) ____________ is essential, but so is (eat) ____________ intelligently. 7. The purpose of this trip is (show) __________ you what life was like in the 18th century. 8. I have always loved (dance) ____________ although my condition has always prevented me from doing it myself. 9. Is it better (study) ___________ a little each night, or a lot the night before? 10. The director called a meeting (discuss) __________ the coordination of the marketing phase. www.cracksat.net Correct any infinitive/gerund problems in the sentences below. 11. The defendant was unwilling to give up his right of having his lawyer present at all questioning. 12. I would not dream to try out for the team until I have learned to throw a football. 13. Within the next three weeks, we plan having all of the work on the roof completed. Fix the parallelism errors in the following sentences. 14. I like working with Miss Bennett because she is very supportive and has a lot of knowledge. 15. I can’t decide whether I should give Maria the tickets or Caitlyn. 4. Tip for improving your essay Good writers use parallel phrasing to emphasize points and clarify the relationships between ideas. Fluent use of parallelism is one mark of a competent writer. The government had long taken a laissez-faire position, but now the shift is toward a more protectionist stance. The change in phrasing in the second clause suggests, to most readers, an entirely unrelated idea. But the ideas in the two clauses are closely related, and so a parallel phrasing clarifies the relationship. The government had long taken a laissez-faire position, but now it is taking a more protectionist stance. 5. Tip for the multiple-choice questions www.satpanda.com Pay attention to underlined words or phrases that are part of a list or comparison, particularly if one part of the list is not underlined. The underlined portion may need to be changed to maintain parallelism. Although parallelism problems show up occasionally in Identifying Sentence Errors questions, they are more common in Improving Sentences questions. My father is not one to raise his voice and also he does not like to lose his composure. (A) and also he does not like to (B) or (C) nor (D) and not (E) nor does he like to The portion of the sentence that follows the underlined portion, lose his composure, is already parallel to raise his voice. The underlined portion of the original sentence destroys the parallelism. Choice (B) does the best job of restoring it. Choice (C) is incorrect because nor should not be used without neither. Answer Key Parallelism practice 1. by mail; by phone; on the web prepositional phrases 2. having; working gerunds 3. you get to know her; you will like her independent clauses 4. exceptionally fresh; reasonably priced adverb-adjective phrases 5. concert; three-hour nightmare nouns 6. Exercising is essential but so is eating intelligently. The sentence discusses general activities, so gerunds are more appropriate. 7. The purpose of this trip is to show you what life was like in the 18th century. The infinitive shows purpose more effectively than does the gerund. 8. I have always loved dancing although my condition has always prevented me from doing it myself. Since the speaker cannot dance, the infinitive is inappropriate. 9. Is it better to study a little each night, or a lot the night before? The infinitive shows a clearer link between the action and a particular subject. 10. The director called a meeting to discuss the coordination of the marketing phase. The infinitive shows purpose more effectively than does the gerund. 11. The defendant was unwilling to give up his right to have his lawyer present at all questioning. 12. I would not dream of trying out for the team until I have learned to throw a football. 13. Within the next three weeks, we plan to have all of the work on the roof completed. 14. I like working with Miss Bennett because she is very supportive and knowledgeable. 15. 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