Chapter 16
PARALLELISM
WHAT IS PARALLELISM ?
Definition:
 - Using the same pattern of words.
 - In grammar, parallelism, also known
as parallel structure or parallel construction, is
a balance within one or more sentences of
similar phrases or clauses that have the same
grammatical structure.

USE PARALLELISM

By balancing the items in a sentence, you will
make the sentence clearer and easier to read.

Two or more equal ideas should be expressed
in parallel, or matching, form. The ideas will be
then read smoothly and naturally.
EXAMPLES

Compare the following examples:
Lacking parallelism: (unbalanced)
 She likes cooking, jogging, and to read.
Parallel:
 She likes cooking, jogging, and reading.

In the above example, the first sentence has
two gerunds and one infinitive. To make it parallel,
the sentence was rewritten with three gerunds
instead.
Lacking parallelism: (unbalanced)
 The dog ran across the yard, jumped over the
fence, and down the alley he sprinted.
Parallel:
 The dog ran across the yard, jumped over the
fence, and sprinted down the alley.
USES OF PARALLELISM:
To
coordinate elements in a series
To pair ideas
To organize lists
USING PARALLELISM

All items listing two or more words, phrases, or
clauses, need to be written in the same grammatical
structure. For example, balance a noun with a noun, a
phrase with a phrase, a clause with a clause.
Many people are interested in combat when they read
about it at home, study about it in school, or watching
it on television.
Correction:
Many people are interested in combat when they read
about it at home, study about it in school, or watch it
on television.

FAULTY PARALLELISM:

items in a series appear in parallel grammatical
form: a noun is listed with other nouns, an ing form with other -ing forms, and so on.

Failure to express such items in similar
grammatical form is called faulty parallelism.
FAULTY PARALLELISM:
 Tourists
enjoy viewing air shows on military
bases and to examine displays of armor in
museums.

Correction:
 Tourists
enjoy viewing air shows on military
bases and examining armor displays in
museums.
WHEN TO USE PARALLELISM ?
Parallelism always applies to two or more equal
ideas.
 1-With elements joined by coordinating
conjunctions, especially and, but, and or.


WHEN TO USE PARALLELISM ?
2- Use parallel structure with elements in lists or
in a series. ( A series is a group of three or more elements in a row.)

WHEN TO USE PARALLELISM ?
3- Use parallel structure with elements being
compared. (X is more than / better than Y)

When we compare things, we often use words
such as more, less, better, and worse, We
connect the items being compared with words
like as and than.
WHEN TO USE PARALLELISM ?
4- Use parallel structure with elements joined by
a linking verb or a verb of being.

EXERCISE : FAULTY PARALLELISM

1- Learning a new language as an adult is
more difficult than to learn one as a child.
A- learning.
B- to learning.
C- no change.
EXERCISE : FAULTY PARALLELISM

2- Every morning, I run two miles, walk one
mile, and half a mile on the bike.
A- half a mile.
B- bike half a mile.
C- no change
EXERCISE : FAULTY PARALLELISM
3- There are two ways to get a promotion: working
hard or make friends in high places.
A- work hard.
B- to working hard
C- no change
EXERCISE : FAULTY PARALLELISM
4- The man walked down the street, stopped at a
shop window, and fixed his tie.
A- was fixing his tie.
B- to fix his tie.
C- no change
EXERCISE : FAULTY PARALLELISM
5- Many college students have the same goals:
playing hard, doing well in classes, and a job
after graduation.
A- after graduation, a job.
B- finding a job after graduation.
C- no change
EXERCISE : FAULTY PARALLELISM
6- The bedroom was filled with old newspapers
and radios that don’t work.
A- radios that are broken
B- broken radios
C- no change