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Week #9 Grammar –Parallel Structure
 Some ideas work best in sentences that clearly show a pattern. When you
analyze an idea, you take pains to discover similarities and differences among its
parts. Whether you intend to compare or contrast those elements, you want
readers to see how the parts are alike or different. Parallelism is the key.
 The principle of parallel construction is simple: be sure ideas that are
similar in content and function look the same. Parallelism works because the
similarity of the appearance of the items shows clearly the pattern of thought.
The principle of parallelism applies most often to the following:
 two or more items in a series (usually with a coordinating conjunction)
 a pair of items with correlative conjunctions
Items In A Series
The principle of parallelism requires that all items in a series must be
grammatically alike. That is, all words in a series must be the same type of word,
all phrases the same type of phrase, and all clauses the same type of clause.
Grammatical likeness also applies to sentences in a series: each item in the
series must be a complete sentence – not a fragment – and, therefore, the same
“type” of sentence. However, the structure within these complete sentences can
vary, so the patterns within the sentences may appear somewhat different.
 Coordinating Conjunctions with a Series
Two or more items in a series within a single sentence normally use a
coordinating conjunction (CC) – and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet – before the final
item.
The series looks like this: item CC item or item, item, CC item
Notice that each item – word, phrase, clause, or sentence – in a series has the
same form as the other items in the same series.
Here are sentences with parallel constructions:
item CC
item
Words in a series: I saw John and Mary.
item
item
CC
item
I saw John, Bill, and Mary.
item
CC
item
Phrases in a series: I see him going to work and coming home.
item
CC
item
I plan to eat in a restaurant and to see a movie.
item
Dependent clauses in a series: The phone rang when I reached the motel
CC
item
but before I unpacked my suitcases.
 Articles with Words in a Series
Articles are a, an, and the. When articles appear with words in a series, be sure
the articles fall in one of these two patterns:
article word, word, CC word
article word, article word, CC article word
Notice the placement of the articles in the sample sentences:
Wrong: I bought food for the dog, cat, and the horse.
Correct: I bought food for the dog, cat, and horse.
Correct: I bought food for the dog, the cat, and the horse.
The correct sentences have either an article before the entire series or an article
before every item in the series.
 Phrases in a Series
Unlike words in a series, phrases often cause problems. Many times students
mix types of phrases. Be sure that –ing phrases fit with other –ing phrases, to
phrases fit with to phrases, and so forth.
Wrong: I like swimming in the pond, cycling down the lane, and to
ride horses in the pasture.
Correct: I like swimming in the pond, cycling down the lane, and
riding horses in the pasture.
Correct: I like to swim in the pond, to cycle down the lane, and to ride
horses in the pasture.
Wrong: I plan to study hard, do well on my exams, and to graduate
with honors.
Correct: I plan to study hard, to do well on my exams, and to graduate
with honors.
Correct: I plan on studying hard, doing well on my exams, and
graduating with honors.
 Clauses in a Series
Clauses in a series seldom cause major problems. However, if the series
contains dependent clauses, you can help your readers by signaling the
beginning of each dependent clause. Consider this sentence:
I expect to be entertained if I’m going to pay nine dollars to get in a theater
and I’m going to sit there for two hours.
What does the and join? Does it join the two independent clauses?
item
I expect to be entertained if I’m going to pay nine dollars to get in a theater
CC
item
and I’m going to sit there for two hours.
Or does it join two dependent clauses?
The intended meaning is probably the second one: the and joins two dependent
clauses. Readers will see the separation of the items more easily if the writer
repeats the word that signals the beginning of the clause.
item
I expect to be entertained if I’m going to pay nine dollars to get in a theater
CC
item
and if I’m going to sit there for two hours.
Now the meaning is clear. Here’s another example:
“I can see that you don’t like the meal and that you’d rather not be here,”
she pouted.
Notice that the repetition of that (which signals the beginning of dependent
clauses) makes the parallel construction clear.
 Like Grammatical Units in a Series within a Sentence
In addition to having like words, like phrases, and like clauses in a series within a
sentence, be sure that the items are the same type of grammatical unit. Do not,
for instance, mix phrases and clauses in a series, as in this sentence:
item
CC
item
Wrong: My roommate likes to sleep in bed and when he’s in class.
The sentence is awkward because the writer has joined a phrase (in bed) with a
clause (when he’s in class). Here’s what the writer should have written:
Correct: My roommate likes to sleep when he’s in bed and when he’s in
class.
Now a clause fits with a clause. (Notice also that the sentence repeats when,
the word that signals the beginning of each dependent clause.)
 Parallelism in Headings and Indented Lists
Headings and indented lists depend on parallelism. Here are some headings
that were added to a sample paper about children:
Learning to Speak
Discovering Objects Aren’t Human
Imitating Others around Them
Notice that the headings are parallel phrases, each the same type of phrase:
learning…, discovering…, imitating…
Parallelism is even more important when you use indented lists. Their purpose is
to emphasize a pattern of organization, and that is also the reason for using
parallel construction. Here’s a sample list without parallelism:
Desktop publishing offers our department three benefits:
- product more professional
- Production time will be cut.
- saves money
This list is a jumble of styles that reminds us of the result of brainstorming, where
we’re interested in jotting down ideas quickly without worrying about how well
they communicate. Readers will get the point – if they take the time to apply the
organization that the writer has left out. Notice the difference that parallel
construction makes in the revision:
Desktop publishing offers our department three benefits:
- more professional-looking product
- reduced production time
- cost savings
Pairs of Items with Correlative Conjunctions
Correlative conjunctions mate pairs of related items. The rule for parallelism with
correlative conjunctions is simple: the grammatical units following each of the
correlative conjunctions must be alike.
 Correlative Pairs
Common correlative conjunctions are these: either…or; neither…nor; not
only…but also; and whether…or.
Items mated by correlative conjunctions (CorC) will look like this: CorC item
CorC item…
Here are sentences with such pairs:
CorC
item
CorC
item
I don’t like either his appearance or his manners.
CorC
item
CorC
item
Neither my aunt nor my cousin will speak to me.
Can you find the problem in this sentence?
Wrong: Either I go to bed or get up late.
This sentence demonstrates the most common failure to maintain parallelism
with correlative conjunctions: either precedes the subject of the sentence (I), but
or precedes the second verb (get). You have two options for dealing with the
problem:
Correct: I either go to bed early or get up late.
Correct: Either I go to bed early or I get up late.
The first solution moves either so that both correlatives precede verbs (go and
get). The second solution places either and or before subjects of clauses (I and
I). In both corrections, the grammatical units following each correlative
conjunction are alike.
All of this may seem complicated, but it’s not. You wouldn’t try to compare
apples and automobiles, because they’re not alike. Similarly, you can’t expect
your reader to accept a comparison of items that appear dissimilar. The principle
of parallelism requires only that you make like items look alike so readers can
see the similarity.
Practice: Rewrite each of the following sentences to improve the parallelism.
1. Michael likes cycling, to ride horses, and swimming in the summer.
2. To work on the project, Amelia wanted a computer, page-layout application,
and a laser printer.
3. Whether he studied his notes for several days or cramming several hours
before class, Fox never felt prepared for a chemistry test.
4. The policy changed concerned not only the workers but also those who
supervised them.
5. When she was home from school, Rachel both wanted to shop with her
mother and sister and to eat home-cooked meals.
6. Jonathan prefers swimming, hiking, and to skate both with ice-skates on ice
and on pavement with rollerblades.
7. The boat seemed certain to capsize as it was tossed about by high waves and
with strong winds hammering it.
8. At Thanksgiving, we like to bring all of the family together and eating turkey
with stuffing.
9. In the early 1950’s, U.S. civil defense officials advised Americans to take
measures to survive a nuclear attack; these measures included stockpiling food
and water, to plan escape routes, and to build fallout shelters in their backyards.
10. Greek temples for the god of medicine, Asklepios, not only were places of
worship but also to heal.
11. Three related advances in electronics were crucial for the devices we use
today, particularly for home computers: miniature transistors replaced bulky
vacuum tubes, transistors were devised to fit on wafers of silicon crystal, and
development of integrated circuits.
12. The tomb of China’s emperor Qin Shi Huangdi was protected not only by an
army of more than six thousand terra-cotta soldiers but there were real drawn
crossbows set to shoot intruders who set off their triggers.