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Parallelism
Prepared by Professors
Rita Perkins & Paul Harris
Camden County College
McGraw-Hill
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Uses of Parallelism
•
•
•
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To coordinate elements in a series.
To pair ideas.
To enhance coherence.
To organize lists.
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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.
• Revision: Many people are interested in combat when
they read about it at home, study about it in school, or
watch it on television.
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Using Parallelism with Pairs
• When two ideas are included, they must
be parallel.
– Tourists enjoy viewing air shows on military
bases and to examine displays of armour in
museums.
• Revision:
– Tourists enjoy viewing air shows on military
bases and examining armour displays in
museums.
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Using Parallelism
• Put words linked by coordinating
conjunctions in parallel form.
– The martial arts stress the study of
hand technique and how you kick.
• Revision:
– The martial arts stress strengthening
the hands and the feet.
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Using Parallelism
• Correlative conjunctions (either/or,
neither/nor, both/and, whether/or)
whether/or require
parallel form.
– In Kung Fu the hands must be not only hard
enough to knock down a man, but also their
sensitivity must feel which way the wind blows.
• Revision:
– In Kung Fu the hands must be both hard enough to
knock down a man and sensitive enough to feel
which way the wind blows.
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Using Parallelism
• Comparisons using than or as need
parallel form.
– The prime minister would rather use
diplomacy than agreeing to send troops
abroad.
• Revision:
– The prime minister would rather use
diplomacy than agree to send troops abroad.
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Using Parallelism
• By repeating the preposition, the articles,
articles
or the subordinating conjunctions,
conjunctions the
parallelism becomes clearer and more
effective.
– The peace negotiators promised to
help out in the day or night.
• Revision:
– The peace negotiators promised to
help out in the day or in the night.
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9
Checking for Parallelism
• Check items listed in a series.
– Use a parallel grammatical structure for all
items.
• Check places where coordinate or
correlative conjunctions are used.
• Check sentences where you use than and
as.
as
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Parallelism Review Exercises
Identify whether the following
sentence is correct.
• In the 18th century,
Franz Mesmer
treated patients by
using iron magnets
and hypnosis.
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Correct
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Parallelism Review Exercises
Identify whether the following
sentence is correct.
• People accused him
of being a magician
and that he was a
fraud.
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Error
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Parallelism Review Exercises
Identify whether the following
sentence is correct.
• People accused
him of being a
magician and a
fraud.
McGraw-Hill
Revision
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13
Parallelism Review Exercises
Identify whether the following
sentence is correct.
• Today hypnosis is
used in dentistry, in
obstetrics, and when
having minor surgery.
McGraw-Hill
Error
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Parallelism Review Exercises
Identify whether the following
sentence is correct.
• Today hypnosis is
used in dentistry, in
obstetrics, and in
minor surgery.
McGraw-Hill
Revision
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15
Parallelism Review Exercises
Identify whether the following
sentence is correct.
• Under hypnotic trance,
the depressed patient
may learn to assign
positive feelings to past
loss or learn to put the
loss behind him and
resume his life.
McGraw-Hill
Correct
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Parallelism Review Exercises
Identify whether the following
sentence is correct.
• However, hypnotic
subjects can readily
confuse events that
really happened with
imaginary events.
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Error
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Parallelism Review Exercises
Identify whether the following
sentence is correct.
• However, hypnotic
subjects can readily
confuse real events
with imaginary events.
McGraw-Hill
Revision
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Parallelism Review Exercises
Identify whether the following
sentence is correct.
• Fear, stress, and feeling
anxious seem to be
factors in increasing
physiological pain.
McGraw-Hill
Error
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Parallelism Review Exercises
Identify whether the following
sentence is correct.
• Fear, stress, and
anxiety seem to be
factors in increasing
physiological pain.
McGraw-Hill
Revision
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20
Parallelism Review Exercises
Identify whether the following
sentence is correct.
• Hypnosis can quiet the
mind by slowing heart
rates, lowering respiration
rates, and it reduces blood
pressure.
McGraw-Hill
Error
© The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2000
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Parallelism Review Exercises
Identify whether the following
sentence is correct.
• Hypnosis can quiet the
mind by slowing heart
rates, lowering
respiration, and reducing
blood pressure.
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Revision
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Any Questions?
Just ask!
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