Parallelism
Showing parallel structure in your writing
Parallelism: What is it?
• Parallelism, or parallel structure, refers to words, phrases, or
clauses that are similar in length and/or grammatical form.
• Nouns are listed with nouns
• -ing words with other –ing words
• Etc.
Think of other definitions of “parallel.” In math, for example,
parallel lines never intersect, and since they are on the same
plain, they will always have the same distance between them
despite their length.
In other words, they stay the same in form and structure.
Parallelism in writing is just the same!
Let’s
What makes it parallel?
• When you write items (words, phrases, or clauses) in a series,
each item must have the same grammatical form.
The dog’s fur, teeth, and eyes proved it to be young in age.
These items are all nouns without modifiers.
Stopping at the light, looking both ways, and continuing on her way,
the woman appeared undistracted and calm.
The underlined parts are all verb phrases.
The red balloon bounced, twisting this way and that, and popped.
These items are not parallel because the second item ends in –ing,
but the first and last end in –ed. How do we fix it?
Got it? The format of each item must CORRESPOND to the format of
the other items.
Is it parallel?
• On the next few slides, you will see examples of
sentences. Please decide if they are parallel,
or they are not parallel.
• Be prepared to show your answer and then
discuss it with a row partner.
According to scientific magazines,
talking to experts, and research
experiments, there may be a cure
soon.
Thumbs down if it is NOT parallel
Thumbs up if it IS parallel
That is RIGHT!
• The sentence is not showing parallel construction.
• Discuss with your row partner how you would make it parallel.
According to scientific magazines, talking to experts, and
researched experiments, there may be a cure soon.
According to scientific magazines, expert interviews, and research
experiments, there may be a cure soon.
What is different? The first thing listed in the series was a modified
noun, SO all the other things in the series needed the same
grammatical structure—adjective (or modifier)+ noun
Please rewrite the sentence so it is parallel.
Nope! Try again!
• Look at the items in the series. Do they all have the same
grammatical structure?
• What structure does the first clause have?
• Modifier (adjective) + noun
• Now, rewrite it so that each clause in the series matches that
pattern.
According to scientific magazines, talking to experts, and research
experiments, there may be a cure soon.
According to scientific magazines, expert interviews, and research
experiments, there may be a cure soon.
Students in my class will be
required to copy notes, listen
attentively, and complete
assignments on time.
Thumbs down if it is NOT parallel
Thumbs up if it IS parallel
You got it!
• This sentence is parallel because it has a series of phrases
that all have the same verb tense, the present tense.
Students in my class will be required to copy notes, listen
attentively, and complete assignments on time.
Mmmm…Look again!
• Look at the sentence once again:
Students in my class will be required to copy notes, listen
attentively, and complete assignments on time.
• The series lists all of the things that are required of the
students, and they are all in the same tense.
• Consider it this way, if you wanted to, and it was appropriate,
you could create a bulleted list out of the items in the series
and it would make sense.
• They are all in the same tense, and they have the same
structure!
All of the books, papers, and
file folders in that cabinet need
to be thrown away.
Thumbs down if it is NOT parallel
Thumbs up if it IS parallel
You’re getting it!
• That is right!
• Plural nouns in a series all have the same structure.
Grrrr…look at this sentence!
All of the books, papers, and file folders in that cabinet need
to be thrown away.
• What are the items in the series?
• books
• papers
• file folders
• Do they have the same grammatical structure?
• So, the sentence IS parallel!
The cruise ship was elegant,
sailing smoothly, and huge.
Thumbs down if it is NOT parallel
Thumbs up if it IS parallel
Think you’re right?
• YES! High five!
• This sentence isn’t parallel. You have a mixed pattern within
the series—adjective, gerund phrase, adjective.
• Not only that, the first and third items describe
APPEARANCE, but the second describes how it operates.
The cruise ship was elegant, sailing smoothly, and huge.
Rewrite the sentence so that it is parallel.
No, no, no!
• Look again:
The cruise ship was elegant, sailing smoothly, and huge.
• I see a break in the grammatical pattern. Do you?
Adjective, gerund phrase, adjective…now do you see it?
• Not only that, the first and third items describe
APPEARANCE, but the second describes how it operates.
Please work with your row partner to fix the pattern. Rewrite
the sentence so it is parallel.
Need more practice?
• Please consult your grammar text book for additional
information and practice on this concept.
• It is important to show parallel structure in your essays
because otherwise, your ideas are hard to follow.
• Good luck!
I think you are ready!
• Now, it is your turn!
• Keep this all in mind in your writing!