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Parallelism II - Pairs
Here’s a little test we do with students. Of the following, which sounds the most natural to you?
A.
B.
C.
Pandas prefer Japanese food over German food.
Pandas prefer Japanese food to German food.
Pandas prefer Japanese food more than German food.
Most students choose A or C in conversation but only B is correct. When you pair two things up with
prefer, you must use the prefer...to... form. Here are the following pairs that you MUST memorize. The
first four are by far the most tested.
Pair
Example Sentence
Neither...nor...
I will give up neither my money nor my integrity.
Either...or...
If you had to save either your mother or your dad, who would it be?
Between...and...
It's coming to the point where we can pick between reality and fantasy.
Not only...but also...
He was not only late for school but also rude to the teacher.
Not so (much)...as...
The Porsche is not so (much) luxurious as (it is) expensive.
Both...and...
Barry sold both the dehumidifier and the TV.
As...as...
His brain was as fried as a sizzled hot dog.
Prefer...to...
Most people prefer California weather to New York weather.
Just as...so (too)...
Just as the physicist muses about the universe, so (too) the marine biologist
ponders over the depths of the seas.
So/Such...that...
He is so handsome that girls fall in love with him at first sight.
From...to...
She is involved with activies ranging from beekeeping to volleyball.
More/Less...than...
He has eaten more donuts than everyone else has combined.
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Rule
The words in each pair in the previous table always go together when you pair stuff up (i.e. prefer
always goes with to, between always goes with and,...)
Example 1
Wrong: It's so hard to decide between the cheaper priced meal or the higher quality one.
Correct: It's so hard to decide between the cheaper priced meal and the higher quality one.
Example 2
Wrong:
The college experience is not only an exciting time to meet new people and also a
stressful one because of the level of independence required.
Correct:
The college experience is not only an exciting time to meet new people but also a
stressful one because of the level of independence required.
Pair errors like the ones above are like freebies as long as you remember to check for them, but there's a
trickier error the SAT might throw at you.
Rule
Once you use a pair, you must make sure the two things that are paired up are as parallel as
possible.
To give a simple sentence illustration:
I want to not only
X
but also
Y
.
X and Y have to be as parallel as possible, much like items in a list from the last chapter. Let’s look at an
example.
Example 3
Wrong: Today, I want to not only go jogging but also dive.
Correct: Today, I want to not only go jogging but also go diving.
Example 4
Wrong: Today, I not only want to go jogging but also dive.
Correct: Today, I not only want to go jogging but also want to go diving.
Notice the subtle difference - the placement of the not only...but also... affects the parallelism.
Example 5
Wrong:
The candidate ran for office not only because he was power-hungry but also his belief
that he could do a better job.
Correct:
The candidate ran for office not only because he was power-hungry but also because he
believed he could do a better job.
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Example 6
Wrong: My favorite sound at the beach is either the crash of the waves or seagulls.
Correct:
My favorite sound at the beach is either the crash of the waves or the chirping of the
seagulls.
Example 7
Wrong:
Neither the fierce yelling nor the screams that were loud could wake Travis from his
midday nap.
Correct:
Neither the fierce yelling nor the loud screaming could wake Travis from his midday
nap.
Example 8
Wrong: I prefer the music of The Beatles to Justin Bieber.
Correct: I prefer the music of The Beatles to the music of Justin Bieber.
Example 9
Wrong:
The enjoyment of owning a dog lies not so much in cleaning up after it as the
relationship that is formed with it.
Correct:
The enjoyment of owning a dog lies not so much in cleaning up after it as in forming a
relationship with it.
As an exception, this type of parallelism doesn’t apply to as...as..., so...that..., or more/less...than... - these
pairs are instead used for comparisons:
He was as sneaky as a ninja.
Just make sure you do use the as...as... construction and not something like the following:
Example 10
Wrong: Golf is not so great as some people say it is.
Correct: Golf is not as great as some people say it is.
Example 11
Wrong: I have more bananas compared with you.
Correct: I have more bananas than you (do).
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Exercise: Make the following sentences, which use paired constructions, parallel. Answers are on page
147.
1.
Oleg works out daily not only to improve his physique but also his cardiovascular strength.
2.
The tragic shooting at Newtown reminded us not only of the need for gun control but also mental
health support.
3.
Critics have to rate both the food at the restaurant itself and other competing restaurants with the
same cuisine.
4.
Though a horror fan, she preferred happy children's books over Stephen King.
5.
She wasn't a fan of either the pizza at Domino's nor Reggie's.
6.
I hope you suffer neither the pain of breaking up nor lost love's regret.
7.
President Obama is known not only for his eloquence but also for having charisma.
8.
Fruits aren't actually so necessary to one's diet as most doctors would have you believe.
9.
Just as most politicians come from a law background, biology is the background of most doctors.
10. Apple products are not so much a statement of technological performance as sexy design.
11. Having a GPS system is not only convenient but also of necessity when driving to new places.
12. There is no comparison between China's economic power and Japan.
13. My new book is not only comprehensive but also has conciseness.
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