Use parallel structure
key notes :
✅ What is Parallel Structure?
- Parallel structure (also called parallelism) means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance.
- It helps sentences flow more smoothly and makes writing clearer and more powerful.
🔤 How to Make Sentences Parallel:
Use the same grammatical form for each item in a list or comparison.
Examples:
- ❌ She likes reading, to swim, and to hike.
- ✅ She likes reading, swimming, and hiking.
✍️ Common Structures That Need Parallelism:
- Lists in a sentence:
- ✅ I like running, jumping, and dancing.
- With coordinating conjunctions (and, or, but):
- ✅ He wanted to learn, to grow, and to succeed.
- With correlative conjunctions (either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also):
- ✅ She is not only smart but also kind.
- ✅ Either study now or fail later.
- In comparisons:
- ✅ Swimming is harder than running.
🧠 Why Use Parallel Structure?
- ✔️ Makes writing easier to understand
- ✔️ Improves style and flow
- ✔️ Avoids awkward or confusing sentences
❗ Tips for Spotting Mistakes:
- Look at lists or series.
- Check for verbs that match in form.
- Look for balance in phrases connected by and, or, but, either…or, neither…nor.
📝 Practice Sentence (Correct the parallelism):
- ❌ She wanted to paint, drawing, and to sculpt.
✅ She wanted to paint, to draw, and to sculpt. - ❌ He is talented, intelligent, and plays well.
✅ He is talented, intelligent, and skilled.
Learn with an example
🎯 Complete the sentence.
Researchers who studied the health benefits of cycling found that the activity ______ fall asleep more quickly but also helps them sleep longer.
- not only helps people
- helps people not only
The sentence uses the correlative conjunctions not only/but also. In this sentence, the correlative conjunctions join two verb phrases, so the correct answer is not only helps people.
Researchers who studied the health benefits of cycling found that the activity not only helps people fall asleep more quickly but also helps them sleep longer.
🎯 Complete the sentence.
In its depiction of the dramatic differences in parenting techniques around the world, the documentary film Babies is humorous, eye opening and ______
- quite educational
- educates viewers
Look at the other elements in the series. They are adjectives, so the missing element must also be an adjective or an adjective phrase—an adjective and the words that modify it. The correct answer is quite educational.
In its depiction of the dramatic differences in parenting techniques around the world, the documentary film Babies is humorous, eye opening and quite educational.
🎯 Complete the sentence.
Installing rooftop solar panels has reduced my family’s monthly electricity bills to practically nothing, lessened our dependence on fossil fuels and ______ .
- could possibly enhance the value of our home
- possibly enhanced the value of our home
Look at the other elements in the series. They are verb phrases, so the missing element must also be a verb phrase. The elements share a helping verb, so the correct answer is possibly enhanced the value of our home.
Installing rooftop solar panels has reduced my family’s monthly electricity bills to practically nothing, lessened our dependence on fossil fuels and possibly enhanced the value of our home.
let’s practice!
