Parallel Structure

 

Parallel structure uses the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas in a sentence have an equal level of importance.  Readers expect that a series of elements serving similar purpose will appear in parallel grammatical form.  When a sentence is written in parallel form, it reads much more clearly and naturally.  Parallel structures can occur at the word, phrase, or clause level. 

 

Correcting Faulty Parallelism

 

The absence of parallelism is jarring and awkward to read.  Consider this example:

 

Not Parallel: The bowl was filled with crisp apples, juicy oranges, and bananas that were ripe.

 

In crisp apples and juicy oranges, the descriptive word comes first and the word being described comes second.  In bananas that were ripe, the order is reversed.  To achieve parallelism, give the nonparallel item the same form as the others:

 

Parallel: The bowl was filled with crisp apples, juicy oranges, and ripe bananas.

 

Here are some additional examples:

 

Not Parallel: My neighbor likes to plant a garden, watering it, and even to weed it.

 

To plant a garden and to weed it are similar in construction.  But watering it is not.  For parallel construction, another to is needed.

Parallel: My neighbor likes to plant a garden, to water it, and even to weed it.

 

Not Parallel: The moviegoers talked and were rattling popcorn boxes during the film. 

Talked, an –ed construction, does not parallel were rattling.  The problem could be corrected by changing either word group.

 

Parallel:  The moviegoers talked and rattled popcorn boxes during the film.

Also parallel:  The moviegoers were talking and were rattling popcorn boxes

during the film.

 

Correcting Faulty Parallelism: English Brushup 2nd edition.  By John Langan and Janet M.Goldstein  McGraw Hill, Boston 1998. page 160

 

Proofreading Strategies to try:

 

*Skim your paper, pausing at the words “and” and “or”.  Check on each side of these words to see whether the items joined are parallel.  If not, make them parallel.

*If you have several items in a list, put them in a column to see if they are parallel.

*Listen to the sound of the items in a list or the items being compared.  Do you hear the same kinds of sounds?  For example, is there a series of “-ing” words beginning each item?  If something is breaking the rhythm or repetition of sound, check to see if it needs to be made parallel.

 

Proofreading Strategies to try: part of a collection of instructional materials used in the Purdue University Writing Lab.  The online version is part of OWL (Online Writing Lab), a project of the Purdue University Writing Lab, funded by the School of Liberal Arts at Purdue.  Purdue University Writing Lab 2001