Words, phrases, and clauses should be parallel when they perform similar functions in a sentence. Parallel elements that appear in a sentence in a non-parallel form often disrupt the reader and may cause confusion. In the example above, the final item in the series takes on a verb form, whereas the first two items appear as nouns.
The verb can be changed to a noun, or the two items that appear as nouns can be changed to verbs; either is preferable to the sentence as it appears above. Make sure that a preposition or article that applies to one item in a series applies to rest of the items as well.
Examples of Parallel Construction "Between" and "And" Incorrect : We debated the difference between the weather in Minnesota in the winter and how hot it is in the summer. Correct : We debated the difference between the weather in Minnesota in the winter and the weather in Minnesota in the summer.
Correct : The films were enjoyable both to watch and to discuss. Correct : Neither the responses to the questionnaire nor the responses to the survey were answered. Correct : It was surprising not only that the house sold but also that it sold well over the asking price. Parallel Construction in a List Sentences with lists require particular attention to parallel construction. Example 1: Incorrect: This paper will address No Child Left Behind, how to teach effectively, and instructing with multimedia aids.
Correct: This paper will address No Child Left Behind benchmarks , effective teaching strategies , and multimedia instructional aids. Example 2: Incorrect: The students were unprepared, poorly behaved, and disrupted the class. Comparisons Comparisons should also be put into parallel structures whenever possible and appropriate, as shown in Table 8. Verb Forms Verb forms should be kept parallel whenever possible, as shown in Table 8.
Exercise: Identifying Parallel Construction Which of the following sentences is an example of a properly constructed parallel sentence? Source link. Previous: 8. Passive Voice. Next: 8. Faulty Parallelism. Corrected Version. Alternate Correction. The French, the Italians, Spanish, and Portuguese.
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