Download Draft Parallel Structures

USING PARALLEL STRUCTURES IN YOUR WRITING
• When a writer repeats the same grammatical structure [a part of speech, a phrase, or a
clause] within a sentence, those structures are said to be parallel. These grammatical
structures are joined by various types of words, such as coordinating conjunctions, correlative
conjunctions, and other words that naturally link or compare specific words, phrases, or ideas.
Coordinating conjunctions
and, but, or, for, nor, so, yet
Correlative conjunctions
either...or, neither...nor, not only...but also, not...but, more...than, both...and, whether...or, as...as,
Words of comparison
while, than, as well as, also, rather...than; from...to; instead of ; less...than; with...without;
for...against
Linking verbs
is, am, are, was, were,
• No matter the joining word or words a writer selects, the first requirement for parallelism to
work in a sentence is that the same grammatical structure be repeated.
Writers can make parallel
the same parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, etc.
the same types of phrase: gerund, participial, infinitive, prepositional, appositive
the same types of clause: subordinate (noun, adverb, and adjective)
A. Words of Comparison and Nouns
Parallel: Michael enjoys all types of activities, from sports to music. [Here the words of
comparison from...to join two nouns.]
Not parallel: Michael enjoys all types of activities, from sports to playing music. [The
gerund playing music is not the same grammatical structure as the single noun sports.]
Parallel: Michael enjoys all types of activities, from playing sports to playing music.
[Here two gerund phrases are parallel.]
B. Correlative Conjunctions and Adverbs
Draft—Parallel Structure © Michael Degen
1
Parallel: The new president of the student council spoke not only eloquently but also
passionately. [Here two adverbs are joined by the correlative conjunctions not only…but
also.]
Not Parallel: The new president of the student council spoke not only eloquently but also
with passion. [The single adverb eloquently is not a grammatical structure parallel with
the prepositional phrase with passion.]
Parallel: The new president of the student council spoke not only with eloquence but also
with passion. [Here two adverb prepositional phrases are parallel.]
C. Coordinating Conjunctions and Predicates
Parallel: Tiffany read the text message, shared it with her friend, and responded to it.
[Here three predicates are joined by commas and the coordinating conjunction and.]
Not parallel: Tiffany read the text message, shared it with her friend, and her response
was sent. [The parallelism is broken when the writer substitutes an independent clause for
a third predicate.]
Parallel: After Tiffany read the text message and after she shared it with her friend, the
two of them cleverly prepared a response, quickly sent it, and patiently waited for a reply.
[Here the sentence begins with parallel adverb subordinate clauses connected by the
coordinating conjunction and . Can you identify what other grammatical structures
are also parallel in this sentence?]
Each grammatical structure must be in balance with any other grammatical structure with
which it is parallel. The completed sentence should reflect a sense of stylistic harmony and
wholeness, with all parts of the sentence in rhetorical equilibrium.
D. Linking Verbs and Infinitive Phrases
Parallel: To walk in this rain with neither a raincoat nor umbrella is to invite a reprimand
from your mother and ridicule from your father. [Here infinitive phrases are parallel.
Note how each infinitive phrase is balanced appropriately on either side of the linking
verb is. Note, as well, the parallelism within the infinitive phrases, in the first, the
correlative conjunctions neither…nor joins two nouns; in the second, the coordinating
conjunction and joins two noun phrases functioning as the direct object of the infinitive
to invite.]
Not parallel and out of balance: To walk in this rain with neither a raincoat nor umbrella
is an invitation for your mother to reprimand you and to invite ridicule from your father.
[The balanced parallelism of the infinitive phrases is disrupted when, after the linking
verb is, the writer introduces the noun invitation before an infinitive phrase.]
Draft—Parallel Structure © Michael Degen
2
Parallel: A walk in the rain with neither a raincoat nor an umbrella is an invitation for
your mother to reprimand you and for your father to ridicule you. [Here the sentence is
appropriately balanced as the two nouns, walk and invitation, are parallel. Note that what
follows each noun contributes to the balance on both sides of the linking verb is.]
E. Words of Comparison and Gerunds
Parallel: Moving an army by train was, of course, much faster than moving one by foot.
[Gerund phrases joined by the linking verb was and the word of comparison than are
parallel.]
Not parallel and out of balance: Moving an army by train was, of course, much faster
than the army’s previous custom of walking. [The gerund phrase before the linking verb
has no parallel grammatical structure after the linking verb..]
Parallel: The army’s movement by train was, of course, much faster than its progress by
foot. [Here two nouns, movement and progress, modified by adjective prepositional
phrases, by train and by foot, are parallel.]
F. Coordinating Conjunction and Infinitive Phrases
Parallel: Rachel decided to finish her math homework, to read another chapter of a novel,
and to look over her notes from this morning’s biology class. [Here we have three parallel
infinitive phrases, each of them functioning as the direct object in the sentence, the final
one joined by a coordinating conjunction.]
Not parallel and out of balance: Rachel decided to finish her math homework, then
reading another chapter of a novel and the notes from this morning’s biology class. [The
writer creates imbalance by beginning with the infinitive phrase to finish..., then shifting
to a gerund phrase, reading..., and concluding with a noun phrase.]
Parallel: Rachel finished her math homework, read another chapter from a novel, and
looked over her notes from this morning’s biology class. [Here three predicates are
parallel.]
G. Correlative Conjunctions and Independent Clauses
Parallel: Either I read Charles Dickens or I read Thomas Hardy. [Two independent
clauses are parallel.]
Not parallel and out of balance: I read either Charles Dickens or I read Thomas Hardy.
[Note that what follows either, a proper noun, is not in balance with what follows or, an
independent clause.]
Draft—Parallel Structure © Michael Degen
3
Not parallel: Either the reading of Charles Dickens should be required or English
educators should make students read Thomas Hardy. [What follows either, a gerund
phrase acting as the subject of an independent clause, is not a structure grammatically
parallel to what follows or, the noun educators acting as the subject of an independent
clause.]
Parallel: Either English educators should require their students to read Charles Dickens
or they should make them read Thomas Hardy. [Two independent clauses are parallel.
Note that balance of idea is achieved even when the wording in the two parallel structures
are not exact.]
H. Coordinating Conjunctions and Clauses
Parallel: Although Patrick fumbled the football four times during the game and although
he fumbled three of those times in the red zone, his team still managed to eek out a 7 – 6
victory. [Two adverb subordinate clauses are parallel.]
Not parallel and out of balance: Patrick fumbled the football four times during the game,
and three of those times the ball was lost in the red zone, but his team still managed to
eek out a 7 – 6 victory. [This sentence contains three independent clauses. Observe that
the subjects of each clause have little or no relation to each other and that the passive
voice verb in the second independent clause is not parallel with the active voice verbs in
the other clauses.]
Parallel: Patrick, who fumbled the football four times during the game and who lost the
ball three times in the red zone but who did manage to carry the ball over the goal line
once, was likely the main reason for a tough 7 – 6 victory over what had been considered
a pretty weak opponent. [Three adjective subordinate clauses are parallel.]
I. Coordinating Conjunctions and Clauses
Parallel: That the defense lawyer paid a witness to lie for his client, that the prosecutor
created evidence to incriminate the defendant, and that the judge neglected his
responsibility to instruct the jury caused a major scandal in the community that cost three
people their jobs. [Three noun subordinate clauses are parallel and in balance.]
Out of balance: It was eventually revealed that the defense lawyer bribed a witness to lie
for his client, the evidence incriminating the defendant had been created by the
prosecutor, and the jury’s instructions were not completely read to them by the judge, and
all of this created a scandal that cost three people their jobs. [The three noun subordinate
clauses are not exactly in balance. Look closely at the subject and verb in each of these
subordinate clauses. What has these clauses out of balance?]
Parallel: The defense lawyer paid a witness to lie for his client, the prosecutor created
evidence to incriminate the defendant, the judge neglected his responsibility to instruct
Draft—Parallel Structure © Michael Degen
4
the jury, and the resulting uproar led the community to demand that all three be fired.
[Four independent clauses are parallel and in balance.]
J. Semicolons and Infinitive Phrases
Parallel: To play the fool because you are a fool is one matter; to act it when you are not,
another indeed. [Two infinitive phrases. Note that the second independent clause omits
the verb is, the comma implying its existence.]
Not parallel: To cheat on the test because you did not study is one thing; that you deny it
after having bragged about it to your friends, quite the other. [Make the grammatical
structure to the right of the semicolon parallel to that to the left. Now that you’ve done
that, make the grammatical structure to the left of the semicolon parallel to that to the
right.]
Exercise
1. Complete this sentence with a series of clauses that begin with who.
Make sure that clauses are in balance.
He is my best friend, a friend who…
or
She is my best friend, a friend who…
2. Finish this sentence with a series of clauses that begin with if.
Make sure the clauses are in balance.
I will agree to do what you ask if…
or
The teacher has agreed to reconsider your failing grade if…
3. Compose a sentence that ends with a noun modified by two present participial phrases. Make
sure the phrases are in balance.
4. Finish this sentence with a series of infinitive phrases. Make sure the phrases are in balance.
The point guard for our basketball team tried to…
or
The prosecuting attorney asked the jury to…
or
The student in the last row suddenly decided to…
5. Finish this sentence with a series of clauses that begin with that. Make sure the clauses are in
balance.
When he finally reached the police station, he declared that….
or
Draft—Parallel Structure © Michael Degen
5
After everyone had left, she noticed that…
or
When they arrived home from the parent-teacher conference, my parents told me that….
6. Compose a sentence that begins with a series of gerund phrases followed by are my primary
goals for this year. Make sure the phrases are in balance.
7. Compose a sentence that begins with a series of noun subordinate clauses that begin with that.
Since they begin the sentence, they will be considered the compound subject of the sentence;
therefore, you must conclude your sentence with a verb and its predicate. Make sure your noun
subordinate clauses are in balance. See Example I if you wish a model.
8. Compose a sentence combining two parallel grammatical structures using either…or or
neither…nor. Models can be found at Example G.
9. Compose a sentence modeled on Example J, but be sure to use different infinitive phrases.
10. Finish one of these sentences by ending it with a series of prepositional phrases that begin
with one of the following prepositions: with, about, or to.
Within minutes, it was clear to me that his sermon would be about…
or
At last, I left home for good with…
or
Overjoyed by the news, Stacy told it to…
11. Compose a sentence in which a series of vivid verbs and their predicates are parallel and
balanced.
12. Compose a sentence that contains structures out of balance and provide an explanation for
the error.
13. Write a sentence that contains multiple parallel structures. Identify each area of the sentence
that contains similar grammatical structures that are parallel.
14. In a speech, you will not only discover parallel grammatical structures within a single
sentence but often within entire paragraphs. Orators use parallelism to create a rhythm that makes
the speech easier on the ear, a pleasure to hear. Parallelism is, for any writer, a hallmark of style
and invitation for your reader, an invitation that says. “You will enjoy reading what I have
written.”
Go to the American Rhetoric website at http://www.americanrhetoric.com/. Select one or more of
the 100 famous speeches in its archive to read. Within the first five or ten paragraphs of the
speech, locate examples of parallelism and cut and paste at least three distinct examples for your
classmates. Be sure to identify the speaker, the date of the speech, the audience for it, and its title
(if any). Remember that just one example of parallelism in a speech may exist within a number of
sentences in the same paragraph.
Draft—Parallel Structure © Michael Degen
6