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Parallelism
What is Paralellism
 Repetition and parallelism (parallel structure) can
add clarity and dramatic punch to your speech.
Parallelism is an especially effective technique to
provide structure, order, and balance in your speech,
in addition to clarifying your argument.
Effects of Parallelism
 Parallel structure is one of the quickest and easiest ways
to make a good impression on your readers, especially
experienced readers and writers, because the use of
parallel structure is always obvious.
 Parallelism basically means that you use words and
phrases that have the same grammatical form to enhance
the cohesion of your writing.
 With parallel structure, the reader can quickly process
information and see relationships between ideas. Strong
writers use parallel structure to organize words, phrases,
clauses, and even whole essays to guide readers through
their ideas.
Creating Parallel Structure
All items in a series should have the same structure to help
the reader quickly process information. If one element is
an adjective, then all elements should be adjectives; if one
element is a noun, then all elements should be nouns; if
one element is a verb, then all elements should be verbs,
and so forth. Take a look at the examples below:
1. The children are energetic and noisy. = adjective +
adjective
2. She bought a skirt and a blouse. = noun + noun
3. He walked slowly and confidently to the witness
stand. = adverb + adverb
When items in a series do not have the same form, the
sentence will sound awkward and out of balance.
Comparison of Usage
Not parallel structure
Parallel Structure
 I would rather go to a different
 I would rather go to a different
restaurant than waiting in this
long line.
 He thought that he would rather
pay for the ticket than filing a
legal co
 Taking a fieldtrip to a museum
can give you many benefits: to
learn the educational concept in
a hands-on method, to engage
your classmates in a more
informal setting, and you can
make a connection between the
community and the classroom.
restaurant than wait in this long
line.
 He thought that he would rather
pay for the ticket than file a leg
 Taking a fieldtrip to a museum
can give you the benefits of
learning the educational
concept in a hands-on method,
engaging your classmates in a
more informal setting, and
making a connection between
the community and the
classroom.
 Revising to create parallel
structure...
 An easy way to check for parallel
structure in a piece of writing,
whether that structure is between
words, phrases, clauses, or
paragraphs in an essay, is to
think of the core idea in the
structure as the trunk of a tree,
and each parallel item as a
branch off that trunk; once you
find the trunk, follow the trunk
line to each of the branches
directly, checking to ensure that
the trunk connects strongly (and
correctly) to each branch as
illustrated in the diagram below:
Examples
 See below how parallelism was used in these two
speakers:
 "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill,
that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any
hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure
the survival and the success of liberty. " - John F.
Kennedy
 "Today's students can put dope in their veins or hope in
their brains. If they can conceive it and believe it, they
can achieve it. They must know it is not their aptitude but
their attitude that will determine their altitude. " Reverend Jesse Jackson
Practice
 Parallelism Practice:
 http://aliscot.com/bigdog/parallel_exercise.htm