PARALLELISM

Parallelism involves writing balanced sentences. Two or more ideas that are logically related should be expressed in grammatically similar constructions. In addition, similar constructions should follow each of a pair of correlative conjunctions: both/and, either/or, neither/nor, whether/or, not only/ but also. For example, you might imagine the sentence parts hanging on a scale when you check for parallelism:
He was not only tall but also strong. I will neither come early nor stay late.
tall come early
He was I will
strong stay late

Study the following examples.

Unparallel: Last summer I learned tennis, to swim, and riding a horse.
Parallel: Last summer I learned to play tennis, swim, and ride a horse.

Last summer I learned to play tennis, to swim, and to ride a horse.
Last summer I learned tennis, swimming, and horseback riding.

Unparallel: She was not only beautiful but also a spoiled child.
Parallel: She was not only beautiful but also spoiled.

She was not only a beautiful child but also a spoiled one.

Unparallel: A math book with practice problems and having a good index is useful.
Parallel: A math book with practice problems and a good index is useful.
A math book with practice problems and with a good index is useful.

A math book having practice problems and a good index is useful.

Directions: Place a check by the parallel sentence in each pair.
1a.___ The employee was conscientious, devoted, and he worked hard.
1b.___ The employee was conscientious, devoted, and hard-working.
2a.___ The camp has several fields for games and swimming in the lake.
2b.___ The camp has several fields for games and a swimming area in the lake.
3a.___ Andy wanted neither the assignment at Columbus nor the job at Toledo.
3b.___ Andy wanted neither the assignment at Columbus nor to be sent to Toledo.
4a.___ Eve is an excellent tennis player, serving fast and being good at volleying.
4b.___ Eve is an excellent tennis player, having a fast serve and a good volley.
5a.___ She was both a good skier and liked to play basketball.
5b.___ She was both a good skier and a fine basketball player.
6a.___ He told me to shut up, mind my own business, and leave him alone.
6b.___ He told me to shut up, mind my own business, and to leave him alone.

Directions: Revise each of the following sentences.

7. Customers may climbing the stairs, ride the escalator, or taking the elevator.

8. I will meet you either at the movie or see you later at the party.

9. Jake knew he had to run or stayed to face the consequences.

10. I was told that finishing high school and to enroll in college would be wise.

11. He didn’t know whether to study first or be watching television.

12. To sleep and eating were his main occupations.

13. In the evenings we would swim in the lake and dancing afterwards.

14. Either he should do it or let me do it.

15. Her ambition was both to act in movies and writing a book about her experiences.

16. He put the model together neatly, accurately, and with a great deal of skill.

17. Mary likes to paint, sew, and playing the piano is another hobby.

18. That mask will not only scare Billy but also the cat.

19. He had to have the suit both altered and to have it cleaned.

20. Either say what you have to say or I wish you would sit down.

_________________________

Parallel Structure

Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level. The usual way to join parallel structures is with the use of coordinating conjunctions such as "and" or "or."

Words and Phrases

• With the -ing form (gerund) of words:
  Parallel: Mary likes hiking, swimming, and bicycling.
• With infinitive phrases:
  Parallel: Mary likes to hike, to swim, and to ride a bicycle.
  OR
  Mary likes to hike, swim, and ride a bicycle.
  (Note: You can use "to" before all the verbs in a sentence or only before the first one.)

Avoid mixing forms.

• Example 1

Not Parallel:  The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurate ly, and in a detailed manner.
Parallel:  The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and thoroughly.

• Example 2
  Not Parallel: Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle.
  Parallel: Mary likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bicycle.
• Example 3

Not Parallel:  The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last minute to study for the exam, completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and his motivation was low.
Parallel:  The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last minute to study for the exam, completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and lacked motivation.

Clauses

A parallel structure that begins with clauses must keep on with clauses. Changing to another pattern or changing the voice of the verb (from active to passive or vice versa) will break the parallelism.

• Example 1
  Not Parallel:  The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and to do some warm-up exercises before the game.
  Parallel:  The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and that they should do some warm-up exercises before the game.
  OR
  Parallel:  The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, not eat too much, and do some warm-up exercises before the game.

• Example 2

Not Parallel:  The salesman expected that he would present his product at the meeting, that there would be time for him to show his slide presentation, and that questions would be asked by prospective buyers. (passive)
Parallel:  The salesman expected that he would present his product at the meeting, that there would be time for him to show his slide presentation, and that prospective buyers would ask him questions.

Lists After a Colon

Be sure to keep all the elements in a list in the same form.

• Example 1

Not Parallel:  The dictionary can be used for these purposes: to find word meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings, and looking up irregular verbs.

Parallel:  The dictionary can be used for these purposes: to find word meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings, and irregular verbs.

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? Or do your hear a rhythm being repeated? If something is breaking that rhythm or repetition of sound, check to see if it needs to be made parallel.

Parallel Structure in Professional Writing

It is important to be consistent in your wording in professional writing, particularly in employment documents; this is called parallelism. When you are expressing ideas of equal weight in your writing, parallel sentence structures can echo that fact and offer you a writing style that uses balance and rhythm to help deliver your meaning. You can use parallel structure in any kind of writing that you do, whether that writing is on or off the job.

Here are some examples that demonstrate how to implement parallelism in preparing employment documents. When you're done reviewing them, try the practice exercise at the bottom.

Incorrect:  My degree, my work experience, and ability to complete complicated projects qualify me for the job.
Correct:  My degree, my work experience, and my ability to complete complicated projects qualify me for the job.

Incorrect:

    Prepared weekly field payroll

    Material purchasing, expediting and returning

    Recording OSHA regulated documentation

    Change orders

    Maintained hard copies of field documentation

Correct:

    Prepared weekly field payroll

    Handled material purchasing, expediting, and returning

    Recorded OSHA regulated documentation

    Processed change orders

    Maintained hard copies of field documentation

1          Learning a new language as an adult is more difficult than to learn one as a child.

2          Every morning, I run two miles, walk one mile, and half a mile on the bike.

3          There are two ways to get a promotion: working hard or make friends in high places.

4          Many college students have the same goals: playing hard, doing well in classes, and a job after graduation.

5          The man walked down the street, stopped at a shop window, and was fixing his tie.

6          The chef chopped the parsley, peeled the tomatoes and cut the zucchini into cubes.

7          People often try to avoid eye contact with others, whether riding on a bus, strolling through a shopping mall, or when they are in line at a supermarket.

 8         When trying to impress a prospective employer, people should pay attention to their clothing, their posture, and that they don’t use too much slang.

 9         The bedroom was filled with old newspapers and radios that don’t work.

Directions: Choose the option that maintains parallel structure in the sentence.

1. When Delores realized that her father had made lima beans and rice for dinner, she __________, claimed to feel nauseous, and excused herself from the table. The bag of stale popcorn in her room would tide her over until breakfast.

A. clutched her stomach
B. was clutching her stomach
C. did clutch her stomach

2. Not only did Hank despise the way June chewed with her mouth open, _________ finding her wet towels all over the bathroom floor.

A. but also disliked
B. but also disliking
C. but he also disliked

3. To protect her delicate hands, Fran will not rake the yard, do the dishes, or __________.

A. refuses to scrub the bathtub
B. won't scrub the bathtub
C. scrub the bathtub

4. When Diane takes her beagle for a walk, Santana enjoys sniffing for edible garbage, __________, and lunging at squirrels.

A. howls at bicyclists

B. howling at bicyclists

C. she howls at bicyclists

5. After Amanda cashes her paycheck, the money goes to her savings account, cappuccino fund, and __________.

A. paying her credit card bill

B. toward her credit card balance

C. credit card balance

6. In preparation for her run, Alicia __________, applied sunscreen, and increased the volume on her iPod.

A. tightened her shoelaces
B. was tightening her shoelaces
C. did tighten her shoelaces

7. We searched the car trunk, __________, and the top of the refrigerator, but we could not find the box of cornflakes that we remember buying.

A. looked on the pantry shelves
B. on the pantry shelves
C. the pantry shelves

8. Bonkers, our ninety pound golden retriever, chews on furniture, __________, and snots up the car windows—inconveniences we didn't anticipate when we adopted him.

A. would drag us around the neighborhood during walks
B. he drags us around the neighborhood during walks
C. drags us around the neighborhood during walks

9. Belinda saw very little of the horror movie, for she shut her eyes __________, when she heard the monster's footsteps in the dead leaves, and when characters started screaming.

A. when the violins began to play
B. while listening to the violins play
C. during the violin music

10. In Mrs. Jones’s office, David feigned the flu. He hoped to be excused from class, get an extension on his paper, and __________.

A. spend the afternoon playing tennis with his friends
B. to spend the afternoon playing tennis with his friends
C. then to spend the afternoon playing tennis with his friends

11. Carlos not only missed his one-year anniversary with Adrianna __________.

A. but he also forgot his mother's birthday
B. but also forgot his mother's birthday
C. but also forgetting his mother's birthday

12. Teresa was expecting a visit from her mother, so she spent the day cleaning the shelves of the refrigerator, scrubbing mold from the bathroom tile grout, and __________.

A. she removed dog hair from the sofa cushions
B. removing dog hair from the sofa cushions
C. removed dog hair from the sofa cushions

 13. When Noodle the poodle realized that the leash meant a bath, not a walk to the park, he growled, pulled, and __________.

A. was leaping like a fish on a line
B. he was leaping like a fish on a line
C. leaped like a fish on a line

14. With the humans out of the house, Skeeter (=mosquito) had to decide either to shred a roll of toilet paper or __________.

A. chew another hole in the sofa arm
B. chewing another hole in the sofa arm
C. if he wanted to chew another hole in the sofa arm

15. Neither __________ nor the ineffective air conditioner rattling in the window will deter Tiffany from loving the freedom of her first apartment.

A. when the inconsiderate neighbors played loud music
B. the inconsiderate neighbors playing loud music
C. playing loud music by the inconsiderate neighbors

16. We looked everywhere for the car keys—under the sofa cushions, __________, and on the counters and tabletops. All along, Andrew had them in the front pocket of his jeans!

A. our search included the trash can
B. searching for them in the trash can
C. in the trash can

17. Laura and Diana bang on Boen's door when they need heavy furniture moved, after they have clogged the garbage disposal, and __________.

A. having discovered a spider in the bathtub
B. upon the discovery of a spider in the bathtub
C. if they find a spider in the bathtub

18. Bathing Noodle, our poodle, requires four arms to hold him in the tub, towels to mop up the water, and __________.

A. raincoats which will keep us dry
B. raincoats to keep us dry
C. raincoats as protection against the oncoming deluge

19. We hate having dinner at Aunt Ida's house because she is a vegan health nut. Baked tofu, __________, and decaffeinated tea do not make a satisfying meal!

A. vegetables steamed with no oil or seasoning
B. steamed vegetables
C. vegetables that are flavorless

20. Tonia kicked the back of Vincent’s desk, __________, and poked his arm with her sharp pencil, but he would not bend to the side so that she could get a glimpse of his quiz answers.

A. blew on his neck
B. she blew on his neck
C. blowing on his neck

 Place a check by the parallel sentence in each pair.

1a.___ The employee was conscientious, devoted, and he worked hard.

1b.___ The employee was conscientious, devoted, and hard-working.

2a.___ The camp has several fields for games and swimming in the lake.

2b.___ The camp has several fields for games and a swimming area in the lake.

3a.___ Andy wanted neither the assignment at Columbus nor the job at Toledo.

3b.___ Andy wanted neither the assignment at Columbus nor to be sent to Toledo.

4a.___ Eve is an excellent tennis player, serving fast and being good at volleying.

4b.___ Eve is an excellent tennis player, having a fast serve and a good volley.

5a.___ She was both a good skier and liked to play basketball.

5b.___ She was both a good skier and a fine basketball player.

6a.___ He told me to shut up, mind my own business, and leave him alone.

Revise each of the following sentences.

1.  Customers may climbing the stairs, ride the escalator, or taking the elevator.

2. Jake knew he had to run or stayed to face the consequences.

. I was told that finishing high school and to enroll in college would be wise.

. He didn’t know whether to study first or be watching television.

. To sleep and eating were his main occupations.

. In the evenings we would swim in the lake and dancing afterwards.

. Either he should do it or let me do it.

. Her ambition was both to act in movies and writing a book about her experiences.

. He put the model together neatly, accurately, and with a great deal of skill.

. Mary likes to paint, sew, and playing the piano is another hobby.

. That mask will not only scare Billy but also the cat.

. He had to have the suit both altered and to have it cleaned.

. Either say what you have to say or I wish you would sit down.

Exercise on Parallel Structure

In the following pairs, one sentence has parallel structure, and the other sentence lacks

parallel structure. Mark the CORRECT sentence.

1. A____ Jennifer is smart, beautiful, and loves everyone.

B____ Jennifer is smart, beautiful, and caring.

2. A____ Andy’s day is so long that he gets up at 6:00 a.m., leaves for work at 6:30

a.m., is eating dinner at 11:00 p.m., and goes to bed at 2:00 a.m.

B____ Andy’s day is so long that he gets up at 6:00 a.m., leaves for work at 6:30

a.m., eats dinner at 11:00 p.m., and goes to bed at 2:00 a.m.

3. A____ Bob was not only Sam’s roommate, but also he was his best friend.

B____ Bob was not only Sam’s roommate but also his best friend.

4. A____ If you go to the store, please remember to pick up your prescription, buy some

shampoo, and to look for a notebook.

B____ If you go to the store, please remember to pick up your prescription, to buy

some shampoo, and to look for a notebook.

5. A____ I spent two hours with Ms. Smith, reviewing my job performance, evaluating

my goals, and discussing my future with the company.

B____ I spent two hours with Ms. Smith, reviewing my job performance, evaluating

my goals, and my future with the company was also discussed.

6. A_____ Mr. Brown’s lecture was inaccurate, boring, and unnecessary.

B_____ Mr. Brown’s lecture was inaccurate, boring, and should have been omitted.

7. A_____ Most people play golf for pleasure, for exercise, and for social contacts.

B_____ Most people play golf for pleasure, for exercise, and so they can meet people.

8. A____ The most dangerous forms of transportation are bicycles, cars, and riding a

motorcycle.

B____ The most dangerous forms of transportation are bicycles, cars, and motorcycles.

9. A____ Many people share the same three fears: making speeches, being in

high places, and numbers.

B____ Many people share the same three fears: making speeches, being in

high places, and working with numbers.

10. A____ At the body shop, the car was sanded to the bare metal, painted with primer,

and sprayed with blue enamel.

B____ At the body shop, the car was sanded to the bare metal, painted with primer

and blue enamel was sprayed on.