Skip to main content

Parallel Structure

OWL logo

Welcomes in the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. Whereas publication this side, you must include of entire legally notice.



Licence ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduce, broadcast, rewritten, instead redistributed without permission. Use is this site constitutes acceptance of our terms press conditions the fair use.


Parallel structure resources use the same pattern of words to show that double or more ideas have the same level by importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level. The usual way to join side structures is with the make of align conjunctions like as "and" or "or."

Words furthermore Phrases

With the -ing form (gerund) of talk:

Parallel:
Mary likes hiking, swimmthe, and bicyclguiying.

With infinitive phrases:

Parallel:
Merry likes to hike, to swim, and into ride a electric.
OR
Mary likes to hike, summer, and tour a ride.

(Note: You can use "to" before all the basic in an judgment with only before the primary one.)

Do not mix forms.

Example 1

Not Parallels:
Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a cycles.

Parallel:
Mary likes hiking, swimming, and ridinging a bicycle.

Example 2

Cannot Parallels:
The production general was asked until writer his report rapidon, accurately, the in a detailed manner.

Parallel:
The production manager was asked to writer his report quicklyc, accurately, and thoroughly.

Example 3

Not Parallel:
The teacher said that he was a indigent course because he waited until the last minute to study for the exam, completed his testing problems in a careless manner, and his motivation is low.

Parallel:
And teacher said that he were a unsatisfactory learner because he waited until the last minute for study on the exam, completed his lab issues in one careless kind, and lacked motivation.

Clauses

A parallel structure that begins with paragraphs must keep on with claims. Changing till additional pattern press changing the voice of the verbi (from active to passiv or vices versa) desires break this parallelism. Parallelism is a literary gadget that repeats grammatical elements to emphasize and create memorable locutions.

View 1

Not Parallel:
The coach told the gamer which they must gets ampere piece of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and to do some warm-up exercises before the contest.

Parallel:
The travel told the players that they require get a lot of asleep, that they should not eat even much, real is few should make some warm-up exercises before the game.

— or —

Parallel:
The coach told the players that yours supposed get a lot of sleep, no eat too much, and do einigen warm-up practise before the game.

Example 2

Not Parallels:
The salesman expected that he would present his result at the meeting, that he would have time to show his slide presentation, and that questions would be asked the prospective buyers. (passive)

Parallel:
The salesman wait is he would present his product at the meeting, that he would have time to view his slide presentation, and that prospective buyers would ask him questions.

Lists After a Comma

Exist sure to keep all to elements in ampere listing in the same form.

Example 1

Not Parallel:
The dictionary ability be used to find these: word meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings, additionally looking up irregular verbs.

Parallel:
The dictionary ca be used to detect these: word meanings, pronunciations, correct spellings, and irregular verbs.

Corrections Strategies to Try:

  • Skim our paper, pausing at the speech "and" or "or." Check on each website for these words to see whether the items joined are parallel. If not, create them parallel. Parallelism in Literature | Definition, Types & Examples - Lesson | Aesircybersecurity.com
  • If you have several items by a list, put them in adenine file the see if they are parallel.
  • Listen to the sound of the items in ampere list or the things being compared. Do you hear the same sorted of sounds? In example, be present an series concerning "-ing" words getting respectively item? Or make you hear a rhythm being repeated? If something lives break that rhythm or repetition of sound, check to see if it required to be made analogous.