Parallelism Parallelism

Making your Sentence Structure

Clear!!

PP 15-13a

Parallelism 1. Parallelism is the linking together of similar grammatical parts in a sentence.

2. Items in a series must have parallel structure.

3. Using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas are equally important.

3. To have parallel sentence structure, related ideas or ideas joined by and, but, or, nor or yet should be presented in the same grammatical structure (e.g., all infinitives, all gerunds, all nouns, all prepositional phrases).

Non-parallel structureNon-parallel structure looks like this:

Don’t create problems by mixing grammatical elements.

,, , , andand ..

Tom ate his dinner, watched his favorite T.V. program, and going to bed late at night.

Tom ate

ParallelismParallelism looks like this: looks like this:

Items in a series must have parallel structure.

Tom ate ,, ..

Tom ate his dinner, watched his favorite T.V. program, and went to bed late at night.

, , andand

Parallel StructureParallel 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 three levels:

Word

Phrase

Clause

Parallel structure

Examples- what kinds of parallel structures are these?

1. I am reading about dogs, cats and birds.

2. I plan to walk the dog, write a letter and go to bed.

3. He was talking on the phone and doing his homework at the same time.

A few more examples:

4. We expect that the dinner will be over by 9 and that we’ll be home by 10.

5. The route crosses the river and climbs up the mountain.

6. The car is parked in front of the truck and behind the motorcycle.

Parallel structure

Words and PhrasesWords and Phrases

Incorrect:

Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle.

Correct:

Mary likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bicycle.

More Examples: Words & Phrases

The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and in a thorough manner.

The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and thoroughly.

Incorrect:

Correct:

ClausesParallel structure that begins with clauses must continue on with clauses.

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.

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

Lists after a colon

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

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

PP 15-13a

A quick Test: Identify which sentence that has no error in structure: 1. The manager wanted staff who arrived on time,

smiled at the customers, and worked hard on tasks.

2. Relaxation can include reading for pleasure, playing with your friends, or to participate in sports activities.

3. One way to fight stress is to discuss your problems with either a friend or a relative.

4. During class, Sami spent his time talking to Ahmed, he ate a candy, and scribbled on his assignment sheet.

5. Alex looked everywhere for his math book — under the bed, on his desk, and he searched inside the refrigerator.

6. You can calm both your mind and your body by thinking positive thoughts.

PP 15-13a

Activity 2: Choose the sentence that has no error in structure:

1. During our vacation in Egypt, we hope __________, to enjoy beautiful sunsets, and to visit amazing ancient places.

A. that we eat delicious seafood

B. that eating delicious seafood occurs

C. to eat delicious seafood

D. eating delicious seafood

PP 15-13a

Activity 2: Choose the sentence that has no error in structure:

2. Karen thought that Ray was everything she wanted in a husband, for he was tall, intelligent, and __________.

A. he looked good

B. being good looking

C. one handsome man to look at

D. handsome

PP 15-13a

Activity 2: Choose the sentence that has no error in structure:

3. Pasta boiling in water, __________, and garlic bread baking in the oven welcomed Fadi as he opened the door.

A. simmered tomato sauce in the pan

B. tomato sauce simmering in the pan

C. tomato sauce that simmered in the panD. saucy tomatoes that were simmering in the

pan

PP 15-13a

Activity 2: Choose the sentence that has no error in structure:

4. To buy a birthday gift for his friend, Albert visited the florist for roses, the shop for a box of chocolates, and __________.

A. bought an expensive gold necklace at the jewelry store

B. the jeweler for an expensive gold necklace

C. the jeweler where he bought an expensive gold necklace

D. to buy an expensive gold necklace

PP 15-13a

Activity 2: Choose the sentence that has no error in structure:

5. I do not ever want to be friends with Adam because he is too talkative, too noisy, and _________.

A.because he the most impolite person I have ever met.

B. too impolite.C. being the most impolite person I have

ever met. D. lacks politeness.

PP 15-13a

Activity 3: Correct the errors in sentence structure: 1. Sabrina has wit, charm, and she has an extremely pleasant

personality.

2. In English class, Tim learned to read poems critically and he appreciated good prose.

3. We found the film repulsive, offensive, and we thought it was embarrassing.

4. Mr. John kept his store clean, neat, and he had it conveniently arranged.

5. Dina does not like to sing, dance, or acting.

6. Ali was a poor student because he waited until the last minute to study, was always completing his lab problems carelessly, and his motivation was low.

7. Without good exercising, our team can be expected to lose more than ten games, to drop out of the championship very early on, and their popularity will suffer greatly.

Activity 4: Correct the errors in sentence structure: 1. Betty has intelligence, honesty, and she is funny.

2. Good writing requires you to plan outlines, write several drafts, and revision

3. I left my job for several reasons: the pay was poor, long hours, I found the work tedious and equipment was dangerous.

4. The man’s two-hour speech was tiresome, inaccurate, and it was not necessary.

5. The assistant manager's duties are to arrive early, open the office, payroll management and supervising the staff.

6. We knew that George would become an entrepreneur because he had ambitious plans, independence, and he never wanted to take a vacation.

Activity 5: Rewrite each sentence to fix all parallelism errors

1. It is easier to tell the truth than lying to people you love.

2. Managing your money well is to be prepared for the future.

3. The project plan is creative but a risk.

4. The witness described the suspect as tall, light-skinned, and with a beard.

5. Jim wanted to scare us by telling us a ghost story and he showed us a horror movie.

6. He wanted three things out of college: to master a skill, to make good friends, and learning about life.