2. 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).
3. 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
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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.
7. 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
8. Words and PhrasesWords and Phrases
Incorrect:
Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to
ride a bicycle.
Correct:
Mary likes hiking, swimming, and
riding a bicycle.
9. 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:
10. Clauses
Parallel 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
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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
14. 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
15. 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 pan
D. saucy tomatoes that were simmering in the
pan
16. 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
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. 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.
