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What is "parallelism?"
In simple terms, parallelism (or parallel construction or parallel structure) simply means that words, phrases, clauses, and infinitives in a sentence that share a similar function should also share a common grammatical format. Words must embrace balance and equality, and they must make sense in time and space. Advanced writers take this one step further to ensure that text within a sentence is similar in its sound, meaning, or meter. If you start discussing a thing one way, you can’t – mid-sentence – switch to talking about something else a different way.
Example (incorrect): Not only will pedestrians become more insensitive, they will become passive, act impolitely, and egocentric.
Example (correct): Not only will pedestrians become more insensitive, they will become passive, impolite, and egocentric.
Why use parallelism?
Using parallelism will make your sentences clever, coherent, and consistent.
How can parallelism be used?
Consider the following eight methods that can be used to introduce parallelism into writing. The remainder of this section will then examine each method in some detail:
Quizzes
Quizzes
Practice by pasting this prompt into your AI assistant:
I'm learning about parallel structure in English grammar. Act as a teacher and give me five different exercises to help me practice this concept. For each exercise:
1. Clearly state the instructions.
2. Provide the sentence or sentences the student should work with.
3. **Crucially, STOP here. Do NOT provide the answer yet.** Wait for my attempt at the exercise.
4. After I attempt the exercise, give me feedback. Tell me if my answer is correct or incorrect. If it's incorrect, explain why and give me the correct answer. Also, provide at least one additional example of correct parallel structure related to the exercise.
Make the exercises progressively more challenging, starting with basic parallelism (nouns, verbs, adjectives) and moving to more complex structures (phrases, clauses). Include a variety of exercise types, such as rewriting sentences, combining sentences, and identifying errors.
External Resources
External Resources
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Attribution information for this page: Written by Jamie BridgePageID: eslid18994Page keywords: shift in verb tense
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