How to Use Parallelism Correctly
First, consider what types of items you are listing., Create a sentence., Try a different sentence., Use parallelism in prepositional phrases., Write parallel sentences using infinitives., Use parallelism to create cohesive paragraphs., Create your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: consider what types of items you are listing.
Are you listing things or ideas? Are you making a list of what a person is doing? To use parallelism correctly, you want the list to include the same parts of speech in the same form.
The part of speech is the name given to each word to describe its function.
For instance, a noun is a person, place, idea, or thing.
It does action or has action done to it, sometimes.
Other times, it just names something, such as in a list.
A verb, on the other hand, is the action of the sentence.
It’s words like “kick,” “jump,” or “paint.” -
Step 2: Create a sentence.
Let’s try one with actions.
Pick a person to do the action:
Kate.
Next, what does Kate do? Let’s say she ate first, then got dressed, and then left the house.
Put those in a sentence together: “Kate was eating, dressed, and left.” Wait, that doesn't sound right, does it? Try making all the verbs in the list be in the same tense
- simple past. “Kate ate, dressed, and left.” That sounds better, right? It’s because the words in the list are parallel—they share the same structure. , Let’s use descriptive words this time, still describing Kate.
For example: “Kate is fast, efficiently, and courteous.” Once again, the sentence sounds wrong because one of the words doesn't follow the same structure—“efficiently” is an adverb instead of an adjective like the other words in the list.
Therefore, the sentence should be: “Kate is fast, efficient, and courteous.” However, it could also be: “Kate works quickly, efficiently, and courteously,” where all the words describe how Kate “works”.
In other words, they are adverbs, because they describe the verb. , Parallelism can also be used in other parts of speech, such as prepositional phrases.
For instance, look at the following sentence: “Kate went to work, to the park, and then to her house.” “To” is a preposition, and it introduces a phrase.
The sentence is parallel because each item is a prepositional phrase.
It wouldn’t sound right if it were phrases as “Kate went to work, to the park, and walked home.” “Walked home” is a different part of speech—it’s a verb plus a noun, as opposed to another prepositional phrase.
This sentence could also be phrased: “Kate went to work, the park, and her house”; the second sentence works because the reader understands to carry the word “to” throughout the list.
However, with prepositional phrases, it doesn’t have to be the same word to be parallel; you can use any preposition.
For instance, you could say, “Kate went through the tunnel, over the bridge, and around the bend.” “Through,” “over,” and “around” are all prepositions, so the sentence is still parallel. , Infinitives are “to” plus the base form of the verb.
For instance, you could say “Kate went out to eat and to shop.” “To eat” and “to shop” are both infinitives, so the sentence is parallel.
However, it wouldn't be correct to say, “Kate went out to eat and shopping," because it’s not parallel.
Basically, when writing a list, check to make sure each item uses the same part of speech.
The items can be a single word, a phrase, or even a clause, but they should all follow the same pattern. , In structure, parallelism often refers to the repetition of a certain phrase or style of phrase.
A famous example of this type of parallelism is a quote from John F.
Kennedy: “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” President Kennedy repeats “ask… what…” in the phrasing, creating a contrast between the two ideas, while tying them together at the same time.
Similarly, Dr.
Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is an example of parallelism.
Throughout the speech, he repeats the phrase “I have a dream,” creating cohesiveness in the text. , Let’s say you enjoy ice cream, but you avoid it because you’re lactose intolerant.
You could create a sentence such as “I want to eat ice cream; however, I do not want the stomach pain it will cause me.” The repetition of “I…want” binds the two sentences together. , When looking for problems with parallelism in your own work, read the essay aloud.
Search for places that sound awkward. , Check to see if the awkwardness is because the sentence isn’t parallel.
Are the words in a list all the same part of speech? Does the sentence suffer because it has too many different kinds of structure? , While your existing structure may not be bad, adding a parallel structure can make your writing better.
For instance, use the following sentences as an example: “The pie was delicious.
It was tasty.” By combining the sentences and using a parallel structure, the writing sounds better: “The pie was delicious and tasty.” As you can see, parallel structure is not only sound grammar, it makes your writing sound better.
You can use it to add emphasis and to create an effect. -
Step 3: Try a different sentence.
-
Step 4: Use parallelism in prepositional phrases.
-
Step 5: Write parallel sentences using infinitives.
-
Step 6: Use parallelism to create cohesive paragraphs.
-
Step 7: Create your own cohesive sentence.
-
Step 8: Read your work out loud.
-
Step 9: Look for a lack of parallelism.
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Step 10: Check for places where you could add parallelism for emphasis.
Detailed Guide
Are you listing things or ideas? Are you making a list of what a person is doing? To use parallelism correctly, you want the list to include the same parts of speech in the same form.
The part of speech is the name given to each word to describe its function.
For instance, a noun is a person, place, idea, or thing.
It does action or has action done to it, sometimes.
Other times, it just names something, such as in a list.
A verb, on the other hand, is the action of the sentence.
It’s words like “kick,” “jump,” or “paint.”
Let’s try one with actions.
Pick a person to do the action:
Kate.
Next, what does Kate do? Let’s say she ate first, then got dressed, and then left the house.
Put those in a sentence together: “Kate was eating, dressed, and left.” Wait, that doesn't sound right, does it? Try making all the verbs in the list be in the same tense
- simple past. “Kate ate, dressed, and left.” That sounds better, right? It’s because the words in the list are parallel—they share the same structure. , Let’s use descriptive words this time, still describing Kate.
For example: “Kate is fast, efficiently, and courteous.” Once again, the sentence sounds wrong because one of the words doesn't follow the same structure—“efficiently” is an adverb instead of an adjective like the other words in the list.
Therefore, the sentence should be: “Kate is fast, efficient, and courteous.” However, it could also be: “Kate works quickly, efficiently, and courteously,” where all the words describe how Kate “works”.
In other words, they are adverbs, because they describe the verb. , Parallelism can also be used in other parts of speech, such as prepositional phrases.
For instance, look at the following sentence: “Kate went to work, to the park, and then to her house.” “To” is a preposition, and it introduces a phrase.
The sentence is parallel because each item is a prepositional phrase.
It wouldn’t sound right if it were phrases as “Kate went to work, to the park, and walked home.” “Walked home” is a different part of speech—it’s a verb plus a noun, as opposed to another prepositional phrase.
This sentence could also be phrased: “Kate went to work, the park, and her house”; the second sentence works because the reader understands to carry the word “to” throughout the list.
However, with prepositional phrases, it doesn’t have to be the same word to be parallel; you can use any preposition.
For instance, you could say, “Kate went through the tunnel, over the bridge, and around the bend.” “Through,” “over,” and “around” are all prepositions, so the sentence is still parallel. , Infinitives are “to” plus the base form of the verb.
For instance, you could say “Kate went out to eat and to shop.” “To eat” and “to shop” are both infinitives, so the sentence is parallel.
However, it wouldn't be correct to say, “Kate went out to eat and shopping," because it’s not parallel.
Basically, when writing a list, check to make sure each item uses the same part of speech.
The items can be a single word, a phrase, or even a clause, but they should all follow the same pattern. , In structure, parallelism often refers to the repetition of a certain phrase or style of phrase.
A famous example of this type of parallelism is a quote from John F.
Kennedy: “My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” President Kennedy repeats “ask… what…” in the phrasing, creating a contrast between the two ideas, while tying them together at the same time.
Similarly, Dr.
Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is an example of parallelism.
Throughout the speech, he repeats the phrase “I have a dream,” creating cohesiveness in the text. , Let’s say you enjoy ice cream, but you avoid it because you’re lactose intolerant.
You could create a sentence such as “I want to eat ice cream; however, I do not want the stomach pain it will cause me.” The repetition of “I…want” binds the two sentences together. , When looking for problems with parallelism in your own work, read the essay aloud.
Search for places that sound awkward. , Check to see if the awkwardness is because the sentence isn’t parallel.
Are the words in a list all the same part of speech? Does the sentence suffer because it has too many different kinds of structure? , While your existing structure may not be bad, adding a parallel structure can make your writing better.
For instance, use the following sentences as an example: “The pie was delicious.
It was tasty.” By combining the sentences and using a parallel structure, the writing sounds better: “The pie was delicious and tasty.” As you can see, parallel structure is not only sound grammar, it makes your writing sound better.
You can use it to add emphasis and to create an effect.
About the Author
Douglas Hill
Writer and educator with a focus on practical cooking knowledge.
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