Some of the most famous speeches and works of literature have utilized parallelism to achieve repetition or balance. In speech and literature, parallel structure can make your rhetoric extra powerful and even make it more memorable. Not Parallel: Elizabeth calmly and with grace made her way down the aisle. Parallel: Elizabeth calmly and gracefully made her way down the aisle. If you use more than one modifier to describe an object, make sure they’re the same part of speech (i.e., both adverbs or both adjectives). Not Parallel: Carmen didn’t like to travel on planes or a ship because she was afraid. Parallel: Carmen didn’t like to travel on planes or ships because she was afraid. Make sure that your nouns agree in number. If a verb is used in the first clause, it must also be used in the second. Not Parallel: For breakfast, Mary likes coffee and to fry eggs. Parallel: For breakfast, Mary likes to drink coffee and fry eggs. If you have a sentence with more than one clause, make sure they contain either verbs or nouns-not a combination of both. Not Parallel: When he has time off, Mark likes traveling, reading, and to cook.Īlways make sure that your verb forms are consistent when listing multiple verbs. Parallel: When he has time off, Mark likes to travel, read, and cook. Parallel: When he has time off, Mark likes traveling, reading, and cooking. When you’re listing verbs, as in the example above, you can use either gerunds (verbs that function as nouns, usually ending in -ing) or infinitives (verbs that start with “to”). The following are more examples of how parallelism can be used with words, phrases, and clauses to achieve greater clarity.
That’s definitely something you want to avoid in your writing! If readers have to work to understand something that simple, they’re more likely to put your book down out of frustration. Many readers will have to go back and reread the sentence for clarity. The sentence lacking parallel structure sticks out like a sore thumb, and it’s unpleasant to both the eye and ear.
Not Parallel: Julia likes swimming, dancing, and to run marathons. Parallel: Julia likes swimming, dancing, and running marathons.Īlso Parallel: Julia likes to swim, dance, and run marathons. Writing that lacks parallel structure also lacks rhythm and balance, resulting in an awkward and unpleasant flow. Parallel structures (at the word, phrase, or clause level) are commonly joined by coordinating conjunctions, such as “and” or “or.” It’s also referred to as parallelism or parallel construction. Parallel structure is used to demonstrate the equal importance of two or more ideas. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll find that parallel structure is a simple way to increase the clarity and readability of your writing. It’s a key element in any well-constructed sentence that supports related ideas.īut don’t worry: we’re not about to spring more geometric lingo on you. Parallel structure can make your writing more effective and establish a more rhythmic, elegant flow to your words.
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