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PARALLEL STRUCTURE

CONJUNCTIONS AND LINKING VERBS CAN HELP!

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PARALLEL CONSTRUCTION

  • This creates balance in your sentences.

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  • It means repeating similar grammatical elements (words or phrases) to give your writing rhythm.

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Sentence Elements

Example

Technique Used

Words –

All words in a series should be the same parts of speech

Not Parallel: Opera can amuse, sadden, or make you think.

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Parallel: Opera can amuse, sadden, or inspire.

All the words in the series are verbs.

Parallel: Opera can be amusing, depressing, or inspiring.

All the words in the series are adjectives.

Phrases –

All phrases in a series should be the same type.

Not Parallel: The audience members reacted to the show by jumping to their feet, cheering for an encore, and with calls of “Bravo!”

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Parallel: The audience members reacted to the show by jumping to their feet, cheering for an encore, and calling “Bravo!”

All the phrases are participial phrases (they start with –ing words).

Parallel: The audience began to cheer, to jump to their feet, and to call “Bravo!”

All the phrases are infinitive phrases (they start with to).

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WHAT DOES THE CONJUNCTION JOIN?

  • She loves to eat, to sing, and to swim.

OR

  • She loves to eat, sing, and swim.

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  • NO! She loves to eat, sing, and to swim.

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WHAT DOES THE CONJUNCTION JOIN?

  • She wants to not only go to Greece for the summer but also work there.

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  • She wants not only to go to Greece for the summer but also to work there.

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WHAT DOES THE VERB LINK?

  • Running through the city at night is taking one’s life in one’s hands.

NOT

  • Running through the city at night is to take one’s life in one’s hands.

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TRY IT!

  • Rewrite each of the following sentences using parallel construction.

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  1. I enjoy swimming, to play computer games, and when we go to the movies.

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    • I enjoy swimming, playing computer games, and going to the movies.

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TRY IT!

  • Rewrite each of the following sentences using parallel construction.

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    • When I choose music, I listen to jazz, rock, and chilling out to Latin rhythms.
    • Our library contains study tables, computer stations, and it has a reading corner.
    • Korean summers are hot, it rains a lot, and humid.

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