Parallelism

Parallelism

English 2021

Parallelism

• You probably know from math that parallel lines are two lines that go in the same direction. The concept is similar in English in the way we structure certain things together.

• Ex: I like flying planes, riding trains, and driving automobiles.

• Notice the same format for each of the things in the list; gerund (word ending in -ing) - noun, gerund-noun, gerund-noun. It sounds nice and fluid when the sentence is put together that way. It would be awkward and incorrect to say:

  I like flying planes, riding trains, and to drive automobiles.

Parallelism

• Here’s another correct version:

  I like to fly planes, to ride trains, and to drive automobiles. (infinitive-noun pattern)

• It’s also correct to leave out the to’s because they’re implied to carry over to all three items in the list:

  I like to fly planes, ride trains, and drive automobiles.

• But again, you must be consistent - it would be incorrect to write: 

  I like to fly planes, ride trains, and to drive automobiles.

• The to is used again after being left out in the second item.

Example 1

• Wrong: In chess, remember these three goals: get your pieces to the center, capture the opposing pieces, and attacking the opposing king. 

• Right: In chess, remember these three goals: get your pieces to the center, capture the pieces, and attack the opposing king. 

Example 2

• Wrong: Fans of Teresa admire her ability to sing, her passion for performance, and she has good looks.  

• Right: Fans of Teresa admire her ability to sing, her passion for performance, and her good looks. 

Example 3

• Wrong: The baby crawled quickly, sleeps softly, and cried loudly.   

• Right: The baby crawled quickly, slept softly, and cried loudly. 

• Parallelism requires the verb tense to be the same.

Example 4

• Wrong: The fashion designer was praised for her creative, comfortable, and her having innovative clothing.    

• Right: The fashion designer was praised for her creative, comfortable, and innovative clothing. 

• Parallelism most often shows up in a series or a list of things as in the examples above, but it can also come up when pairing two phrases together, especially with and or or:

Example 5

• Wrong: I respect his eloquence and that he is brave.     

• Right: I respect his eloquence and his bravery. 

• 
  

Example 6

• Wrong: I like singing more than dance. 

• Right: I like singing more than dancing. 

Example 7

• Wrong: The school was designed to be a place where creativity would be celebrated and hard work was rewarded there.  

• Right: The school was designed to be a place where creativity would be celebrated and hard work (would be) rewarded.

• Note that would be can be left out because it’s implied to carry over.

Example 8

• Wrong: The people who ride the bus or have taken the train can’t afford to drive to work. 

• Right: The people who ride the bus or take the train can’t afford to drive to work. 

• 
  

Multiple Choice

Correct this sentence:

That she looks beautiful and her charm help her get out of speeding tickets.

• That she looks beautiful and she is charming help her get out of speeding tickets.

• Her beauty and her charm help her get out of speeding tickets.

Multiple Choice

Correct this sentence:

Visitors to my hometown in the middle of nowhere can experience rides on the bus, drinks at the tavern, and eating at the McDonald’s.

• Visitors to my hometown in the middle of nowhere can experience riding on the bus, drinking at the tavern, and eating at the McDonald's.

• Visitors to my hometown in the middle of nowhere can experience rides on the bus, drinking at the tavern, and eating at the McDonald's.

Multiple Select

Correct this sentence. Select all that apply:

My tasks today are to file for divorce, burn my house down, and to start all over.

• My tasks today are to file for divorce, burn my house down, and start all over.

• My tasks for today are to file for divorce, to burn my house down, and to start all over.

• My tasks for today are filing for divorce, burn my house down, and start all over.

• My tasks for today are to file for divorce, burning my house down, and starting all over.

Multiple Choice

Correct the sentence:

The 300 men trained diligently, screamed fiercely in battle, and valiantly fights.

• The 300 men trained diligently, screamed fiercely in battle, and fought valiantly.

• The 300 men trained to be diligent, screamed fiercely in battle, and valiantly fights.

• The 300 men trained diligently, screamed fiercely in battle, and valiantly fought.

Let's try actual ACT questions

woohoo

Multiple Choice

The last year of high school was filled with optimism and (1)emotions that were nostalgic.

• NO CHANGE

• nostalgia.

• nostalgic emotions.

• emotions of nostalgia.

Multiple Choice

It was like standing on a bridge that must be crossed, leaving behind the carefree days of youth and (2)stepped into a life of responsibilities, business meetings, and paying bills.

• No Change

• to step

• stepping

• we stepped

Multiple Choice

My friends had decided to go to college on the other side of the country, (4)join an environmental group to save the rainforest, or work for their parents in the family business, which was what I was doing in the same town I’d lived in all my life.

• NO CHANGE

• to join

• joining

• they will join

Multiple Choice

Out of the three of us, I needed this vacation the most. I had never left the state, let alone (5)departing from the country. So when Tom suggested we spend the summer in Europe, I was thrilled.

• NO CHANGE

• the country.

• from the country.

• depart from the country.

Multiple Choice

After all, travel is a great way to bond with others and (6)to learn about the world.

• NO CHANGE

• the world can be learned about.

• for learning about the world.

• we can learn about the world.

Multiple Choice

We landed at Heathrow Airport at about 4pm, (7)would sleep in the terminal for a few hours, and took a connecting flight to Paris.

• NO CHANGE

• we slept

• slept

• sleeping

Multiple Choice

We almost missed our flight because of the loud, pushy, and (8)large size of the crowd.

• NO CHANGE

• large crowd.

• crowd that was large.

• having a large crowd.

Multiple Choice

On the flight, we (9)were reading books, watched movies, and listened to music.

• NO CHANGE

• read books,

• decided to read books,

• had books to read,

Multiple Choice

As students and (10)we were clueless tourists, we walked aimlessly through the streets with giant backpacks.

• NO CHANGE

• as well

• being

• as

Multiple Choice

We found a car rental place and chose a Volkswagen Beetle that was inexpensive to rent and (11)easily driven.

• NO CHANGE

• easy to drive.

• driven easily.

• was easily driven.

Multiple Choice

It was perfect for taking us through the streets of Paris and (12)to show us the popular tourist sites.

• NO CHANGE

• showed us

• showing us

• the showing of

Multiple Choice

Today, the city is known for its coffee culture and (13)for its fashion boutiques.

• NO CHANGE

• having fashion boutiques.

• with its fashion boutiques.

• it has fashion boutiques.

Multiple Choice

It didn’t take long for us to realize there was no way we could see everything in just a few hours, so we just toured the usual tourist attractions like the Louvre, the Eiffel tower, and (14)we went to the Arc de Triomphe.

• NO CHANGE

• the landmark called the Arc de Triomphe

• such as the Arc de Triomphe

• the Arc de Triomphe

Multiple Choice

By having a budget and (15)we stuck to it, we had enough money to try a three star Michelin restaurant afterwards!

• NO CHANGE

• stuck to it,

• having it stick,

• sticking to it,

You did it!

Parallelism Schmellism