Parallel Structure Practice

Parallel Structure Practice

by Tiana Mccowan

​Directions

​Read the sentence and choose the best answer. You will tell me if it is parallel or not parallel.

Multiple Choice

Lionel likes swimming, rock climbing, and to play video games.

• Parallel

• Not Parallel

Multiple Choice

The gardener weeded, mulched, and staked the young tomato plants.

• Not Parallel

• Parallel

Multiple Choice

Tomorrow, I’ll walk the dog, wash the car, and take the kids to the movies.

• Not Parallel

• Parallel

​Directions

Choose the best answer to each question.

Multiple Choice

How should this sentence be changed?

The day was sunny, warm, and there was a breeze.

• Add and after sunny

• Change The day to It

• Replace there was a breeze with breezy

• No change needs to be made to this sentence

​Explanation

Sunny and warm are adjectives that form a list of elements. Replacing there was a breeze with the adjective breezy creates parallel structure and correctly completes the list.

Multiple Choice

How should this sentence be changed?

Ms. McCarty is teaching driver’s ed, works at the library, and coaches the girls’ soccer team.

• Delete the word is

• Change is teaching to teaches

• Change coaches to is coaching

• No change needs to be made to this sentence

​Explanation

​This change aligns the first verb with the two other verbs in this sentence.

Multiple Choice

How should this sentence be changed?

Henry needed a job after school to make money to buy a new bike, pay back a loan from his parents, and save for college.

• Change needed to needs.

• Insert to before both pay and save

• Delete to after school

• No change needs to be made to this sentence

​Explanation

​The consistent usage of the verbs buy, pay, and save establishes a parallel structure in this sentence.

​Directions

​Read the sample sentence provided. In the box, rewrite the sentence so it has parallel structure. Here is an example below.

​Sample Sentence

Last summer at the lake, Jermaine went waterskiing, windsurfing, and he rented a sailboat.

​Correct Sentence

​Last summer at the lake, Jermaine went waterskiing, windsurfing, and sailing.

Open Ended

Margot overslept, missed the bus, and late to school.

​Correct Answer

​Margot overslept, missed the bus, and was late to school.

Open Ended

Both candy and eating fatty foods can be bad for your health.

​Correct Answer

​Both candy and fatty foods can be bad for your health.

Open Ended

The store sold light bulbs and also had flashlights and batteries.

​Correct Answer

​The store sold light bulbs, flashlights, and batteries.

Open Ended

The gym offered classes in yoga, aerobics, and you could learn how to kickbox.

​Correct Answer

​The gym offered classes in yoga, aerobics, and kickboxing.