Parallel Structures

Lesson Created with all my love 4 U

by Alan Cárdenas

​Look at the following sentences:

​She spends her leisure time hiking, camping and fishing.

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​He changed the oil, checked the tire pressure, and filled the tank with gas.

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​Nancy plans to either study medicine or major biology.

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​Nancy plans to study either medicine or biology.

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​FOCUS ON THE WORDS IN ITALICS, WHAT CAN YOU OBSERVE FROM THEM?

​BASICALLY:

​1. Gerunds working as nouns.

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​2. They are main verbs

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​3. They are infinitives.

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​4. They are both bouns.

Multiple Choice

What topic are we talking about?

• Lexical settings

• Synonymy

• Parallel structures

• Semantic fields

​What are Parallel Strucutres?

​Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance.

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​They have the same grammatical form and functions

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​The usual way to join parallel structures is with the use of coordinating conjunctions such as "and" or "or."

​Some common patterns:

​With the -ing form (gerund) of words:

Parallel:

Mary likes hiking, swimming, and bicycling.

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​With infinitive phrases:

Parallel:

Mary likes to hike, to swim, and to ride a bicycle. OR Mary likes to hike, swim, and ride a bicycle.

​DO NOT MIX STRUCUTRES!

​Not Parallel: Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle.

Parallel: Mary likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bicycle.

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​Not Parallel: The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and in a detailed manner.

Parallel: The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and thoroughly.

Multiple Choice

San Francisco has a pleasant climate, ________, and many fascinating neighborhoods.

• exciting scenery

• has exciting scenery

• that the scenery is exciting

• the scenery is exciting

​This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level.

​Not Parallel: The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and to do some warm-up exercises before the game.

Parallel: The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and that they should do some warm-up exercises before the game.

— or —

Parallel: The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, not eat too much, and do some warm-up exercises before the game.

​Let's Practice a little bit

​Are you ready?

Poll

Insects provide many beneficial services, such as ____, breaking down deadwood, and pollinating plants.

• they condition soils

• to conditions soil

• conditioning the soil

• soil conditioned

Multiple Choice

Frozen orange juice must be packed, ____, and stored when the fruit is ripe.

• be frozen

• must be frozen

• frozen

• it must be frozen

Multiple Choice

Sioux is a North American Indian Language that is spoken not only _____ the Sioux but also by the Crow and Osage tribes.

• by the

• the

• do the

• and the

Multiple Choice

in 1900 electrically powered cars were more popular than gasoline powered cars because they were quiet, operated smoothly, and _____

• handled easily

• ease of handling

• handling easily

• easy to handle

Multiple Choice

Roger Williams was a clergyman, ______ the colony of Rhode Island, and an outspoken advocate of religious and political freedom.

• founded

• the founder of

• was the founder of

• he founded

Multiple Choice

Paint can be applied to a surface with rollers, ____, or spray guns.

• brushes

• brushes can be used

• with brushes

• by brush

Multiple Choice

The use of Labor-saving devices in homes, _______, and factories added to the amount of leisure time people had.

• at an office

• used in offices

• offices

• in offices

Multiple Choice

A dulcimer can be played by either striking its strings with a hammer or ____.

• to pluck them with the fingers

• fingers are used to pluck them

• they are plucked with the fingers

• plucking them with the fingers

Multiple Choice

Throughout history, trade routes have increased contact between people, ____, and greatly affected the grow of civilization.

• have resulted in an exchange of ideas

• an exchange of ideas has resulted

• resulted in an exchange of ideas

• resulting in an exchange of ideas

Multiple Choice

Walt Disney made many technical advances in the use of sound, color, and ___ animated films

• photographing

• using photography

• fotography

• use of fotographs

Multiple Choice

Artist Paul Kane traveled throughout Northwest Canada on foot, by canoe, and ____ to sketch Native Canadians going about their ordinary lives.

• on horseback

• riding a horse

• horseback

• by a horse

Multiple Choice

Barbara Jordan was the firstr woman in the south to win an election to the house of representatives, _____ as a congresswoman from Texas from 1973 to 1979.

• to serve

• served

• serving

• has served

Multiple Choice

Photographers' choice of a camera depends on what kind of pictures they want to take, how much control they want over pxposure, and _____ they want to spend

• the amount of money

• what money

• how much money

• so much money

Multiple Choice

Atlanta is the commercial, financial, and ____ of Georgia.

• center of administrations

• administrative center

• center of administering

• administering center

Multiple Choice

Even after the Revolutionary War, American importers obtained merchandise from Britain because British merchants understood American tastes, offered attractive prices, and _____.

• easy credit was provided

• because of easy credit

• ewasy credit

• provided easy credit