Faulty Parallelism

Faulty Parallelism

What is Parallelism?

Parallelism means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more elements in the sentence have the same level of importance.

Faulty Parallelism

In general, ideas that are parallel in meaning, such as elements of a series, should be expressed using parallel (matching) grammatical forms.

Examples:

Writers must also use parallel grammatical forms in lists featuring nouns, prepositions, andother parts of speech. Phrases, including modifiers, should also be parallel.

Examples:

TIP!💡👀

Multiple Choice

Critics acclaimed the actor's ability to sing, perform with feeling, and interpreting his character.

• interpreting his character

• to be interpreting

• interpreted his characterr

• interpret his character

Multiple Choice

By night, he protected the city and saved residents as a vigilante superhero; at daybreak, he took pictures for a local paper.

• at daybreak

• in the daytime

• by day

• during the day

Multiple Choice

The report filed after the incident mentioned the initial altercation, described the injuries sustained by both students, and briefly outlined other students' accounts of the incident.

• briefly outlined other students'

  accounts of the incident

• other students' accounts of the

  incident were briefly outlined

• briefly outlining other students'

  accounts of the incident

• briefly outline other students'

  accounts of the incident

Multiple Choice

The formation of badlands is the result of deposition and erosion, the first the accumulation, over time, of layers of mineral material and the second the sedentary material subsequently erodes.

• material and the second the

  sedentary material subsequently

  erodes

• material and the second the

  subsequent erosion of the

  sedentary material

• material then the subsequent

  erosion of the sedentary material

• material, then the subsequently

  eroding sedentary material