Lesson on Parallelism

​PARALLEL STRUCTURE

OR PARALLELISM

​-means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more words or ides are of equal importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level. The usual way to join parallel structures is with the use of coordinating conjunctions such as “AND” or “OR”.

With the -ing form (gerund) or words

A gerund is the -ing form of the verb used as a subject, or object in a sentence.

·         Claire likes shopping, attending parties, and taking a nap in the afternoon.

·         He enjoys playing basketball, reading anime comics, and watching K-drama.

With infinitive phrases

An INFINITIVE looks likes a verb but it begins with “to” and it functions as a noun.

·         There was no opportunity to explain my situation, to settle things, and to ask for forgiveness.

With Adverbs

An adverb is a word that modifies (describes) a verb, and adjective, another adverb, or even a whole sentence.

·         Students were asked to do their assignments quickly, accurately, and thoroughly.

·         My brother approached me slowly and silently.

Clauses

A parallel structure that begins with CLAUSES must keep on with clauses.

Changing to another pattern or changing the voice of the verb (from active to passive or vice versa) will break the parallelism.

·         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 exercise before the game.

·         The salesman expected that he would present his product at the meeting, that he would have time to show his slide presentation.

​To achieve parallelism, there must be the same grammatical structure among the elements in your sentences. Simple uses of parallelism create readable and understandable passages. Sentences are best understood when structured in a grammatically parallel fashion.

Maintaining parallel structures helps you avoid grammatically incorrect sentences and improves your writing style and add sense of balance to your writing.

1.    How can you say that a sentence has a parallel structure?

2.    Why do we need to use parallel structure in the sentence?

3.    When do we use parallelism?

4.    Is it important to have parallel structure in your sentence?

Group 1. Draw something that would describe the importance of the use of parallelism.

Group 2. Have a simple conversation using parallelism.

Group 3. Write a short poem in any topics using parallelism. 

Directions: Use parallel structures in constructing correct word or phrase to make the sentence complete. Guide words is given before the number.

E.g. (correct) Romeo answered the test quickly, thoroughly and ­­­­­­­­­­­­___________ .

Answer: correctly

(convince) 1. Politicians are good in motivating, captivating and _______   people. 

(die) 2. To love, to care, and ____________ for our country is nationalism.

(respect) 3. Filipinos are hospitable, responsible and _____________ people.

(wise) 4. We must vote honestly, correctly and   ____________.

(educate) 5. Social media informs, instructs and    ____________   people. 

(thought) 6. The girl is beautiful, respectful and  _______.                       . 

(eat)        7. He will either be playing, ________, or sleeping.

(exercise) 8. Ria likes dancing, jogging, and ___________   in her free time. 

(soft)      9. He talks sweetly, ___________ and fluently.

(chat)      10. Amy loves ____________online friends, playing online games and watching YouTube videos. 

ASSIGNMENT

Read the following sentences. Then, decide whether or not it contains an error in parallel structure. If the sentence has No Error write NE, if the sentence has an Error, write E then underline the word or phrase that ruins the sentence.

1. The house is not only warm but also cozy.

2. She met with her friends and talked to them.

3. Her mother noticed not only her lack of enthusiasm but also her lack of self-confidence.

4. Do you like milk, tea, or coffee?

5. A lot for students have raised their questions and a lot of concerns.

6. My grandmother is a great cook. She can either make you delectable dessert or a sumptuous meal.

7. At the farm, my grandfather raises a lot of animals like chickens, cows, pigs, and several ducks.

8. For our class we bought several school supplies including pen, fastener, stapler and a lot of paper.

9. During summer vacation we not only visited the farm but also the pond.

10. Her garden is full of blooming flowers and colorful butterflies.

THANK YOU!