Parallel Grammar

Parallel Structure

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Parallel Structure Definition

Parallel structure (also called parallelism) is the repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence.

By making each compared item or idea in your sentence follow the same grammatical pattern, you create a parallel construction.

For example, using the same preposition, pronouns, verbs within the sentence. 

Examples of Parallelism:

• Ashley likes to ski, to swim and to jump.

• The following activities can be done at the mall: buying groceries, eating lunch and paying bills.

• The teacher told them that they need to study and that they should practice their words every night.

Multiple Choice

Parallel Structure or Parallelism is...

• a repeated grammatical pattern

• joins two complete sentences together

• when two things happen at the same time

• how you write the Declaration of Independence

Multiple Choice

Parallel structure creates patterns that are easy to follow so the reader understand the main idea.

• true

• false

Multiple Choice

Replace the underlined portion of the sentence with a choice that creates a parallel structure.

Learning a new language as an adult is more difficult than to learn one as a child.

• learning

• to learning

• learned

• no change

Multiple Choice

Read this sentence.

The customer service representative was asked to deal with customers kindly, professionally, and in a helpful manner.

In this sentence, how is kindly, professionally, and in a helpful correctly written?

• as it is

• kindly, professionally, and helpfully.

• kindly, to be professional, and helpful.

• customers kindly, to be professional, and to be helpful.

Multiple Choice

Which example shows correct parallel structure?

• Recommended exercise includes to run, to swim, and cycling.

• Recommended exercise includes running, swimming, and cycling.

• Recommended exercise includes running, swimming, and to cycle.

• Recommended exercise includes running, to swim, and cycling.

Multiple Choice

Correct this sentence: Like father, similar son.

• Like father, like son.

• Fathers and like son.

• Fathers and sons are alike.

Multiple Choice

Correct this sentence: Martha likes to swim, skiing, and to dance.

• Martha likes to swim, to ski, and to dance.

• Martha likes to swimming, to skiing, and to dancing.

• Martha likes to swim, skiing, and to sing.