Parallel Structure

When Delores realized that her father had made lima beans and rice for dinner, she __________, claimed to feel nauseous, and excused herself from the table. The bag of stale popcorn in her room would tide her over until breakfast.

• clutched her stomach

• was clutching her stomach

• did clutch her stomach

Not only did Hank despise the way June chewed with her mouth open, _________ finding her wet towels all over the bathroom floor.

• but also disliked

• but also disliking

• but he also disliked

To protect her delicate hands, Fran will not rake the yard, do the dishes, or __________.

• refuses to scrub the bathtub

• won't scrub the bathtub

• scrub the bathtub

When Diane takes her beagle for a walk, Santana enjoys sniffing for edible garbage, __________, and lunging at squirrels.

• howls at bicyclists

• howling at bicyclists

• she howls at bicyclists

After Amanda cashes her paycheck, the money goes to her savings account, cappuccino fund, and __________.

• paying her credit card bill

• toward her credit card balance

• credit card balance

In preparation for her run, Alicia __________, applied sunscreen, and increased the volume on her iPod.

• tightened her shoelaces

• was tightening her shoelaces

• did tighten her shoelaces

We searched the car trunk, __________, and the top of the refrigerator, but we could not find the box of cornflakes that we remember buying.

• looked on the pantry shelves

• on the pantry shelves

• the pantry shelves

Bonkers, our ninety pound golden retriever, chews on furniture, __________, and snots up the car windows—inconveniences we didn't anticipate when we adopted him.

• would drag us around the neighborhood during walks

• he drags us around the neighborhood during walks

• drags us around the neighborhood during walks

Belinda saw very little of the horror movie, for she shut her eyes __________, when she heard the monster's footsteps in the dead leaves, and when characters started screaming.

• when the violins began to play

• while listening to the violins play

• during the violin music

In Mrs. Curall's office, Ruben feigned the flu. He hoped to be excused from class, get an extension on his paper, and __________.

• spend the afternoon playing tennis with his friends

• to spend the afternoon playing tennis with his friends

• then to spend the afternoon playing tennis with his friends