Parallelism

Definition

Parallel Structure(also called parallelism) is a consistent and repetitive grammatical form within a sentence. It implies that each idea or item in the two or more clauses, phrases, or sentences has a similar form and length.

Why should we use it?

Parallel structure is used as a stylistic grammatical device that improves clarity and creates logical similarity to the writing. It increases the readability of your writing by creating word patterns that readers can follow easily.

When does it happen?

Some writers mix different grammatical structures while writing to make it more compelling and important. Sometimes the fear of being repetitious leads to these awkward inconsistencies. This phenomenon is called faulty parallelism or parallel structure error. The mix breaks the rhythm of parallel structure.

How to use it?

The best way to make your writing more concise, clear, and memorable is to pay attention to sentence parallelism.

• In the following sentence, the use of gerunds “running” and “biking” are mixed with the infinitive “to swim”.

Original - I like running, swimming and to hike.

A better choice, then, is to use three gerunds in a series.

Revision 1 - I like running, swimming and hiking.

Another option is to use three infinitives in a series.

Revision 2 - I like to run, to swim and to hike.

• Let’s look at an example of a more complex sentence.

Original - My teacher asked me to write my report quickly, in way that is accurate and he also wants plenty of details.

The original phrase “with plenty of details” was changed to “thoroughly” with no change in meaning. The change creates a smooth series of three adverbs ending in –ly. Here is an improved version of the sentence:

Revision - My teacher asked me to write my report quickly, accurately, and thoroughly.

• The following example where “can be done” is used twice is an example which occurs when we use lists or series in a sentence.

Original - This task can be done individually, in pairs, or can be done in groups of four.

The sentence can be corrected as :

Revision - This task can be done individually, in pairs, or in groups of four.

• Like this ,where preposition is used with noun.

Original - In the morning and noon the mail comes.

Which can be corrected as following making the complete phrase with preposition:

Revision - In the morning and at noon the mail comes.

• Another example:

Original - We put new batteries in the toy yet broken.

This happens when we try to mix clauses. This can be improved as:

Revision - We put new batteries in the toy, yet it wasn’t working.