Parallel Structures
Parallel Structures are like the rhythm of a well-composed symphony—when they work, everything flows smoothly. They make your sentences clear, consistent, and pleasing to read or hear. It’s like having a uniform beat in a song where each part plays in harmony. Let’s dive into how to use them effectively in a fun, mature, and interesting way!
What is Parallel Structure?
Parallel structure, also known as parallelism, refers to the grammatical or rhetorical framing of words, phrases, or clauses that have the same structure. In simpler terms: it's when you use the same pattern to show that ideas are equal in importance or related in meaning.
Why Should We Use Parallel Structure?
Clarity: It keeps your sentences clear and easy to follow. You’re helping the reader or listener connect related ideas easily.
Emphasis: It draws attention to the ideas you're presenting, making your argument or description more compelling.
Elegance: It makes your writing sound more polished and well-organized—like a carefully crafted piece of art.
Where Do We Use Parallel Structure?
You can apply parallel structure in many different areas, but it’s particularly common with:
Lists of items
Correlative conjunctions (e.g., "either...or," "not only...but also")
Comparisons (e.g., "as...as," "more...than")
How Does Parallel Structure Work?
To make a sentence parallel, all the elements in a list, comparison, or pair should share the same grammatical form. Let's break it down:
1. In Lists
When you list things, ensure that each item in the list follows the same structure. If you start with a noun, keep using nouns; if you start with verbs, stick with verbs. Otherwise, your sentence will feel a bit disjointed, like a mismatched puzzle.
Example (incorrect):
"She likes swimming, to jog, and playing tennis."
This sentence feels a little off because "swimming" (a gerund), "to jog" (an infinitive), and "playing" (a gerund) don’t match in form.
Example (correct):
"She likes swimming, jogging, and playing tennis."
Here, all three activities are in the same form (gerunds), so the sentence flows smoothly.
2. With Correlative Conjunctions
When using pairs of words like "either...or," "not only...but also," "both...and," etc., make sure that both parts of the pair are parallel.
Example (incorrect):
"You can either go to the movies or watching a play."
This one is a bit awkward because “go” (verb) doesn’t match with “watching” (gerund).
Example (correct):
"You can either go to the movies or watch a play."
Now both verbs—“go” and “watch”—are in parallel form, making the sentence smooth and clear.
3. With Comparisons
When comparing things using "as...as," "more...than," or "less...than," the things being compared should be in parallel structure.
Example (incorrect):
"She is more talented than being hardworking."
This comparison is a little awkward because it compares "talented" (an adjective) with "being hardworking" (a gerund phrase).
Example (correct):
"She is more talented than hardworking."
Now both elements being compared are adjectives, so they match perfectly.
A Little Trick to Spot Parallelism:
If you can switch the items in the list, pair, or comparison and the sentence still makes sense, you’ve probably got parallel structure!
For instance, in this sentence:
“She likes to swim, to run, and to read,”
You can rearrange the items:“She likes to read, to run, and to swim.”
It still sounds great! That's parallel structure at work.
Summary:
Parallel structures make your writing or speaking easier to understand, more engaging, and more persuasive. Whether you’re writing a persuasive essay, crafting a story, or giving a presentation, parallelism helps you present ideas clearly and effectively. It’s one of those small changes that can have a huge impact on how your ideas come across—so don’t forget to keep those elements in balance!
Try to spot parallel structures in books, articles, or speeches and you’ll quickly notice how often they appear. It's like finding a secret pattern that makes everything more elegant and coherent.
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