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Faulty Parallelism Corrected Version

This document discusses the importance of parallel construction in writing. It provides examples of non-parallel constructions and rewrites them in a parallel form for improved clarity and readability. Specifically, it notes that writers should use consistent grammatical structures when comparing items in a list or series, and when using correlative expressions like "both...and". Maintaining parallel construction avoids giving the impression that the writer is uncertain and helps the reader easily understand the intended meaning.

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rashahmdy
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23 views2 pages

Faulty Parallelism Corrected Version

This document discusses the importance of parallel construction in writing. It provides examples of non-parallel constructions and rewrites them in a parallel form for improved clarity and readability. Specifically, it notes that writers should use consistent grammatical structures when comparing items in a list or series, and when using correlative expressions like "both...and". Maintaining parallel construction avoids giving the impression that the writer is uncertain and helps the reader easily understand the intended meaning.

Uploaded by

rashahmdy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Unskillfulwritersoftenviolatethisprinciple,fromamistakenbeliefthatthey

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fromthis,writersshouldfollowcarefullytheprincipleofparallelconstruction.
Faulty Parallelism

Corrected Version

Formerly, science was taught by


the textbook method, while now
the laboratory method is
employed.

Formerly, science was taught by


the textbook method; now it is
taught by the laboratory method.

Thelefthandversiongivestheimpressionthatthewriterisundecidedortimid;he
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versionshowsthatthewriterhasatleastmadehischoiceandabidedbyit.
Bythisprinciple,anarticleoraprepositionapplyingtoallthemembersofa
seriesmusteitherbeusedonlybeforethefirsttermorelseberepeatedbeforeeach
term.
Faulty Parallelism

Corrected Version

The French, the Italians,


Spanish, and Portuguese

The French, the Italians, the


Spanish, and the Portuguese

In spring, summer, or in winter

In spring, summer, or winter (In


spring, in summer, or in winter)

Correlativeexpressions(both,and;not,but;notonly,butalso;either,or;first,
second,third;andthelike)shouldbefollowedbythesamegrammaticalconstruction.
Manyviolationsofthisrulecanbecorrectedbyrearrangingthesentence.
Faulty Parallelism

Corrected Version

It was both a long ceremony and


very tedious.

The ceremony was both long and


tedious.

A time not for words, but action

A time not for words, but for

action
Either you must grant his request You must either grant his request
or incur his ill will.
or incur his ill will.
My objections are, first, the
My objections are, first, that the
injustice of the measure; second, measure is unjust; second, that it
that it is unconstitutional.
is unconstitutional.

Whenmakingcomparisons,thethingsyoucompareshouldbecouchedin
parallelstructureswheneverthatispossibleandappropriate.
Faulty Parallelism

Corrected Version

My income is smaller than my


wife.

My income is smaller than my


wife's.

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