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Parallel Structures

Parallel structure, or parallelism, is a grammatical concept that ensures balance and uniformity in sentence construction, enhancing clarity and readability. It involves using consistent grammatical forms in lists, comparisons, and pairs, which can include words, phrases, and clauses. Mastering parallel structure is essential for effective communication and aesthetically pleasing writing.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
28 views4 pages

Parallel Structures

Parallel structure, or parallelism, is a grammatical concept that ensures balance and uniformity in sentence construction, enhancing clarity and readability. It involves using consistent grammatical forms in lists, comparisons, and pairs, which can include words, phrases, and clauses. Mastering parallel structure is essential for effective communication and aesthetically pleasing writing.

Uploaded by

John Ray Cuevas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as RTF, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Parallel structure is a fundamental grammatical concept in English that plays a crucial role in sentence

construction and writing. It is also known as parallelism. Parallel structure refers to the balance and
uniformity of grammatical forms within a sentence, particularly in lists, series, comparisons, and pairs.
When using parallel structure, the elements in a sentence (words, phrases, clauses, or even single items)
are structured in a consistent and symmetrical manner. This consistency not only enhances the
readability and clarity of a sentence but also adds a sense of rhythm and aesthetics to the writing.

Here are some key aspects to understand about parallel structure in English:

1. Purpose of Parallel Structure:

Clarity: Parallel structure helps convey ideas clearly by making sentence elements easy to identify and
understand.

Emphasis: It emphasizes the relationship between items in a list or between parts of a sentence.

Balance: It creates a sense of balance and harmony within a sentence, making it more appealing to
readers.

2. Elements of Parallel Structure:

Words: Parallel words are grammatically similar. For example, in the sentence, "She enjoys hiking,
swimming, and cycling," the parallel words are all verbs.

Phrases: Parallel phrases consist of groups of words that function as a single unit within a sentence. For
example, "He wanted to see the Eiffel Tower, visit the Louvre, and eat croissants in Paris." Here, each
item in the list is a parallel infinitive phrase.

Clauses: Parallel clauses are composed of groups of words with a subject and a predicate. For example,
"She can both sing and dance." Both "sing" and "dance" are parallel clauses.

3. Common Uses of Parallel Structure:

Lists: When creating lists, it's essential to ensure that each item follows the same grammatical structure.
For instance, "I like to read, write, and study" demonstrates parallel structure, as each item in the list is
an infinitive verb.

Comparisons: Parallel structure is essential in comparative sentences, such as "She is not only intelligent
but also creative." In this case, "intelligent" and "creative" are parallel adjectives.

Correlative Conjunctions: Words like "both...and," "either...or," "neither...nor," and "not only...but also"
demand parallel structures on both sides of the conjunction.

Pairs: In pairs, elements must match grammatically. For example, "She was not just a teacher but also a
mentor" uses parallel structure with "just a teacher" and "a mentor."

4. Common Errors:

Mixing grammatical forms in a list, as in "She likes swimming, to read, and hiking." Here, "swimming"
and "hiking" are gerunds, while "to read" is an infinitive, breaking parallelism.

Failing to maintain parallel structure with correlative conjunctions, like "She likes both hiking and
reading." Here, "hiking" and "reading" should have the same grammatical structure.

Inconsistent verb tense, as in "She enjoys hiking, swimming, and will go camping." The verb tense should
be consistent, like "She enjoys hiking, swimming, and camping."

In conclusion, mastering parallel structure is essential for effective communication and clear,
aesthetically pleasing writing in English. By ensuring consistency in grammatical forms within sentences,
writers can make their ideas more accessible and engaging to readers while maintaining a sense of
balance and symmetry in their prose.
explain and give examples to noun clauses, adjective clauses, and adverb clauses

ChatGPT

Certainly! Noun clauses, adjective clauses, and adverb clauses are types of dependent clauses that serve
different grammatical functions within sentences.

1. Noun Clauses:

Definition: A noun clause is a dependent clause that functions as a noun within a sentence. It can act as
the subject, object, or complement of a verb.

Examples:

Subject: "What he said made her cry." (The noun clause "What he said" serves as the subject of the
sentence.)

Object: "She loves that you're here." (The noun clause "that you're here" acts as the direct object of the
verb "loves.")

Complement: "The most important thing is how you treat others." (The noun clause "how you treat
others" serves as the complement of the subject "The most important thing.")

2. Adjective Clauses (Relative Clauses):

Definition: An adjective clause, also known as a relative clause, is a dependent clause that functions to
modify a noun. It provides additional information about the noun it is modifying.
Examples:

Modifying Noun: "The book that is on the shelf is my favorite." (The adjective clause "that is on the
shelf" modifies the noun "book.")

Restrictive Clause: "I like the car that he bought." (The adjective clause "that he bought" is essential to
identify which car is being referred to.)

Non-Restrictive Clause: "My sister, who is a doctor, lives in New York." (The adjective clause "who is a
doctor" provides additional, non-essential information about "my sister.")

3. Adverb Clauses:

Definition: An adverb clause is a dependent clause that functions as an adverb within a sentence. It
provides information about how, when, where, why, or to what extent an action occurs.

Examples:

Modifying Verb (How): "She sings as if she were on stage." (The adverb clause "as if she were on stage"
modifies the verb "sings" and answers the question "how.")

Modifying Verb (When): "He left before the storm arrived." (The adverb clause "before the storm
arrived" modifies the verb "left" and answers the question "when.")

Modifying Verb (Why): "She studied hard because she wanted to pass the exam." (The adverb clause
"because she wanted to pass the exam" modifies the verb "studied" and answers the question "why.")

Modifying Verb (To What Extent): "He runs so fast that no one can catch him." (The adverb clause "so
fast that no one can catch him" modifies the verb "runs" and answers the question "to what extent.")

Modifying Adjective (Where): "The park where we had a picnic is beautiful." (The adverb clause "where
we had a picnic" modifies the adjective "beautiful" and answers the question "where.")

In summary, noun clauses function as nouns, adjective clauses modify nouns, and adverb clauses modify
verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Understanding and using these types of dependent clauses correctly
can add depth and specificity to your writing and help convey more complex ideas.

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