Vocabulary
Parallel Structure- also known as parallelism, parallel structure is the repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence.
Examples: Rachel likes to dance, take part in martial arts, and eat calamari.
Isaac enjoys walking, eating some food, and studying in the afternoons.
Most Americans like to watch sports, do some work, and play sports.
Now you may have or haven't noticed that there was a pattern in these parallel structures. The first sentence contains only one type of verb. It has dance, take, and eat. These are all regular verbs. Now if you put dancing, eat, and take in those sentences, it wouldn't be parallel. You can flip the order around in the sentence and the verbs will still be the same in a real parallel structure.
Correct: I can swim, eat, and fly. I can fly, swim, and eat.
Incorrect: Peter took his girlfriend dancing, to the movies, and to go bowling. Peter took his girlfriend to go bowling, to the movies, and dancing.
Time To Practice
Parallel Structure, or Not?
Please correct the sentence to make it a parallel structure if there is anything to change.
Parallel Structure- also known as parallelism, parallel structure is the repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence.
Examples: Rachel likes to dance, take part in martial arts, and eat calamari.
Isaac enjoys walking, eating some food, and studying in the afternoons.
Most Americans like to watch sports, do some work, and play sports.
Now you may have or haven't noticed that there was a pattern in these parallel structures. The first sentence contains only one type of verb. It has dance, take, and eat. These are all regular verbs. Now if you put dancing, eat, and take in those sentences, it wouldn't be parallel. You can flip the order around in the sentence and the verbs will still be the same in a real parallel structure.
Correct: I can swim, eat, and fly. I can fly, swim, and eat.
Incorrect: Peter took his girlfriend dancing, to the movies, and to go bowling. Peter took his girlfriend to go bowling, to the movies, and dancing.
Time To Practice
Parallel Structure, or Not?
- I like to dance, go swimming, and go eating with my friends.
- I like to shop, play games with my friends, and do well in school.
- John wants to fly, swim, and jump.
- Penny took her friends shopping, to eat, and to hang out.
- Joshua completed his work, turned it in, and started to read.
Please correct the sentence to make it a parallel structure if there is anything to change.
- Isaac drenched himself with water, washed himself with soap, and drying himself with a towel.
- My father likes to bowl, read, and listen to music.
- Billy went swimming, fishing, and canoed in the lake.
- The script writer was to write a script accurately, swiftly, and quick.
- I like to run, play baseball, and read.
practice_answers.docx | |
File Size: | 13 kb |
File Type: | docx |
What Time Is It?
It's Quiz Time!!!
Please Fill in the Blank to make the sentence a parallel structure.
a. swim
b. swam
c. swimming
d. potato
2. Kevin danced, joked, and ____________ today.
a. laugh
b. laughing
c. laughs
d. laughed
3. Timothy was told to write an essay accurately, quickly, and ______________.
a. strategic
b. strategically
c. strategy
d. All of the Above
4. Phillip always messed around, sneezed a lot, and __________ over his shoes a lot.
a. trip
b. trips
c. tripped
d. tripping
5. Jonas went swimming, canoeing, and ___________.
a. water jet ski
b. water jet skied
c. water jet skis
d. none of the above
Are These Parallel Structures?
1. I want to play, read, and exercise.
2. We went skiing, jump-roping, and mountain climbing.
3. I want to describe this accurately, precisely, and with confidence.
4. Jonas was selected, trained, and respected.
5. I want to eat pie.
It's Quiz Time!!!
Please Fill in the Blank to make the sentence a parallel structure.
- I like to dance, _________, and play.
a. swim
b. swam
c. swimming
d. potato
2. Kevin danced, joked, and ____________ today.
a. laugh
b. laughing
c. laughs
d. laughed
3. Timothy was told to write an essay accurately, quickly, and ______________.
a. strategic
b. strategically
c. strategy
d. All of the Above
4. Phillip always messed around, sneezed a lot, and __________ over his shoes a lot.
a. trip
b. trips
c. tripped
d. tripping
5. Jonas went swimming, canoeing, and ___________.
a. water jet ski
b. water jet skied
c. water jet skis
d. none of the above
Are These Parallel Structures?
1. I want to play, read, and exercise.
2. We went skiing, jump-roping, and mountain climbing.
3. I want to describe this accurately, precisely, and with confidence.
4. Jonas was selected, trained, and respected.
5. I want to eat pie.
quiz_answers.docx | |
File Size: | 12 kb |
File Type: | docx |