Parallel Structure in the English language
Parallelism (often known as parallel structure) uses a similar grammatical form in two or more parts of a phrase in English grammar.
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Nonparallel structure |
Parallel structure |
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I like to jog, cook, sing and play video games. |
I like to jog, cook, sing and play video games. I like jogging, cooking, singing and playing video games. |
Using a parallel structure allows you to avoid making grammatical errors and enhances your writing style. Though the lack of parallelism may not always be wrong, parallel sentences are simpler to read and give your work a feeling of balance.
In sentences with components that appear in a sequence or pair, parallel structure is mainly utilised. However, it’s also used in academic writing for headers and summaries.
Using parallel structure in a series
If the significance of the items in a sequence is equal, use parallel construction. For example, commas or semicolons and “and” or “or” are commonly used to connect these components.
Parallel words
It is important to group similar parts of speech together on a word level, like nouns with other nouns, adjectives with other adjectives, etc.
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Nonparallel structure |
Parallel Structure |
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The boss is looking to hire a secretary who is flexible, open, and on time at work. |
The boss is looking to hire a secretary who would be flexible, open and punctual. |
Mixing forms in a succession of verbs is not a good idea. For example, the parallel structure is broken if an infinitive (i.e., a verb that starts with to) is combined with a gerund (i.e., a form of the verb that ends in -ing).
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Nonparallel structure |
Parallel structure |
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The students in the class learned to speak, persuade and work collaboratively to finish their group projects. |
The students in the class learned to speak, persuade and work collaboratively to finish their group projects.
The students in the class learned about speaking, negotiating and working collaboratively for their group project. |
Parallel sentences
If you are looking to balance a string of sentences with the same grammatical structure, utilise parallel structure.
Combining noun and verb sentences, for instance, is a no-no.
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Nonparallel sentence |
Parallel sentence |
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The new drug exhibits nausea, dizziness, and loss of sleep. |
The new drug exhibits symptoms of nausea, dizziness, and insomnia. |
Like a series of verb sentences, a series of verbs should employ a parallel structure. For example, do not combine sentences with infinitives and sentences with -ing verbs.
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Nonparallel sentence |
Parallel sentence |
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The main responsibilities include answering calls, entering data and conducting visitor surveys. |
The main responsibilities include answering calls, entering data and conducting visitor surveys. |
Parallel clauses
A succession of clauses in a sentence can also be considered parallelism.
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Nonparallel structure |
Parallel structure |
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The teacher complained that the child often disturbed the class, that he fought with his classmates and never submitted his assignments on time. |
The teacher complained that the child often disturbed the class, fought with his classmates, and he never submitted his assignment on time.
The teacher complained that the child often disturbed the class, fought with his classmates and never submitted his assignments on time. |
Lists following a colon
Parallel components should always be present in a list followed by a colon.
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Nonparallel structure |
Parallel structure |
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Leading environmentalists have attributed climate change to several key factors: greenhouse gases, the decline in forest cover, and vehicles. |
Leading environmentalists have attributed climate change to several key factors: the increase of greenhouse gases, the decline in forest cover and the increase in vehicles.
Leading environmentalists have attributed climate change to several key factors: greenhouse gases, low forest cover and increased vehicles. |
Parallel construction in pairs
When a sentence has two related concepts, use parallel construction.
Coordination conjunctions, such as “and”, “nor”, “but”, “or”, and “yet”, can be used to link pairs.
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Nonparallel structure |
Parallel structure |
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He prepared to gather information using either an online questionnaire or interviews over the phone. |
He prepared to gather information using either an online questionnaire or interviews over the phone.
He prepared to gather information through either an online questionnaire or an over the phone survey. |
Whenever correlated conjunction connects two concepts, like ” but also “, ” not only “, “either…or”, or “neither…nor”, use parallel structure.
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Nonparallel structure |
Parallel structure |
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He argues that the differences in the styles of the two artists were not only defined by their rivalry but also due to the patrons’ liking. |
He argues that the differences in styles of the two artists were not only defined by their rivalry but also by the liking of the patrons. |
A similar condition applies to combinations joined by comparative terms like “than”, “over”, or “as”.
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Nonparallel structure |
Parallel structure |
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He looks forward to movie nights at home rather than weekend parties. |
He looks forward to movie nights at his home than weekend parties.
He looks forward to spending movie nights at home over going to weekend parties. |
Headings and summaries
Parallel headings should be used to split a document into sections. Similarly, components in paper summaries should have a parallel structure.
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Nonparallel structure |
Parallel structure |
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The roots of Ayurveda Initial impression Rising industries in the 20th century Recent discoveries reveal a lack of evidence |
The roots of Ayurveda Initial impression Rise of industries in the 20th century Lack of evidence in recent discoveries |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is meant by parallel structure in English?
In English grammar, parallel structure refers to a similar grammatical form in two or more sentence sections.
Why should we use a parallel structure?
Having a parallel structure to your language helps avoid grammatical mistakes and improve your writing.
Where is a parallel structure used?
Parallel structure is generally used in sentences that contain elements in a pair or series.
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