Parallelism There never were since the creation of

Parallelism “There never were, since the creation of the world, two cases exactly parallel. ” – Lord Chesterfield, 1694 – 1773 “Obviously Lord Chesterfield didn’t take Expository Writing. ” – Mrs. Manny Brown, 1974 -

Definition: Parallelism § Parallel structures use a repeating pattern of words to indicate that the words, phrases, or clauses are of the same level of importance. § The most common way to join parallel structures is with a coordinating conjunction like “and” or “or. ”

Parallelism: Words § The Ironman includes swimming, bicycling, and running. § Be sure to bring with you a book, pen, calendar, and binder. § In these sentences, the repeating structure – the parallel element – is in the form of a single word. § Notice the use of the coordinating conjunctions to join the final word to the list.

Parallelism: Phrases § The homebuyers were told to pay the earnest money, to get an inspection, and to talk to their mortgage broker. § Hooked on romance novels, I learned that there is nothing more important than being rich, looking good, and having a good time. § Here, the repeating pattern includes phrases. § Notice that where verbs appear in the parallel structure, they are identical in form, and when gerunds are used, they are consistent throughout the structure.

Parallelism: Clauses § The salesman expected that he would present at the meeting, that there would be time for his slide presentation, and that prospective buyers would ask questions. § In this sentence, the parallel structure includes clauses.

Parallelism: Lists § Abused children commonly exhibit one or more of the following symptoms: withdrawal, rebelliousness, restlessness, and depression. § A thesaurus can be used to find: synonyms, antonyms, connotations, and denotations. § All items that appear in a list after a colon must take the same form.

Parallelism: Items in Pairs § At Lincoln High School, vandalism can result in suspension or expulsion. § Thomas Edison was not only a prolific inventor, but also a successful entrepreneur. § It is easier to speak in abstractions than to ground one’s thoughts in reality. § Each of these sentences uses a different technique to join two items in a parallel pair. § The first sentence uses the coordinating conjunction “or; ” the second uses a correlative conjunction, “not only. . . but also; ” the third uses the preposition “than. ”

Parallelism: Function Words § To stop smoking, many smokers try switching to a brand they find distasteful or to a low tar and nicotine cigarette. § Riley told me that she was late, that she couldn’t be bothered to get a pass, and that I’d just have to deal with it. § Repeat function words to clarify parallels. § Function words could include prepositions like “by” or “to, ” or subordinating conjunctions like “that” or “because. ”

Grammar Girl on Parallelism § The False Series!