SYNTAX AND PARALLEL STRUCTURE Mini Lesson Syntax Parallel

SYNTAX AND PARALLEL STRUCTURE Mini Lesson

Syntax? Parallel Structure? ■ Syntax is the construction of sentences (Think of the writer as the builder or designer). ■ We can think of syntax as the rhythm of prose (How do you want your writing to sound? ) You can create that sound and effect by the way you design and order your words! SYNTAX ■ Syntax refers, in general, to the order of words in a sentence that results in various sentence types used for a variety of rhetorical effects. TYPES OF SENTENCES YOU CAN BUILD AND DESIGN INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, : GRAMMATICAL INVERTED/UNPARALLEL SENENCE TYPES USUAL STRUCTURE SYNTAX -simple -compound -complex -compoundcomplex A parallel sentence (sometimes called a balanced sentence) contains parts of equal grammatical structure. An unusual word order Ex: Stephen ate a blueberry muffin. A blueberry muffin Stephen ate.

Syntax and Parallel Structure Mini Lesson (Words) What is parallel structure? ■ A sentence has parallel structure when related ideas are expressed in the same grammatical form or pattern. – Effective use of parallelism adds rhythm, momentum, and balance to your writing and strengthens connections among your ideas. Define parallel: very similar and often happening at the same time

How can I create parallel structure using words? You can create parallel structure in writing when you use the same grammatical form when using the following types of words: ■ Nouns ■ Verbs ■ Adjectives ■ Adverbs ■ Gerunds Sample parallel forms: ■ sharp eyes, strong hands, deft fingers ■ to ask, to learn, to share ■ very supportive, extremely kind, and totally understanding ■ quickly, effectively, diligently ■ playing soccer, reading comics, lifting weights

A noun names a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns may name general or specific things. • A common noun is the general name of a person, place thing or idea. • A proper noun is the name of a particular person, place, thing or idea. A proper noun always begins with a capital letter. Parallel Structure: Nouns Example: On Fridays, the cafeteria serves roasted vegetables, turkey burgers, and fruit salad.

■ A concrete noun names something you can see or touch. Examples: author, village, book, horse, saddle ■ An abstract noun names something that cannot be seen or touched, such as an idea, emotion, quality, or condition. Examples: cleverness, joy, fear, wisdom, humor Parallel Structure: Nouns (cont’d) Concrete nouns I have a book, a pencil, and a binder. Abstract nouns Her wisdom, cleverness, and humor keeps her ahead of the

Parallel Structure: Nouns

Nouns ■ Not Parallel Structure – He was a hoarder, a chef, and handsome. ■ Parallel Structure – He was a hoarder, a chef, and a model.

Parallel Structure: Verbs A verb is a word that shows an action or state of being. A verb is a "doing" word. A verb can express: ■ A physical action (e. g. , to swim, to write, to climb). ■ A mental action (e. g. , to think, to guess, to consider). ■ A state of being (e. g. , to be, to exist, to appear). Example: I ran, I jumped, I skipped

Verbs ■ Not Parallel Structure – Coach Taylor told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, eat a good breakfast, arrive early, and to do warm up exercises before the game. ■ Parallel Structure – Coach Taylor told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, eat a good breakfast, arrive early, and do warm up exercises before the game.

Parallel Structure: Adjectives Example: An adjective is a word that modifies, or describes, a noun or pronoun. Hailey was not only creative and smart, but she was also hardworking. Note: Also notice the correlative conjunctions that are used to join sentence parts: not only/but also (pronunciation: ke-relative)

Adjectives ■ Not Parallel Structure – Hailey was not only creative and smart, but she also worked very hard. ■ Parallel Structure – Hailey was not only creative and smart, but she was also hardworking.

Which one is an example of parallel structure and which one is faulty? Explain.

Adverbs ■ Not Parallel Structure – I outlined the letters slowly and with care. ■ Parallel Structure – I outlined the letters slowly and carefully.

Parallel Structure: Gerunds are words that are formed with verbs but act as nouns. ■ They’re very easy to spot, since every gerund is a verb with ing tacked to its tail. ■ To find gerunds in sentences, just look for a verb +ing that is used as a noun. Example: He enjoys playing soccer, reading comics, and lifting weights.

Gerunds ■ Not Parallel Structure – He enjoys eating spaghetti, slurping soup, and chewing. ■ Parallel Structure – He enjoys eating spaghetti, slurping soup, and chewing bread.

Now you try!