Parallelism
The balance between two or more similar words,
phrases or clauses is called parallelism in
grammar. Parallelism is also called parallel
structure or parallel construction. Parallel
construction prevents awkwardness, promotes
clarity and improves writing style and readability.
In grammar, parallelism, also known as parallel
structure or parallel construction, is a balance
within one or more sentences of similar phrases or
clauses that have the same grammatical structure.
The application of parallelism improves writing
style and readability, and is thought to make
sentences easier to process.
Rules of Parallelism
1. Parallelism is used to balance nouns with
nouns, prepositional phrases with
prepositional phrases, participles with
participles, infinitives with infinitives, clauses
with clauses.
Incorrect: She enjoys reading books and to run
marathons.
Correct: She enjoys reading books and running
marathons.
Incorrect: The dog is friendly, wagging its tail and
jumps around.
Correct: The dog is friendly, wagging its tail and
jumping around.
Incorrect: I like to swim and taking long walks.
Correct: I like to swim and to take long walks.
Incorrect: She said that she will attend the
meeting and going to the party.
Correct: She said that she will attend the meeting
and that she will go to the party.
2. Parallelism is used with elements joined by
coordinating conjunctions.
Incorrect: My mother likes cooking and to read.
Correct: My mother likes cooking and reading.
With "but":
● He wanted to travel the world, but he
lacked the funds.
● The book is fascinating, but it's quite
lengthy.
With "or":
● You can choose to study Spanish,
French, or German.
● The dress is available in red, blue, or
green.
With "nor":
● Neither the rain nor the storm could
stop the determined hiker.
● The project neither met the deadline nor
satisfied the requirements.
With "yet":
● She's exhausted, yet she keeps
pushing herself to finish the race.
● The movie was critically panned, yet it
still managed to attract a large
audience.
3. Parallelism is used with elements in lists or
in a series.
Incorrect: This task can be done individually, in
pairs, or can be done in groups of four.
Correct: This task can be done individually, in
pairs, or in groups of four.
4. Parallelism is used with elements being
compared.
Incorrect: She is mad about watching TV more
than to read a book .
Correct: She is mad about watching TV more than
reading a book.
5. Parallelism is used with elements joined by a
linking verb or a form of be.
Incorrect:To learn is understanding the world.
Correct: To learn is to understand the world.
6. Parallelism is used with elements joined by
linking words.
Incorrect: The teacher not only wants his students
to keep quiet but also to do the task .
Correct: The teacher wants his students not only
to keep quiet but also to do the task
Incorrect: For the talent contest, she neither
wanted to sing nor to dance.
Correct: For the talent contest, she wanted neither
to sing nor to dance.
Incorrect: Either you answer your modules or
attending online classes.
Correct: Either you answer your modules or attend
online classes.
Activity 1
Directions: Make a sentence out of the following
pairs of words or phrases.
Example: laughed and cried
Possible Answer: She laughed at her jokes and
cried at her misfortunes.
1. cooked and cleaned
________________________________________
2. cleaning, cooking, and washing
________________________________________
3. studying but playing
________________________________________
4. to study, to work, and to marry
________________________________________
5. not only sings but also plays
________________________________________
Activity 3
Directions: Read the following sentences. Then,
decide whether or not it contains an error in
parallel structure. If the sentence has No Error
write NE, if
the sentence has an Error, write E then underline
the word or phrase that ruins the sentence.
Example:
a. The children sweep the floor, wash the dishes,
and water the plants every morning before they
answer their modules. NE (No Error)
b. After answering their modules, Sheila likes
watching Tiktok videos while Diego likes to play
mobile legends. E (Error)
1. The house is not only warm but also cozy.
2. She met with her friends and talked to them.
3. Her mother noticed not only her lack of
enthusiasm but also her lack of self confidence.
4. Do you like milk, tea, or coffee?
5. A lot for students have raised their questions
and a lot of concerns.
6. My grandmother is a great cook. She can either
make you delectable dessert or a sumptuous meal.
7. At the farm, my grandfather raises a lot of
animals like chickens, cows, pigs, and several
ducks.
8. For our class we bought several school supplies
including pen, fastener, stapler and a lot of paper.
9. During summer vacation we not only visited the
farm but also the pond.
10. Her garden is full of blooming flowers and
colorful butterflies.
Assessment 3
Directions: From your answers in Activity 3, fix the
sentences with errors in Parallel Structure. Rewrite
the correct structure below and underline the
words or phrases that correct the error. If the
sentence has no error, just skip to the next number.
Example:
After answering their modules, Sheila likes
watching Tiktok videos while Diego likes to play
mobile legends. E (Error)
Correct Structure:
After answering their modules, Sheila likes
watching Tiktok videos while Diego likes playing
mobile legends.
1. _____________________________________
2. _____________________________________
3. _____________________________________
4. ______________________________________
5. ______________________________________
6. ______________________________________
7. ______________________________________
8. ______________________________________
9. ______________________________________
10. _____________________________________