ACTIVITY

Which is correct?
A. The show is both enjoyable
and it is educational.

B. The show is both enjoyable

and educational.
Which is correct?
A. I do not enjoy skating or to
swim.

B. I do not enjoy skating or

swimming.
Which is correct?
A. My uncle likes to eat in
expensive restaurants and to visit
museums.

B. My uncle likes to eat in

expensive restaurants and visiting
museums.
Which is correct?
A. She played basketball,
showered, and went to school.

B. She played basketball,

showered, and gone to school.
Which is correct?
A. Nancy likes playing the piano,
the trumpet, and play the guitar.

B. Nancy likes playing the piano,

the trumpet, and the guitar.
Using Parallel
Structures
What is parallelism?
Parallelism refers to two or
more words, phrases, or
clauses in a sentence that
have the same grammatical
structure.
Items in a series must have
parallel structure.
Parallelism looks like this:

Shane , , and .

Shane , , and .
Don’t create problems by mixing
grammatical elements.

Non-parallel structure looks like this:

Shane , , and .

Shane , , and .
Why is it important?
Parallel construction prevents
awkwardness, promotes clarity,
and improves writing style and
readability.
How to Use
Parallel Structures
Coordinating
Conjunctions
Thinking and running often
accompany one another as I
exercise.

She likes to look but not to

listen.
Coordinating
Conjunctions
You will find the light bulbs in
the closet or under the
kitchen counter.
Repairing Faulty
Parallelism
FAULTY:
My uncle likes to eat in
expensive restaurants and
visiting museums.
 
Repairing Faulty
Parallelism
CORRECT:
My uncle likes to eat in expensive
restaurants and to visit museums.

My uncle likes eating in expensive

restaurants and visiting museums.
Elements in a list or series
Series of words:
She wanted three things: money, power,
and security.

Series of infinitives:
There was no opportunity to do my taxes, to
request an extension, or to explain my
situation.
Repairing Faulty
Parallelism
 FAULTY:
The tribes emphasized collective survival,
mutual aid, and being responsible for one
another.

CORRECT:
The tribes emphasized collective survival,
mutual aid, and responsibility for one
another
Elements being compared
Driving to New York can actually
take less time than flying there.

How you live your life is just as

important as how much money you
make.
Repairing Faulty
Parallelism
FAULTY:
I like swimming better than to drive.

CORRECT:
I like swimming better than driving.
I like to swim better than to drive.
Elements joined by a linking
verb
What you see is what you get.
To know her is to love her.
Being Jim’s friend means being
constantly alert.
 Repairing Faulty
Parallelism
FAULTY:
To succeed is opening a new opportunity.

CORRECT:
To succeed is to open a new opportunity.
Succeeding is opening a new opportunity.
Elements joined by a
correlative conjunction
We were told to either reduce
the staff or find new customers.

Agnes was neither going to

classes nor doing her
assignments.
 Repairing Faulty
Parallelism
FAULTY:
The show is both enjoyable and it is
educational.

CORRECT:
The show is both enjoyable and
educational.
 Repairing Faulty
Parallelism
FAULTY:
The author not only wants fame but also money.

CORRECT:
The author not only wants fame but also wants
money.
The author wants not only fame but also money.