Parallelism PROFESSIONAL WRITING STYLE
image from “‘The Elements of Style’ Turns 50” at The New York Times
What is Parallelism?
Strunk & White’s Elements of Style might be the oldest most recognizable grammar handbook out there. It’s been around since 1918 and it’s now in the public domain (Strunk’s Elements of Style at Bartleby) .
Rule #15 under the “Elementary Rules of Composition” is:
“Express co-ordinate ideas in similar form.”
This principle, that of parallel construction, requires that expressions of similar content and function should be outwardly similar. The likeness of form enables the reader to recognize more readily the likeness of content and function. Familiar instances from the Bible are the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer.
The unskilful writer often violates this principle, from a mistaken belief that he should constantly vary the form of his expressions. It is true that in repeating a statement in order to emphasize it he may have need to vary its form. For illustration, see the paragraph from Stevenson quoted under Rule 10. But apart from this, he should follow the principle of parallel construction.
| Formerly, science was taught by the textbook method, while now the laboratory method is employed. | Formerly, science was taught by the textbook method; now it is taught by the laboratory method. |
The left-hand version gives the impression that the writer is undecided or timid; he seems unable or afraid to choose one form of expression and hold to it. The right-hand version shows that the writer has at least made his choice and abided by it.
By this principle, an article or a preposition applying to all the members of a series must either be used only before the first term or else be repeated before each term.
| The French, the Italians, Spanish, and Portuguese… | The French, the Italians, the Spanish, and the Portuguese… |
| In spring, summer, or in winter… | In spring, summer, or winter… |
| In spring, in summer, or in winter… |
Correlative expressions (both, and; not, but; not only, but also; either, or; first, second, third; and the like) should be followed by the same grammatical construction. Many violations of this rule can be corrected by rearranging the sentence.
| It was both a long ceremony and very tedious. | The ceremony was both long and tedious. |
| A time not for words, but action | A time not for words, but for action |
| Either you must grant his request or incur his ill will. | You must either grant his request or incur his ill will. |
| My objections are, first, the injustice of the measure; second, that it is unconstitutional. | My objections are, first, that the measure is unjust; second, that it is unconstitutional. |
See also the third example under Rule 12 and the last under Rule 13.
It may be asked, what if a writer needs to express a very large number of similar ideas, say twenty? Must he write twenty consecutive sentences of the same pattern? On closer examination he will probably find that the difficulty is imaginary, that his twenty ideas can be classified in groups, and that he need apply the principle only within each group. Otherwise he had best avoid the difficulty by putting his statements in the form of a table.
What Does That Mean? (An Explanation)
What does it mean? Parallelism means using the same grammatical form for words, phrases, clauses in a series, or items in a list.
It means treat items the same. Give words, phrases, and clauses in a series the same grammatical structure. Treat items the same way, in the same order, in the same grammatical form.
Parallel Construction Examples
Examples of Parallel Constructions in Sentences
Whenever a sentence includes a series of similar items, make sure that all the items are in the same form. For example, use the same tense for all verbs that describe listed items. Check for words or phrases in your writing that are joined by coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) and be sure they’re expressed in parallel construction.
| Not Parallel | Parallel | |
|---|---|---|
| This semester I’m studying art, music, and taking a math course. | This semester I’m studying art, music, and math. | |
| He is talented, intelligent and has charm. | He is talented, intelligent, and charming. | |
| The magazine contains news, pictures, ads, tells you where to shop, and feature columns. | The magazine contains news, pictures, ads, shopping recommendations, and feature columns. | |
| This is the life–to live, working and cooking outdoors. | This is the life–to live, work, and cook outdoors. | |
| Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle. | Mary likes hiking, swimming, and cycling. | |
| The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and in a clear manner. | The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and clearly. | |
| At about noon the sky darkened, a breeze sprang up, and a low rumble announces the approaching storm. | At about noon the sky darkened, a breeze sprang up, and a low rumble announced the approaching storm. | |
| You can pay me now, or it’s okay if you pay me later. | You can pay me now or pay me later. | You can pay me now, or you can pay me later. |
Examples of Parallel Construction in Lists
| Not Parallel | Parallel | |
|---|---|---|
Going on vacation?
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Going on vacation?
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In the workshop, I learned some good study tips:
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In the workshop, I learned some good study tips:
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In the workshop, I learned some good study tips:
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Penalties for common violations include:
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Penalties for common violations include:
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Parallelism Practice
For each of the sentences below, figure out which option creates parallel structure. After you’ve decided, hover over the blank to see the correct response. [Tested in Chrome, Firefox, and Safari for desktops; may not work on mobile devices.]
1. Learning to ride a bicycle as an adult is more difficult than learning as a child.
1. Learning to ride a bicycle as an adult is more difficult than to learn as a child.
1. Learning to ride a bicycle as an adult is more difficult than learning as a child.
1. Learning to ride a bicycle as an adult is more difficult than to learning as a child.
2. Every morning, I run two miles, walk one mile, and bike a half mile.
2. Every morning, I run two miles, walk one mile, and half mile on the bike.
2. Every morning, I run two miles, walk one mile, and bike a half mile.
2. Every morning, I run two miles, walk one mile, and do a half mile.
3. There are two ways to earn course credit: pass the AP exam or earn a C or higher.
3. There are two ways to earn course credit: passing the AP exam or earn a C or higher.
3. There are two ways to earn course credit: passage of the AP exam or earn a C or higher.
3. There are two ways to earn course credit: pass the AP exam or earn a C or higher.
4. Many students have the same goals: partying hard, doing well in classes, and finding a job after graduation
.
4. Many students have the same goals: partying hard, doing well in classes, and a job after graduation.
4. Many students have the same goals: partying hard, doing well in classes, and finding a job after graduation.
4. Many students have the same goals: partying hard, doing well in classes, and after graduation, a job.
5. The woman walked down the street, stopped at a crosswalk, and waited for the “walk” signal.
5. The woman walked down the street, stopped at a crosswalk, and waited for the “walk” signal.
5. The woman walked down the street, stopped at a crosswalk, and was waiting for the “walk” signal.
5. The woman walked down the street, stopped at a crosswalk, and waits for for the “walk” signal.
6. The chef chopped the garlic, peeled the tomatoes and cubed the zucchini.
6. The chef chopped the garlic, peeled the tomatoes and cut the zucchini into cubes.
6. The chef chopped the garlic, peeled the tomatoes and cubed the zucchini.
6. The chef chopped the garlic, peeled the tomatoes and was cutting the zucchini.
7. People avoid eye contact with others, whether riding on trains, walking to classes, or standing in lines.
7. People avoid eye contact with others, whether riding on trains, walking to classes, or when they’re in lines..
7. People avoid eye contact with others, whether riding on trains, walking to classes, or standing in lines..
7. People avoid eye contact with others, whether riding on trains, walking to classes, or in lines at supermarkets..
8. At networking events, people should pay attention to their body language, their posture, and their speech.
8. At networking events, people should pay attention to their body language, their posture, and their slang.
8. At networking events, people should pay attention to their body language, their posture, and their speech.
8. At networking events, people should pay attention to their body language, their posture, and their use of slang.
8. At networking events, people should pay attention to their body language, their posture, and not using slang.
9. Critics argue that video games encourage hate speech, trivialize sexual assault, and glamorize violence.
9. Critics argue that video games encourage hate speech, trivialize sexual assault, and glamorize violence.
9. Critics argue that video games encourage hate speech, trivialize sexual assault, and make violence glamorous.
9. Critics argue that video games encourage hate speech, trivialize sexual assault, and are violent .
10. The apartment was filled with empty pizza boxes and dirty clothes.
10. The apartment was filled with empty pizza boxes and clothes that weren’t clean.
10. The apartment was filled with empty pizza boxes and dirty clothes.
10. The apartment was filled with empty pizza boxes and clothes that were dirty.
More on Parallelism & Practice Exercises
Robin Simmon’s Grammar Bytes: Grammar Instruction with Attitude is an excellent resource for grammar information and interactive exercises designed to help you improve. There you can find additional explanations of parallelism and exercises to help recognize and write in parallel structure.
If you need additional instruction or want to practice, I highly recommend trying some of the exercises below. They’re self-directed and present sentences one at a time, and offer immediate feedback and explanations.
| Recognizing Parallel Structure (Multiple Choice) | EX 1 | EX 2 |
| Maintaining Parallel Structure (Multiple Choice) | EX 3 | EX 4 |
| Parallel Structure (Fill in the Blank) | EX 5 | EX 6 |
