Find the parallel structure
The old man is very kind and generous.
kind (adjective)
generous (adjective)
My music teacher plays the piano, the violin, and ...
(different answers possible)
Must be a noun. For example, the guitar / the drums
David likes playing cards, drinking beer, and go to casino.
Not parallel - gerund, gerund, and base verb
playing, drinking, go
Mary likes hiking, swimming, and ride a bicycle.
Mary likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bicycle.
Abraham likes chocolate.
Abraham likes ice cream.
--> Use both
Abraham likes both chocolate and ice cream.
For my birthday, I got an interesting book and a new cell phone.
book (noun)
phone (noun)
Our hotel room in Barcelona was modern and ...
(different answers possible)
Must be an adjective. For example, beautiful / expensive
On Wednesday night after class we made popcorn, watched a movie, and drank beer.
Parallel - verb, verb, and verb
made, watched, drank
To visit Toronto, you can travel by bus, by train, or drive a car.
To visit Toronto, you can travel by bus, by train, or by car.
My mother is here.
My sister is here.
--> Use both
Both my mother and my sister are here.
I looked for my book but didn't find it.
looked (verb)
didn't find (verb)
The doctor took my temperature, checked my blood pressure, and ...
(different answers possible)
Must be a verb in past tense. For example, listened to my heart / gave me medicine.
The poor street cat has no place to sleep, no food to eat, and no water to drink.
Parallel - noun, noun, and noun
place, food, water
During the day, we went on long hikes, swam the lake, or just relaxing.
During the day, we went on long hikes, swam the lake, or just relaxed.
She has two options:
She can travel to Italy.
She can go to Spain.
--> Use either ... or
She can either travel to Italy or go to Spain.
You should work quickly but carefully.
quickly (adverb)
carefully (adverb)
Many countries in the world experience natural disasters, such as tornadoes, tsunami and ...
(different answers possible)
Must be a noun. For example, earthquakes
Junho liked not only playing baseball but also to run long distances.
Not parallel - not only gerund but also infinitive
playing, to run
We were dirty, hungry, and wanted to sleep.
We were dirty, hungry and tired/sleepy.
I did my homework.
I did the extra exercises.
--> Use not only
I not only did my homework but also the extra exercises.
In my free time, I enjoy reading books or working in my garden.
reading (gerund)
working (gerund)
The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, not eat too much, and ...
(different answers possible)
Must be a verb in base form. For example, practice a lot / rest / not drink alcohol
My home gives me a feeling of safety, warm, and love.
Not parallel - noun, adjective, and noun
safety, warm, love
These plants need light, to have warm weather, and enough water and minerals from the soil.
These plants need light, warm weather, and enough water and minerals from the soil.
My friend doesn't like french fries.
She doesn't like hamburgers.
--> Use neither ... nor
My friend likes neither french fries nor hamburgers.