Parallel Structure in Grammar
Which sentence maintains a parallel structure throughout?
a) Rachel went running, hiking, and biking over the weekend.
b) Rachel went out to run, went hiking, and biked over the weekend.
c) Rachel went running, hiked, and biked over the weekend.
What is a) Rachel went running, hiking, and biking over the weekend.
How would you correct this list so that it correctly conveys parallelism?
The French, the Italians, Spanish, and Portuguese.
What is: "The French, the Italians, the Spanish, and the Portuguese."
What is parallelism?
What is
- a device in which parts of the sentence are grammatically the same or similar in construction
Identify the parallelism in this quote:
“My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” - John F. Kennedy
What is:
- the use of "ask not what" and "ask what"
- the use of "your country"
Where is the parallelism found in the song, "What a Wonderful World?"
What is: The constant use of "I see"
- "I see trees of green..."
- "I see them bloom..."
- "I see skies of blue..."
Which sentence does NOT maintain a parallel structure throughout?
a) For dinner, we like eating chicken and to grill steak.
b) For dinner, we eat chicken and grill steak.
c) Eating chicken and grilling steak for dinner is great.
What is a) For dinner, we like eating chicken and to grill steak.
How would you correct this sentence so that it correctly conveys parallelism?
It was both a long ceremony and very tedious.
What is: "The ceremony was both long and tedious."
Which would be considered the best usage of parallelism?
a) He ate, read, and slept.
b) She's the meanest person I've ever met, ever.
c) I really like people who talk a lot and girls with dyed hair.
d) We prefer that you resign rather than quit.
What is a) He ate, read, and slept.
True or False: Does this sentence contain parallel structure?
"I came, I saw, I conquered." - Julius Caesar
What is "True."
The following lyrics demonstrate parallelism in a song. What is the name of the song and where is the parallelism found?
"Up where they walk, up where they run, up where they stay all day in the sun..."
What is "Part of Your World" from the Little Mermaid.
- Parallelism is found in the repetition of "Up where" followed by a verb.
Which sentence maintains a parallel structure throughout?
a) Alcohol used in excess can damage the brain, affect memory, and learning disabilities.
b) Alcohol used in excess can damage the brain, affect memory, and cause learning disabilities.
c) Alcohol used in excess can damage the brain, affect memory, and can lead to learning disabilities.
What is b) Alcohol used in excess can damage the brain, affect memory, and cause learning disabilities.
How would you correct this sentence so that it correctly conveys parallelism?
The college has space for a new computer lab but not a faculty lounge.
What is: "The college has space for a new computer lab but not FOR a faculty lounge."
In the video with the professor talking about parallel structure, what was the name of the first song mentioned?
What is "Mo Money, Mo Problems"?
True or False: Does this sentence have parallel structure?
"Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing." - Mother Teresa
What is "True."
Parallel structure is used to list the effects of a smile. Each effect follows the structure of an indefinite article, noun, preposition, and noun.
In the song Lucid Dreams, finish the lines and explain where the parallelism is:
"It's to the point where..." "And I cannot..." "So I must..."
What is:
- "It's to the point where I love and I hate you...And I cannot change you...So I must replace you, oh."
- The parallelism is seen in the use of the word "I" followed by a verb and the word "you."
Which sentence maintains a parallel structure throughout?
a) The writer effectively portrays the nature of social hierarchies and their relation to economic inequality.
b) The writer effectively portrays the nature of social hierarchies and how they relate to economic inequality.
c) The writer effectively portrays the nature of social hierarchies and relating them to economic inequality.
What is a) The writer effectively portrays the nature of social hierarchies and their relation to economic inequality.
How would you correct this sentence so that it correctly conveys parallelism?
Raoul's motivation to succeed in this program seems to be greater than his sister.
What is: "Raoul's motivation to succeed in this program seems to be greater than his sister's."
(Compare Raoul's motivation to his sister's motivation, not to his sister.)
What is the purpose of parallelism? (3 reasons)
What is:
- a device used for persuasion
- a device used to make a passage more memorable
- a device used to form patterns/make passages easier to understand
What is one example of parallelism that was found in President Bush's Address on Terrorism? (give a specific example)
What is:
- "the unfurling of flags, the lighting of candles, the giving of blood, the saying of prayers"
- "in English, Hebrew, and Arabic"
- "We have seen"
Which song begins with examples of parallelism? (Be specific and say why!)
a) My Girl by the Temptations
b) Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
c) Isn't She Lovely by Stevie Wonder
What is c) Isn't She Lovely by Stevie Wonder
"Isn't she lovely
Isn't she wonderful
Isn't she precious
Less than one minute old"
Which of the following sentences is grammatically nonparallel?
a) I was repulsed but interested in his disgusting story.
b) He is as employable, if not more employable than, an English major.
c) They were interested, but my girlfriend completely uninterested.
d) all of the above
e) none of the above
What is d) all of the above.
How would you correct this sentence so that it correctly conveys parallelism?
Carlos wasted his first year at college by not studying enough and spending too much time at parties.
What is: "Carlos wasted his first year at college by studying too little and partying too much."
Why did MLK Jr. choose to employ parallelism in his "I Have a Dream" speech?
What is:
- an effective way to make memorable points through repetition
- a great persuasive tool to convince people that change can be made
Think of one quote off the top of your head that utilizes parallelism. Explain how parallelism is shown.
A wide variety of answers may be accepted here.
Which Bruno Mars song begins with an example of parallelism?
a) The Lazy Song
b) Finesse
c) Grenade
What is c) Grenade ("Easy come, easy go...")