Parallel Structure I
Clue: This sentence is missing parallel structure: She likes running, to swim, and biking.
What is “to swim” should change to “swimming”?
Clue: Spot the parallel words: The recipe calls for sugar, flour, and butter.
Correct Response: What are “sugar, flour, and butter”?
Clue: This sentence needs a comma for clarity: Let’s eat grandma!
Correct Response: What is “Let’s eat, grandma”?
Clue: This introductory clause needs a comma: When the bell rang the students rushed out of the classroom.
Correct Response: What is “When the bell rang, the students rushed out of the classroom”?
Define: What is parallel structure?
Answer: A sentence structure where the same pattern of words is used to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance.
Clue: Identify the words that are parallel: He wanted fame, fortune, and recognition.
What are “fame, fortune, and recognition”?
Clue: This sentence is not parallel: He likes hiking, biking, and to swim.
Correct Response: What is “to swim” should change to “swimming”?
Clue: Add a comma to make this sentence clear: While we were eating the cat scratched at the door.
Correct Response: What is “While we were eating, the cat scratched at the door”?
Clue: Insert commas to separate adjectives: It was a long difficult test.
Correct Response: What is “It was a long, difficult test”?
What is the purpose of a comma?
To indicate a pause between parts of a sentence and to separate elements.
Clue: This sentence contains a faulty phrase: The coach told us to practice hard, to play fair, and winning often.
Correct Response: What is “winning often” should change to “to win often”?
Clue: Identify the parallel phrases: The teacher asked us to read carefully, to take notes thoroughly, and to write clearly.
Correct Response: What are “to read carefully, to take notes thoroughly, and to write clearly”?
Clue: Does this sentence need a comma?: I invited my friends, Taylor and Sam.
Correct Response: What is “I invited my friends, Taylor and Sam” if there are more than two friends?
Clue: Add commas to avoid confusion: After dinner we played cards and watched a movie.
Correct Response: What is “After dinner, we played cards and watched a movie”?
How do you use commas in a series?
Place commas between items in a list, except before the final item.
Clue: Identify the parallel clauses: She wanted to go to the concert because she liked the band, because her friends were going, and because she needed a break.
Correct Response: What are “because she liked the band, because her friends were going, and because she needed a break”?
Clue: This sentence has faulty parallelism: She is smart, talented, and she works hard.
Correct Response: What is “she works hard” should change to “hard-working”?
Clue: Fix the comma placement: To me the movie was exciting.
Correct Response: What is “To me, the movie was exciting”?
Clue: This sentence needs commas with an introductory phrase: In the middle of the night the baby started crying.
Correct Response: What is “In the middle of the night, the baby started crying”?
Explain: When do you use a comma before a conjunction (F.A.N.B.O.Y.S.)?
Before a conjunction that connects two independent clauses.
Clue: Fix this sentence with parallel structure: To be kind is more important than honesty or showing respect.
Correct Response: What is “Being kind is more important than being honest or being respectful”?
Clue: Identify the parallel clauses: He stayed late because he needed extra help, because he wanted to finish his project, and because he cared about his grade.
Correct Response: What are “because he needed extra help, because he wanted to finish his project, and because he cared about his grade”?
Clue: This sentence needs commas for clarity: In the morning he made breakfast and in the evening he did homework
Correct Response: What is “In the morning, he made breakfast, and in the evening, he did homework”?
Clue: Correct the commas between adjectives: The bright colorful balloons floated away.
Correct Response: What is “The bright, colorful balloons floated away”?
What is a nonessential or appositive phrase?
Extra information but can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence.