Parallelism

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Logical vs. Grammatical Parallelism Grammatical Parallelism: The same part of speech is used when a coordinating conjunction is used to link words in a series of two or more. Source: Jones, D. (n.d.) Lynchburg College: Parallelism. Retrieved 6 Jan 2009 from Logical Parallelism: The items are of equal value and importance e.g. group nouns are of the same classification Incorrect: The types of people at the rally included Asians, African Americans, and women. Correct: The types of people at the rally included Asians, African Americans, and Native Americans. Incorrect: I go to the store, and I bought bread. Correct: I went to the store, and I bought bread.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Parallelism Is important in listing, comparing and contrasting items or ideas. Means each item in such lists or comparisons has the same grammatical structure Engineering graduates should possess the following abilities when they enter the workforce: thinking critically, working independently, and communicating effectively. The parallel grammatical structure in this list is the gerund

eg1471/jc/dec2008 What are the parallel structures? Nitrogen, oxygen and argon are the three main types of gases in the earth’s atmosphere. All passengers boarding the plane were instructed to check their passports before and after clearing customs. During the lab session, the technician demonstrated the use of the equipment and informed the students about the properties of the chemicals.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 What are the parallel structures? Nitrogen, oxygen, and argon are three main gases on the earth’s atmosphere. – nouns All passengers boarding the plane were instructed to check their passports before and after clearing customs. – logical parallelism with adverb clause “clearing customs” not being repeated During the lab session, the technician demonstrated the use of the equipment and informed the students about the properties of the chemicals. – verb clauses

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Parallelism with Coordinators Words, phrases and clauses joined by and, or, and but are written in the parallel form. All passengers boarding the flyer could carry their small bags or leave them at the counter. The technicians possess the skills but not the knowledge to handle the latest machines.

eg1471/jc/dec2008 Parallelism with Correlative Coordinators The parallel form is used with correlative conjunctions like both…and, either…or, neither…nor and not only…but also. New laws may be needed both to regulate the use of pesticides and to dispose of them. If neither industry nor the public are concerned about waste disposal, future generations will suffer. It is not only important for the public to understand the importance of recycling, but also to embrace it.

Common Errors Not only is he intelligent and lucid. X Neither lead is a gas. X A new office is needed to both cope with the expansion. X I play tennis and judo. X eg1471/jc/dec2008

Correct Answers eg1471/jc/dec2008

Sources Jones, D. (n.d.) Lynchburg College: Parallelism. Retrieved 6 Jan 2009 from Lane, A. and Lange, E. (1999). Writing Clearly: An Editing Guide (2 nd ed.). Boston: Heinle and Heinle Publishers, Oshima, A. and Hogue, A. (2006). Writing Academic English (4 th ed.). New York: Pearson Education,