1. Parallelism DS 014 Writing Fall 2010

2. Today's Agenda What is Parallelism? Oh no! Don't tell me teachers do that! Examples Exercise Journal

3. What is Parallelism in Grammar? Parallel structures include word or phrase patterns that are similar. When ideas in a sentence or paragraph are similar, you can reinforce these similarities in meaning through creating parallel structures. Effective parallelism creates symmetry in sentences and adds force to your writing; it emphasizes the likeness between two or more ideas.

4. In English Please? Parallelism is the way in which we “streamline” our sentences, choosing similar words or phrasing to make it easier for our readers to understand our meaning.

5. What happens when Communications and English Instructors have too much time on their hands? This! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We6jKCHYn4c

6. Example 1 Not Parallel He enjoys rich desserts, watching Nascar and riddles. Parallel He enjoys eating rich desserts, watching Nascar and solving riddles.

7. Example 2 Not Parallel He liked to play basketball and riding horses. Parallel He liked playing basketball and riding horses. He liked to play basketball and to ride horses He liked to play basketball and ride horses.

8. Clumsy sentences? Sometimes a sentence isn't technically wrong, but it could be written better by using parallel structuring. I outlined the letters slowly and with care. I outlined the letters slowly and carefully.

9. Tip! A lot of “clumsy” sentences could be avoided if the writer would read his/her work out loud!

10. Buddy Up! Let's try a few of the sentence on the Second Exercise in Parallelism page. In your buddy groups, discuss how to rewrite the first three sentences. We'll discuss them in a moment. Both of you need to write the sentences on your sheets (the rest of them will be homework).

11. Journal Entry Write about your impressions of your second week at the University. Anything you learned? Anything that was exciting? Anything you really hated? or... Write about your experiences with writing. Was it used as a punishment in school? Do you think you have great ideas but can't seem to get them on paper? Does writing scare you? Do you love it (or hate it)?