In geometry, parallel lines are two lines that run in the same direction. In grammar, the concept is similar. That is, you want the sentence structure to go in the same direction, ensuring that they are grammatically the same. In other words, when you make a list of things, you want them to follow the same grammar structure.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Creating a Parallel List
Step 1. First, consider what kind of entity you are listing
Are you listing things or ideas? Are you making a list of what a person is doing? To use parallelism correctly, the list that includes the same parts of speech must be in the same form.
- The part of speech is the name given to each word to describe its function. For example, a noun is a person, place, idea or thing. Sometimes he acts or suffers actions. Other times, it just represents the names of something, such as in a list.
- A verb, on the other hand, is the action of the sentence. These are words like "kick", "jump" or "paint".
Step 2. Create a sentence
Let's try one with actions. Choose the person who does the action: Maria. Then, what does Maria do? Let's say she ate first, then she got dressed and then she left the house. Put all this in one sentence:
- "Maria was eating, she got dressed and went out". Wait, that doesn't sound good, does it? Try putting all the verbs in the list in the same form.
- "Maria ate, got dressed and went out". Seems better to me, right? This is because the words in the list are parallel - they share the same structure.
Step 3. Try a different sentence
This time we use descriptive words, again describing Maria. For instance:
- "Maria is fast, efficient and courteous". Again, the sentence sounds bad because one of the words doesn't follow the same structure - “efficiently” is an adverb and not an adjective like the other words in the list.
- Therefore, the sentence should be: "Maria is fast, efficient and courteous". However, it could also be: "Mary works quickly, efficiently and courteously", where all the words describe how Mary "works". In other words, they are adverbs, as they describe the verb.
Step 4. Using parallelism in prepositional sentences
Parallelism can also be used in other parts of speech, such as prepositional sentences. For example, consider the following sentence:
- "Maria went to work, to the park and then to her house". "A" is a preposition, and it introduces a sentence. The sentence is parallel because each element is a prepositional sentence. It wouldn't sound good if it were phrases like "Maria went to work, to the park, and went home". "Yes he started home" is a different part of the speech: it is a verb with a noun and not a prepositional sentence.
- However, the sentence could also be phrased like this: "Maria went to work, to the park, and to her house"; the second sentence works because the reader understands who is supporting the word "a" throughout the list. However, with prepositional sentences, there doesn't have to be the same word for there to be parallelism; any preposition can be used.
- For example, you might say, "Mary went through the tunnel, over the bridge and around the bend." "Through", "above" and "behind" are all prepositions, so the sentence is still parallel.
Step 5. Write parallel sentences using the infinitive
For example, you could say "Maria went out to eat and go shopping". "Eating" and "doing" are both infinite, so the sentence is parallel.
- However, it would not be correct to say, "Maria went out to eat and shop" because there is no parallelism.
- Basically, when writing a list you need to make sure that each element uses the same part of speech. The elements can be a single word, a sentence or even a preposition, but all should follow the same pattern.
Part 2 of 3: Creating Parallel Structures or Syntax
Step 1. Use parallelism to create independent and cohesive paragraphs
In structure, parallelism often refers to the repetition of a certain sentence or style of sentence. A famous example of this type of parallelism is a quote from John F. Kennedy:
- “Dear Americans, don't ask what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” President Kennedy repeats “ask… what…” in the phrasing, creating a contrast between the two ideas but binding them at the same time.
- Likewise, "I Have a Dream", Martin Luther King's speech, is an example of parallelism. Throughout the speech, he repeats the phrase "I have a dream", creating cohesion in the text.
Step 2. Create your cohesive sentence
Let's say you like ice cream but try to avoid it because you are lactose intolerant. You can create a sentence like: "I want to eat ice cream; however, I don't want the stomach ache it would cause me." The repetition of "I want" ties the two sentences together.
Part 3 of 3: Troubleshoot Phrases and Texts
Step 1. Read your work aloud
When looking for problems with parallelism in your text, read it aloud. Look for passages that sound odd.
Step 2. Look for lack of parallelism
See if the discomfort is due to the fact that the sentence is not parallel. Are the words in the list all part of the same portion of the speech? Does the sentence suffer from having too many different types of structure?
Step 3. Check if there are any passages where parallelism could be added for emphasis
While the existing structure may be as good as it is, adding a parallel structure could make your writing better. For example, use the following sentences as an example:
- “The pie was delicious. It was tasty. "By combining the sentences and using a parallel structure, the writing sounds better:" The cake was delicious and tasty."
- As you can see, the parallel structure not only sounds grammatically but makes your writing better. You can use it to add emphasis and to create an effect.
