Revised as of
13 Feb 2023
Similar to the transitional phrase, parallel construction, a.k.a., parallelism, ensures an easy flow for your readers. Anything you can do to make reading an enjoyable experience for them will help keep them coming back for more. So, pay attention to the balance.
Peek in at “Transitional Words and Phrases” and the section on Subject-Verb Agreement” as well.
Grammar Explanations is . . .
. . . an evolving list of the structural rules and principles that determines where words are placed in phrases or sentences as well as how the language is spoken. Sometimes I run across an example that helps explain better or another “also known as”. Heck, there’s always a better way to explain it, so if it makes quicker and/or better sense, I would appreciate suggestions and comments from anyone on an area of grammar with which you struggle or on which you can contribute more understanding.
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Parallel Construction, a.k.a., Parallelism | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Rule: Presenting ideas in a sentence in a balanced manner. The “wrong” sentences sound as though they’re a first draft! | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Discover the Differences Yourself . . . | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Vertical Lists | ||||||||||||||||||||||
YES | NO | |||||||||||||||||||||
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For Aardvark, a vacation involves:
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For Aardvark, a vacation involves:
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C’mon, get it out of your system, bitch, whine, moan . . . which words are your pet peeves? Also, please note that I try to be as accurate as I can, but mistakes happen or I miss something. Email me if you find errors, so I can fix them . . . and we’ll all benefit!
Satisfy your curiosity about other Grammar Explanations by exploring its homepage or more generally explore the index of self-editing posts. You may also want to explore Book Layout & Formatting Ideas, Formatting Tips, Grammar Explanations, Linguistics, Publishing Tips, the Properly Punctuated, Word Confusions, Writing Ideas and Resources, and Working Your Website.
Resources for Parallel Construction
McMahan, Kerrin. “Common Grammatical Errors.” n.d. Web. n.d. <http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/rok/grammar.html>
“Parallelism.” Capital Community College Foundation. n.d. Web. n.d. <http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/parallelism.htm>.
Pinterest Photo Credits:
Paul Klee and Josef Albers Exhibition is courtesy of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. <http://www.sfmoma.org/exhib_events/exhibitions/567>.