Lesson 5: Parallel Structure

A parallel structure is used when the writer has two or more elements in a sentence that are equal in importance. To show that the elements are equal, the elements are usually joined by the coordinating conjunctions or the correlative conjunctions and should be structured grammatically the same.

Example: Video games are beneficial to children by helping them in future jobs, for health reasons, and
in developing challenges.

The above sentence was a thesis statement of a student's essay. In thesis statements there is a need for parallel structures if the writer is using a forecasting thesis statement, one that gives the major points.

Most textbooks deal with parallel structures in their simplest forms.

Example of a simple nonparallel structure: The quarter horse skipped, pranced, and was sashaying
onto the track.

How does one find parallel structures?

Go through your paper and circle the coordinating conjunctions and the correlative conjunctions. Then look at each of the conjunctions or, in the case of the correlative conjunctions, look at the pairs of conjunctions. If the conjunction or pair is connecting two or more equal structures, check to see if the structures are grammatically parallel.

Grammatically parallel means in the same form. For example, in the sentence above about the quarter horse, the three verbs skipped, pranced, was sashaying are not parallel because was sashaying is an ing word and the other two end in ed.

Let us look at another student sentence: When I asked where he heard this, he confessed to playing Doom at a friend's house; and he described how he had blown the heads off demons reloading quickly so they wouldn't get away.

Now this sentence is typical of errors in parallelism that I see in student papers. Notice the sentence part that I have underlined. He is the subject; described is the verb; how he had blown the heads off demons is the direct object of described. What is reloading? It is an ing verb by itself; therefore, it must be a gerund or a participle. But on closer investigation, we discover that it can not be a participle because it would have to modify demons. Reloading should have been another how clause and should have been connected to the first verb with a coordinating conjunction.

How does one correct the parallel structure?

Add any needed coordinating conjunctions or correlative conjunctions. Then check to see if the elements themselves need to be made the same construction. Let us revise the last student's sentence about Doom.

When I asked where he heard this, he confessed to playing Doom at a friend's house; and he described how he had blown the heads off demons and how he has reloaded quickly so that they wouldn't get away.

The underlined is the parallel structures joined by and.

How does one use correlative conjunctions?

Let us look at the word correlative. Co means equal; relative means that the elements are related in a particular way.

Example: I wanted not only to go away to school but also to live in New England.

The underlined words are the correlative conjunctions. Notice that the two elements that they join both are to plus a verb. Correlative conjunctions must be placed right before the two elements that they are joining.

Parallel Structure Can Be Simply A Need for Repeated Words

In addition to making parallel elements grammatically similar, be careful to include any words--prepositions, articles, verb forms, and so on--that are necessary for clarity or grammar.

Example of nonparallel structure: We'll move to a town near the ocean or Mexico.

Revised: We'll move to a town near the ocean or to Mexico.

Example of nonparallel structure: The senator said that we should vote on Thursday and we should vote for our own convictions.

Revised: The senator said that we should vote on Thursday and that we should vote for our own convictions.