Parallel Structure

Wasn’t Julius Caesar’s publicist a genius when he described Caesar’s victory with those words: “He came, he saw, he conquered.”

Parallel Structure

• You create parallel structure in a sentence by using the same grammatical form to express equal, or parallel, ideas. For example, you pair a noun with a noun, a phrase with a phrase, a clause with a clause, and infinitive with an infinitive.

Parallel Structure

• Analyze

In winter I

usually like skiing and to skate.

• Correct

In winter I usually like to ski and to skate.

Parallel Structure

• Analyze

The company guaranteed that salaries would be increased and that working days would be shorter.

• Correct

The company guaranteed that salaries would be increased and that working days would be shorter.

Parallel Structure

• Analyze

To think logically is as important as calculating accurately.

• Correct

Thinking logically is as important as calculating accurately.

Parallel Structure

• Analyze

Einstein liked mathematical research more than to supervise a large laboratory.

• Correct

Einstein liked mathematical research more than supervision of a large laboratory.

Parallel Structure

• Analyze

With Ship of Fools, Katherine Anne Porter proved she was talented not only as a short-story writer but also in writing novels.

• Correct

With Ship of Fools, Katherine Anne Porter proved she was talented not only as a short-story writer but also as a novelist.

Parallel Structure

• Analyze

A President of the United States must not only represent his own political party but also the entire American people.

• Correct A President of the

United States must represent not only his own political party but also the entire American people.

Parallel Structure

• Analyze

Lindsey worked as a freelance business writer, and she also worked at writing short-stories.

• Correct

Lindsey worked as a freelance business writer and as a short-story writer.

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Works Cited

Alabama State Department of Education. “Standard III: Objective 2 Use Internal Parallelism.” Remediation Guide: Language Subject-Area Test Alabama High School Graduation Exam. Montgomery: Alabama State Department of Education: Student Assessment, 2004, 15.

Kinneavy, James L, and John Warriner. “Using Parallel Structure.” Elements of Writing: Fifth Course. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1998, 512-514.