Writers Workshop: Writer Resources
Grammar Handbook: Parallelism
Parallelism occurs when compound verbs or verbals express an action taking place at the same time or in the same tense. When such is the case, the verb and/or verbals must be in the same, or parallel, form.
Example:
- Gail sings and dances. ("Sings" and "dances" are parallel forms of the verb.)
Types of Parallel Structure
- Coordinated ideas of equal rank, connected by "and," "but," "or," or "nor."
- Correct:
- Earl loves bicycling and climbing. (A gerund is paired with a gerund.)
- Earl loves to bicycle and to climb. (An infinitive is paired with an infinitive.)
- Incorrect:
- Earl loves bicycling and to climb. (Here, a gerund is paired with an infinitive.)
- Correct:
- Compared ideas
- Correct:
- I like officiating basketball more than playing basketball. (A gerund is paired with a gerund.)
- I like to officiate basketball more than I like to play basketball. (An infinitive is paired with an infinitive.)
- Incorrect:
- I like to officiate basketball more than I like playing basketball. (An infinitive is paired with a gerund.)
- Correct:
- Correlative ideas are linked with the correlative conjunctions both...and, either...or, neither...nor, and not only...but also.
- Correct:
- Josh is talented not only as a basketball player, but also as a tennis player. (A noun is paired with a noun.)
- Josh is talented not only at playing basketball, but also at playing tennis. (A gerund is paired with a gerund.)
- Incorrect:
- Josh is talented not only as a basketball player, but also at playing tennis.
(A noun is paired with a gerund.)
- Josh is talented not only as a basketball player, but also at playing tennis.
(A noun is paired with a gerund.)
- Correct:
Placement
Place correlative conjunctions immediately before the parallel terms:
- Incorrect:
- Brad has both experienced the sweet taste of success and the bitterness of defeat.
- Revised:
- Brad has experienced both the sweet taste of success and the bitterness of defeat.