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 Parallel
Parallel Structure
Structure

Do I maintain
parallelism Or should I
with a use an
participle? infinitive?
 This
presentation
covers
distinguishing
between
parallel and
non-parallel
elements.
A
A parallelism
parallelism item
item on
on an
an
objective
objective testtest might
might look
look
like
like this
this ......
 Sample
Sample Item
Item
Directions: Choose the sentence that has no errors in
structure.

A. Eileen bought new shoes for the party, a gold charm for
her mother, and to treat her best friend Maria to lunch.
B. Eileen decided to buy new shoes for the party,
purchasing a gold charm for her mother, and treating
her best friend Maria to lunch.
C. Eileen
Eileen purchased
purchasednewnewshoes
shoesforfor
thethe
party,
party,
a gold
a gold
charm for
charm forher
hermother,
mother,andand
lunch
lunchforfor
Maria,
Maria,
herher
bestbest
friend.
friend.
 Items
Items in
in a
a series
series must
must have
have
parallel
parallel structure.
structure.

Parallelism looks like this:

Shane , , and .

Shane , , and .
 Here
Here is
is an
an example:
example:

Shane ate the pizza, wiped his lips, and

burped with contentment.

Ate = past tense

verb; wiped = past
tense verb; and
burped = past tense
verb.
Don’t
Don’t create
create problems
problems by
by mixing
mixing
grammatical
grammatical elements.
elements.

Non-parallel structure looks like this:

Shane , , and .

Shane , , and .
The
The problem
problem looks
looks like
like this:
this:

Shane ate the pizza, wiped his lips, and

burping with contentment.

Now look what you’ve

done! Ate and
wiped = past tense
verbs, but burping =
present participle!
 Quick
Quick Test,
Test, Part
Part 1
1

Directions: In the items that follow, choose

the sentence that has no errors in structure.

Let’s see
how you
perform!
 Item
Item 1
1
A. Barking dogs, kittens that were meowing, and
squawking parakeets greet the pet shop
visitors.
B.
B. Barking
Barking dogs,
dogs,meowing
meowing kittens,
kittens,
andand
squawking
parakeets greet
squawking parakeets
the pet greet
shop visitors.
the pet shop
C. visitors.
Dogs that bark, kittens that meow, and
C. Dogs
parakeets
that bark,
squawking
kittensgreet
that meow,
the pet and
shop
visitors. squawking greet the pet shop
parakeets
visitors.
 Item
Item 2
2

A.
A. During
During class,
class,Samuel
Samuelspent
spenthishis
time
time
flirting
flirting
with
Brittney,
with Brittney,
eatingeating
candy,candy,
and doodling
and doodling
on the on
assignment
the assignment
sheet.
sheet.
B. During class, Samuel spent his time flirting with
Brittney, he ate candy, and doodling on the
assignment sheet.
C. During class, Samuel spent his time to flirt with
Brittney, to eat candy, and doodling on the
assignment sheet.
 Item
Item 3
3

A. Alex looked everywhere for his math book—

under the bed, on his desk, and he searched
inside the refrigerator.
B. Alex looked everywhere for his math book—
viewing under the bed, searching on his desk,
and inside the refrigerator.
C. Alex
Alex looked
lookedeverywhere
everywhereforfor
hishis
math
math
book—
book—
under the
under thebed,
bed,on
onhis
hisdesk,
desk,andand
inside
inside
thethe
refrigerator.
refrigerator.
 Item
Item 4
4

A.
A. The manager
managerwanted
wantedstaff
staffwho
whoarrived
arrived
on on
time,
smiledsmiled
time, at the customers,
at the customers,
and didn’t
and snack
didn’t
on
the chicken
snack on the
nuggets.
chicken nuggets.
B. The manager wanted staff who arrived on time,
would be smiling at the customers, and would
not be snacking on the chicken nuggets.
C. The manager wanted staff who arrived on time,
smiled at the customers, and no snacking on
the chicken nuggets.
 Item
Item 5
5
A. After
After giving
givingJeremy
Jeremyher her phone
phone number,
number, Felicia
Felicia had
had to tolerate
to tolerate hisnight
his late latecalls,
nightstupid
calls,conversations,
stupid
conversations,
and requests for and requests
her math for her math
homework.
B. homework.
After giving Jeremy her phone number, Felicia had
B. After givinghis
to tolerate Jeremy her phone
late night number,
calls, the Felicia
fact that he had
to tolerate
carried on his lateconversations,
stupid night calls, theand
factrequests
that he for
carried
her math onhomework.
stupid conversations, and requests for
C. her
Aftermath homework.
giving Jeremy her phone number, Felicia had
C. After givingbeing
to tolerate Jeremy her phone
woken up latenumber,
at night, Felicia
having had
to tolerate
stupid being woken
conversations, uphe
and late at night, having
constantly requested
stupid
her mathconversations,
homework. and he constantly requested
her math homework.
 Quick
Quick Test,
Test, Part
Part 2
2
Directions: In the items that follow, choose
the correct word or phrase within the context
suggested by the sentence.

Now try a
different
type!
 Item
Item 6
6

Pasta boiling in water, __________, and garlic

bread baking in the oven welcomed Francisco as
he opened the door.

A.simmered tomato sauce in the pan

B.tomato
tomatosauce
saucesimmering
simmeringin in
thethe
panpan
C.tomato sauce that simmered in the pan
D.saucy tomatoes that were simmering in the pan
 Item
Item 7
7

During our vacation in the Bahamas, we hope

__________, to enjoy beautiful sunsets, and to
dance ourselves dizzy at reggae clubs.

A.that we eat delicious seafood

B.that eating delicious seafood occurs
C.to
to eat
eat delicious
deliciousseafood
seafood
D.eating delicious seafood
 Item
Item 8
8
Karen wished Ray chewed with his mouth closed,
for otherwise he was everything she wanted in a
date; he was tall, intelligent, and __________.

A.he looked good

B.being good looking
C.one handsome man to look at
D.handsome
handsome
 Item
Item 9
9

To win Laurie’s love, Albert visited the florist for

roses, the drugstore for a box of chocolates, and
__________.

A.bought an expensive gold necklace at the

jewelry store
B.the
the jeweler
jewelerfor
foran
anexpensive
expensivegold
gold
necklace
necklace
C.the jeweler where he bought an expensive gold
necklace
D.to buy an expensive gold necklace
 Item
Item 10
10

Kimberly won’t date Terry because he is too short,

too noisy, and _________.

A.because he picks his teeth with his fingers

B.too
too impolite
impolite
C.is the most impolite man she has ever met
D.Picking his teeth with his fingers
 Grammar Bytes!
provides additional
handouts and exercises on
parallel structure.
Go to
chompchomp.com!
The End.