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ENGLISH 8
QUARTER 3 – WEEK 7
Quarter 3 – Module 5: Using Parallel Structures
WHAT’S NEW?
WHAT IS IT?

Parallelism Parallel structure

means using the same pattern of words to
show that two or more ideas have the
same level of importance. There must be a
balance of two or more words, phrases, or
clauses in a sentence.
When a writer is presenting a
series of equally important details in a
sentence, he or she should try to make the
items balanced, or parallel. When the
sentences are presented in different forms,
they are nonparallel, and the resulting
sentence is not smooth.
Let us consider the following
sentences:
Non-parallel: We enjoy reading novels,
collecting stamps, and to play tennis.
The sentence is nonparallel
because two gerund phrases, reading
novels and collecting stamps, are mixed with an infinitive phrase, to play tennis. In order to make all the elements of the sentence
parallel, to play tennis could be changed into a gerund phrase.
Parallel: We enjoy reading novels, collecting stamps, and playing tennis.
Remember that one of the fundamental rules of our language is that similar ideas should be expressed in similar
grammatical structures. When we want to talk about a series of things, qualities, ideas, problems, processes, or feelings, we
combine a word with a word, a phrase with a phrase, or a clause with a clause.
Parallel words. When a writer lists a series of words, the words in the series should be all nouns, all adjectives, or all
adverbs, but not mixed.
Non-parallel: The celebrity was charming, witty, and a beauty.
Charming and witty are adjectives; however, beauty is a noun. For the sentence to be parallel, beauty must be in adjective
form.
Parallel: The celebrity was charming, witty, and beautiful.
Parallel phrases. When a writer lists a series of phrases, all the phrases should be the same – all gerund phrases, all
infinitive phrases, all participial phrases, or all prepositional phrases.
Non-parallel: Her aims were to study, to travel, and someday having a family.
The sentence is nonparallel because two infinitive phrases, to study and to travel, are mixed with a gerund phrase, having
a family. For the sentence to be parallel, having a family could be changed to an infinitive.
Parallel: Her aims were to study, to travel, and to have a family.
Parallel clauses. When a writer lists a series of clauses, all the clauses in the series should be the same. They should all
be noun clauses, all adjective clauses, or all adverb clauses.
Non-parallel: What we say and the things that we do are never quite the same.
What we say is a noun clause; the things that we do is a noun followed by an adjective clause. In order to make the
elements of the sentence parallel, the things we do could be changed into a noun clause.
Parallel: What we say and what we do are never quite the same.

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 Now that parallelism has been introduced and discussed to you, are you now ready to take on the activities specifically
provided for you? If so, let’s get going!

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