5.2 Parallel Structure in Lists and Compound Elements

Understanding Parallel Structure

Parallel structure, also known as parallelism, is the principle that requires words, phrases, or clauses in a series or compound structure to follow the same grammatical pattern. In geometry, parallel lines run alongside each other in identical directions; in grammar, parallel elements function alongside each other in identical forms.

Maintaining parallel structure is crucial because it makes writing clearer, more rhythmic, and easier for the reader to process. On the ACCUPLACER, questions testing parallel structure often hide the error in long sentences, forcing you to carefully trace the grammatical elements back to their root.

Parallelism in Lists and Series

The most common place you will encounter parallel structure is in a list of three or more items. If the first item in the list is a noun, the subsequent items must also be nouns. If the first is an infinitive verb phrase, the rest must be infinitive verb phrases.

Example 1: Nouns vs. Verbs

• Faulty: The new software is celebrated for its speed, its reliability, and it is easy to use.
• Breakdown: The list contains "speed" (noun), "reliability" (noun), and "it is easy to use" (independent clause).
• Correction: The new software is celebrated for its speed, its reliability, and its ease of use. (Now all three are noun phrases).

Example 2: Verb Tenses and Forms

• Faulty: During the marathon, the runner was sweating heavily, breathed heavily, and felt a cramp in her leg.
• Breakdown: The verbs are "sweating" (present participle), "breathed" (past tense), and "felt" (past tense).
• Correction: During the marathon, the runner sweated heavily, breathed heavily, and felt a cramp in her leg. (Now all three are simple past tense verbs).

STUDENT TRAP: When dealing with prepositions or infinitive markers (like "to"), you can either state the marker before the entire list or repeat it before every single item. Mixing and matching is an error.

• Faulty: She likes to hike, swim, and to ride her bike.
• Correct: She likes to hike, swim, and ride her bike.
• Correct: She likes to hike, to swim, and to ride her bike.

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Parallelism with Correlative Conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions are pairs of words that work together to join equal grammatical elements. The most common pairs tested are:

• Either ... or
• Neither ... nor
• Not only ... but (also)
• Both ... and
• Whether ... or

The rule of parallel structure dictates that whatever grammatical form follows the first half of the pair must exactly match the grammatical form that follows the second half.

Example: Not only / But also

• Faulty: The documentary was not only informative but it also entertained the audience.
• Breakdown: "Not only" is followed by an adjective ("informative"). "But also" (split here as "but it also") is followed by an independent clause ("it... entertained the audience").
• Correction: The documentary was not only informative but also entertaining.

Example: Either / Or

• Faulty: The coach said the team must either improve their defense or they will lose the championship.
• Breakdown: "Either" is followed by a verb phrase ("improve their defense"). "Or" is followed by an independent clause ("they will lose the championship").
• Correction: The coach said the team must either improve their defense or face a loss in the championship. (Now both are verb phrases).

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Parallelism in Comparisons

When you compare two things using words like than or as, the two items being compared must be grammatically parallel and logically equivalent. This overlap between parallelism and logical comparisons is a frequent ACCUPLACER target.

Example: Phrasal Parallelism in Comparisons

• Faulty: Riding a bicycle is more physically demanding than to drive a car.
• Breakdown: The sentence compares a gerund phrase ("Riding a bicycle") to an infinitive phrase ("to drive a car").
• Correction: Riding a bicycle is more physically demanding than driving a car.

Example: Logical Equivalence in Comparisons

• Faulty: The GDP of California is higher than Texas.
• Breakdown: This sentence compares a measurement ("The GDP of California") to a piece of land ("Texas"). This is illogical and breaks structural balance.
• Correction: The GDP of California is higher than that of Texas. (The pronoun "that" stands in for "the GDP").

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Passage-Based Editing Breakdown

Let's examine how parallelism is tested in a paragraph context.

Original Text: (1) The principles of modern graphic design require artists to balance visual weight, to maintain color harmony, and avoiding cluttered layouts. (2) Effective designs not only capture the viewer's attention but also they communicate the underlying message clearly. (3) According to a recent survey, freelance designers prefer working independently rather than to report to a corporate manager.

Analysis & Correction:

• Sentence 1 contains a faulty list. It lists "to balance" (infinitive), "to maintain" (infinitive), and "avoiding" (gerund/participle). We must change the last item to match the infinitives. Correction: "...require artists to balance visual weight, to maintain color harmony, and to avoid cluttered layouts."
• Sentence 2 contains a faulty correlative conjunction setup. "Not only" is followed by a verb phrase ("capture the viewer's attention"). "But also" is followed by an independent clause ("they communicate..."). We must remove the pronoun "they" to make the second half a verb phrase. Correction: "Effective designs not only capture the viewer's attention but also communicate the underlying message clearly."
• Sentence 3 features a faulty comparison. It compares "working independently" (gerund phrase) with "to report to a corporate manager" (infinitive phrase). Correction: "...freelance designers prefer working independently rather than reporting to a corporate manager."

Summary of Strategies

Whenever you spot a list (often indicated by commas and the word and or or), immediately check the grammatical form of each item. When you see paired conjunctions like not only / but also, look at the exact word that immediately follows each part of the pair. If they don't match, the structure is flawed and must be corrected.