This document discusses parallel structures and fixing sentence problems in academic writing. It defines parallelism as using the same grammatical pattern when listing or comparing items. Examples show proper and improper parallel constructions. It also discusses sentence problems like fragments, choppy sentences, and stringy sentences. It provides tips on how to identify and fix these problems, such as combining short choppy sentences or dividing long stringy sentences.

1. ACADEMIC WRITING
USING PARALLEL STRUCTURES AND
FIXING SENTENCE PROBLEMS
1

2. USING PARALLEL STRUCTURES
AND FIXING SENTENCE PROBLEMS
PARALLELISM means that each item in a
list or comparison follows the same
grammatical pattern.
PARALLELISM is important in
writing, especially when you are listing and
comparing and contrasting items or ideas.

3. Examples:
PARALLEL
Mary likes hiking, swimming, and bicycling.
Mary likes to hike, swim, and ride a bicycle.
NOT PARALLEL
Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a
bicycle.

4. Words, phrases and clauses that are joined by
and, or, and but are written in parallel form.
Example:
The states regulate the noise created by motor
vehicles but not by commercial aircraft.

5. Use parallel forms with the paired
conjunctions:
both…and
either…or
neither…nor
not only… but also
Humanity will have the information it needs
not only to survive but also to thrive in a
world that is changing at a rapid pace.

6. SENTENCE PROBLEMS include:
Sentence Fragments are incomplete
sentences or parts of sentences.
A complete sentence must contain at least
one main or independent clause.

7. Toys of all kinds thrown everywhere.
Toys of all kinds were thrown everywhere.
They found toys of all kinds thrown
everywhere.
Source: http://www.hamiltonbulldogs.com/article/toy-toss-to-take-place-on-december-4

8. Choppy sentences are sentences that are
too short.
The overuse of short sentences is considered
poor style in academic writing.
 In these cases, it is better to turn your
choppy sentences into longer, more
complex ones by making them compound
sentences with several subjects and verbs.

9. Short choppy sentences may be turned into
complex sentences by turning one sentence
into a phrase or clause and adding a
subordinating conjunction.
The basin is empty. You climb in there and
scrub.
When the basin is empty, you climb in there
and scrub.

10. Ifthe sentences express equal ideas, use
coordinators to combine them.
If the sentences express unequal ideas, that
is, if one sentence express a less important
idea than the other, use subordinators to
combine them.

11.  A stringy sentence is a sentence with
too many independent clauses.
To correct a stringy sentence, divide it
and/or recombine the clauses, remembering
to subordinate when appropriate.

12. My family left our homeland, and we lived in
a refugee camp for several months, but
finally we got our documents, so we traveled
to Canada, and we live there now.
After my family left our homeland, we lived
in a refugee camp for several months. As
soon as we got our documents, we traveled
to Canada, where we live now.

13. THANK YOU