2. PARALLELISM
• Parallel sentence elements in grammar are just like
parallel lines in geometry: they face the same direction
and never meet.
• More precisely, in grammar, it’s less about meeting
and more about balance. Parallelism in grammar is
defined as two or more phrases or clauses in a
sentence that have the same grammatical structure.
3.
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6. NONPARALLEL PARALLEL
A coordinator (and, but, or, nor) joins like
elements, such as, noun phrases, verb
phrases, adverb phrases, adjective phrases,
prepositional phrases; gerunds, infinitives
and independent clauses. If the elements are
not grammatically alike, then the sentence
is nonparallel or not parallel.
If a word does not have an equivalent
(same) word form (adjective, noun, adverb,
preposition), then consider a way to reword
the sentence so that the coordinated words
will be alike grammatically. For example,
you can change an adjective to an adverb
expression within a ___ manner.
MIXED ADVERBS
My English is improving slow but surely.
(Adj–Adv)
My English is improving slowly but surely.
We are leaving quickly and quiet. (Adv–Adj) We are leaving quickly and quietly.
We'll can speak specific or generally,
whichever you prefer. (Adj–Adv)
We'll can speak specific or generally,
whichever you prefer.
He works
neither efficiently nor effective. (Adv–Adj)
He works neither efficiently nor effective.
7. MIXED PREP PHRASE—ADVERB
The football player
ran skillfully yet defensive.
(Adv–Adj)
The player ran skillfully and defensively.
The player ran in
a skillful and defensive manner.
He welcomes us friendly and joyfully.
(Adj–Adv) friendly (Adj)
He welcomes us in
a friendly and joyful manner. (PP: Adj–Adj)
MIXED VERBS / INFINITIVES / GERUNDS
She walks and texting at the same time. She talks and texts at the same time.
(present)
You I need to write and communicating with
others.
You need to write and (to) communicate
with others. (Inf)
I really like relaxing and enjoy my quiet
time.
I really like relaxing and enjoying on the
weekend. (Ger)
I spend time listen and laughing at his talk I spend time listening to and laughing at his
8. MIXED PHRASES
The gymnast went around the
bar and swinging over the top.
(prep phrase.–ger. phrase)
The gymnast swung around the
bar and over the top.
(prep. phrase)
In the morning and noon the mail comes.
(prep. phrase–noun)
In the morning and at noon the mail
comes. (prep. phrase)
How to do that and the time I am doing
that is a problem.
(adv. phrase–noun phrase)
How to do that and/or when to do
that is a problem.
(adv. phrase)
I don't care who it is or the product he is
selling, just hang up!
adv. phrase–noun phrase)
I don't care who it is or what he's
selling, just hang up!
(adv. phrase)
9. MIXED CLAUSES
The dog was barking and we
running.
The dog was barking, and we
were running.
We were walking but not tiring. We were walking, but we were
not feeling tired.
We put new batteries in the
toy yet broken.
We put new batteries in the toy,
yet it wasn't working.
