Parallel Structure
Parallel structure uses the same grammatical form for items in a series.
About this topic
Parallel structure (parallelism) means using the same grammatical form for elements in a list or comparison. Incorrect: "She likes hiking, to swim and riding bikes." Correct: "She likes hiking, swimming and riding bikes." It also applies to clauses and correlative pairs ("not only to read but also to write"). Matching forms makes ideas of equal importance look equal.
Parallelism makes sentences balanced, clear and rhythmic, and is a powerful rhetorical device: "I came, I saw, I conquered"; "of the people, by the people, for the people". In editing, check lists, headings and bullet points for consistency. Every item in a list should start with the same part of speech, for example all verbs in the same form, and clauses joined by and, but or or should have matching structure.
Worked example: "The coach told us to run fast, to pass accurately, and that we should stay calm" is faulty. Rewrite as "The coach told us to run fast, pass accurately and stay calm." With correlative pairs, the words after each part must match: "either by phone or by email", not "either by phone or email".
Common mistakes include mixing gerunds and infinitives, dropping a needed word in only one part, and forgetting parallelism in comparisons ("Driving is more dangerous than to walk"). A quick check is to lay out the items on separate lines and see whether they start the same way.
Key ideas
- "She likes reading, writing and running" is parallel
- Mixed forms sound awkward
- Use it in lists and comparisons
Quick check
Use cases: where Parallel Structure helps
- Homework: review the key idea behind Parallel Structure before you start a problem set.
- Exam revision: use the quick check to test whether you can recall Parallel Structure without notes.
- Visual learning: play with the interactive lab to see how Parallel Structure changes when you adjust its inputs.
- Teaching a friend: explain Parallel Structure in your own words, then compare your version with the key ideas.
Strong reading and writing are needed in every subject, job and exam.
Frequently asked questions
What is Parallel Structure?
Parallel structure uses the same grammatical form for items in a series.
What will I learn in Parallel Structure?
"She likes reading, writing and running" is parallel. Mixed forms sound awkward. Use it in lists and comparisons.
Is Parallel Structure part of English?
Yes. It is one of 60 English topics on LearnViz HighSchoolEdu, with 3 key ideas, a live animation and a quick check.
Does the Parallel Structure lab work on a phone or tablet?
Yes. The animation resizes to fit your screen and supports touch, so you can drag, tap and slide with your finger.
How should I study Parallel Structure?
Read the summary and key ideas first, play with the interactive lab to see the idea in motion, then answer the quick check. If you get a question wrong, go back to the key idea it tests.
Do I need an account, and is my progress saved?
No account is needed. Marking a topic as learned is saved in your own browser, so it stays on that device and is not sent to a server.