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Unit 13
Parallelism & Balance
consistency of structure
What is Parallelism?
Parallelism (parallel structure) means using the same grammatical form for related words or ideas. It makes writing clearer, more balanced, and more memorable — and is essential in formal, academic, and persuasive writing.
❌ She likes to swim, running, and to hike. → ✅ She likes to swim, to run, and to hike.
Types of Parallelism
| Level | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Word | Same part of speech | She is kind, smart, and brave. |
| Phrase | Same phrase form | They enjoy reading books and playing chess. |
| Infinitive | to + verb throughout | He likes to read, to write, and to travel. |
| Gerund | verb-ing throughout | She enjoys dancing, singing, and acting. |
| Clause | Balanced full clauses | The team worked hard, and the leader stayed strong. |
Parallelism in Lists
Choose ONE form for all items in a list and stay consistent.
| Wrong ❌ | Correct ✅ |
|---|---|
| The job requires creativity, to be organized, and working fast. | The job requires creativity, organization, and speed. |
| She wants to travel, meeting new people, and learning languages. | She wants to travel, to meet new people, and to learn languages. |
Correlative Conjunctions — Must Be Parallel
| Conjunction | Correct | Wrong |
|---|---|---|
| both...and | She is both intelligent and kind. | ❌ both intelligent and has kindness |
| either...or | You can either stay or leave. | ❌ either stay or to go |
| neither...nor | He is neither tall nor short. | ❌ neither tall nor has height |
| not only...but also | He not only plays but also writes. | ❌ not only plays but also a songwriter |
Parallelism in Comparisons
| Wrong ❌ | Correct ✅ |
|---|---|
| I prefer reading books to watch movies. | I prefer reading books to watching movies. |
| More interested in science than to study history. | More interested in science than in history. |
Rhetorical Parallelism
Parallelism creates rhythm and persuasive power in speeches and writing.
- "I came, I saw, I conquered." — Julius Caesar
- "Government of the people, by the people, for the people." — Lincoln
- ✅ The company values integrity, efficiency, and innovation.
Repeating Prepositions, Articles & Tenses
- Repeat the preposition when it differs or for clarity: She is interested in art and in music. · He is good at maths but bad at spelling.
- Keep the tense consistent: She opened the door, looked around and left. (not
looks around and left) - With rather than / than / as, match the forms: I'd rather walk than drive. · Walking is as healthy as running.
- With between ... and: a choice between staying and leaving (not
between staying and to leave).
Common Mistakes
She likes reading, to swim, and dance.
→
She likes reading, swimming, and dancing.
Keep the same form — all gerunds here.
Either study or to work hard.
→
Either study or work hard.
After either...or, use the same verb form: study / work.
He is both honest and works hard.
→
He is both honest and hard-working.
Both sides must be adjectives.
We will plan carefully, efficient, and creatively.
→
We will plan carefully, efficiently, and creatively.
All adverbs needed: carefully / efficiently / creatively.
The goal is to inspire, motivate, and students' improvement.
→
The goal is to inspire, to motivate, and to improve students.
All three must be infinitives.
She opened the door, looks around and left.
→
She opened the door, looked around and left.
Keep all verbs in the same tense.
a choice between staying and to leave
→
a choice between staying and leaving
between ... and → same form.