List of Parallel Structure Examples for Academic Writing

📚 Quick Study Guide

• ✨ Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance.
• ✍️ It can occur at the word, phrase, or clause level.
• ✅ Common mistakes include mixing verb tenses or using different parts of speech.
• 💡 Look for coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet) which often connect parallel elements.
• 📝 Examples: Not Parallel: *I like to sing, swimming, and to dance.* Parallel: *I like to sing, swim, and dance.*

🧪 Practice Quiz

1. Which of the following sentences demonstrates correct parallel structure?

   1. She enjoys reading, to hike, and knitting.
   2. She enjoys reading, hiking, and to knit.
   3. She enjoys reading, hiking, and knitting.
   4. She enjoys to read, hiking, and knitting.

2. Identify the sentence that maintains parallelism:

   1. He likes to cook, to clean, and gardening.
   2. He likes cooking, cleaning, and to garden.
   3. He likes to cook, cleaning, and to garden.
   4. He likes cooking, cleaning, and gardening.

3. Which sentence correctly uses parallel structure with infinitives?

   1. They planned to study, to exercise, and relaxing.
   2. They planned to study, exercise, and relaxing.
   3. They planned studying, exercising, and relaxing.
   4. They planned to study, to exercise, and to relax.

4. Choose the sentence that uses parallel structure with clauses:

   1. He said that he was tired, that he was hungry, and feeling ill.
   2. He said that he was tired, that he was hungry, and that he felt ill.
   3. He said he was tired, hungry, and that he felt ill.
   4. He said that he was tired, he was hungry, and he felt ill.

5. Which of the following is an example of faulty parallelism?

   1. She is not only intelligent but also she is beautiful.
   2. She is not only intelligent but also beautiful.
   3. Not only is she intelligent, but she is also beautiful.
   4. She is intelligent and beautiful.

6. Select the sentence where the correlative conjunctions are used with parallel structure:

   1. Either you must study hard, or you will fail.
   2. You must either study hard, or failing.
   3. Either you must study hard, or you are failing.
   4. You either must study hard, or you will fail.

7. Which sentence demonstrates correct parallel structure in a list?

   1. The committee considered the report, its implications, and making a decision.
   2. The committee considered the report, its implications, and to make a decision.
   3. The committee considered the report, its implications, and a decision.
   4. The committee considered the report, implying it, and decided.