📚 Quick Study Guide
🔍 Parallel structure means using the same grammatical form for elements in a list or series.
- 📝 It improves clarity and readability by making your writing consistent.
💡 Key indicators include coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or) and correlative conjunctions (both...and, either...or, not only...but also).
🍎 Ensure all items in a list are nouns, verbs, adjectives, or phrases of the same type.
✏️ Avoid mixing phrases and clauses within the same list.
⚠️ Watch out for common errors like mixing gerunds and infinitives (e.g., *swimming* and *to run*).
Practice Quiz
1. Which sentence demonstrates correct parallel structure?
A. She likes reading, to hike, and to cook.
B. She likes to read, hiking, and cooking.
C. She likes reading, hiking, and to cook.
D. She likes to read, to hike, and to cook.
2. Identify the sentence with faulty parallelism:
A. He is not only intelligent but also kind.
B. He is not only intelligent but also he is kind.
C. She enjoys both reading and writing.
D. They planned to paint, to sing, and to dance.
3. Which of the following uses parallel structure correctly?
A. The cat is soft, cuddly, and it purrs loudly.
B. The cat is soft, cuddly, and purring loudly.
C. The cat is soft, to be cuddly, and purring loudly.
D. The cat is soft, cuddly, and with a loud purr.
4. Choose the sentence where the underlined portions maintain parallel structure:
A. He likes *to swim*, *to bike*, and *running*.
B. He likes *swimming*, *biking*, and *to run*.
C. He likes *to swim*, *to bike*, and *to run*.
D. He likes *swimming*, *to bike*, and *running*.
5. Which sentence is the BEST example of parallel structure?
A. Mary likes singing and she likes to dance.
B. Mary likes to sing and also dancing.
C. Mary likes to sing and to dance.
D. Mary likes singing and dancing, too.
6. Find the sentence that correctly uses parallel structure with correlative conjunctions:
A. Both John likes to read and he enjoys writing.
B. John likes both reading and to write.
C. John likes both to read and to write.
D. John likes both reading and writing.
7. Which option correctly completes the sentence with parallel structure: "The job requires patience, skill, and..."
A. ...being dedicated.
B. ...dedication.
C. ...to be dedicated.
D. ...one must be dedicated.
Click to see Answers
- D
- B
- B
- C
- C
- D
- B