Parallelism | PDF - Free Printable

The task is to rewrite each sentence so that the parts being compared or listed follow the same grammatical structure — this is called “parallelism.” When things are parallel, they look and sound alike in form. For example, if you say “I like running, swimming, and biking,” all three are -ing verbs — that’s parallel. If you say “I like running, to swim, and biking,” that’s not parallel — it’s confusing.

Let’s go one by one:

1. Original: “My parents considered getting a divorce or they would obtain a legal separation.”
→ Problem: “getting a divorce” (gerund phrase) vs. “they would obtain...” (full clause). Not parallel.
→ Fix: Make both sides match. Either both gerunds or both clauses.
→ Better: “My parents considered getting a divorce or obtaining a legal separation.”
(Both are -ing phrases → parallel!)

2. Original: “Meaghan was excited by the prospect of visiting Paris, or that she might attend a family reunion in Italy.”
→ Problem: “visiting Paris” (gerund phrase) vs. “that she might attend...” (clause). Not parallel.
→ Fix: Make both gerunds or both clauses.
→ Better: “Meaghan was excited by the prospect of visiting Paris or attending a family reunion in Italy.”
(Both are -ing phrases → parallel!)

3. Original: “Katherine told me that after school she would practice volleyball, conduct the science experiment, and she would also apply for a job at Starbuck’s.”
→ Problem: First two items are verbs (“practice”, “conduct”), third is a full clause (“she would also apply...”). Not parallel.
→ Fix: Make all three verbs without repeating “she would”.
→ Better: “Katherine told me that after school she would practice volleyball, conduct the science experiment, and apply for a job at Starbucks.”
(All three are base verbs → parallel!)

4. Original: “Publishing the first edition of the literary magazine and the fact that the editorial staff attended the FCCPA conference in Daytona Beach cost the administration $8000.”
→ Problem: “Publishing...” (gerund phrase) vs. “the fact that...” (noun phrase with clause). Not parallel.
→ Fix: Make both gerund phrases or both noun phrases.
→ Better: “Publishing the first edition of the literary magazine and attending the FCCPA conference in Daytona Beach cost the administration $8000.”
(Both are -ing phrases → parallel!)

5. Original: “The veterinarian examined the lab results, consulted with a colleague, and he also studied the stool specimen under a microscope before meeting with the owner of the expensive bulldog.”
→ Problem: First two are simple past verbs (“examined”, “consulted”), third is “he also studied...” (adds subject and adverb). Not parallel.
→ Fix: Remove “he also” to make all three simple past verbs.
→ Better: “The veterinarian examined the lab results, consulted with a colleague, and studied the stool specimen under a microscope before meeting with the owner of the expensive bulldog.”
(All three are simple past verbs → parallel!)

6. Original: “Kiara’s ability to read complex passages quickly is greater than Sally.”
→ Problem: Comparing “ability” to “Sally” — that’s like comparing apples to people! Should compare ability to ability.
→ Fix: Add “Sally’s” to show we’re comparing abilities.
→ Better: “Kiara’s ability to read complex passages quickly is greater than Sally’s.”
(Now it’s “ability” vs. “Sally’s [ability]” → parallel!)

7. Original: “After Neil ran home, he thought he would either play basketball or he might also study his piano lessons.”
→ Problem: “play basketball” (base verb) vs. “he might also study...” (full clause). Also, “either...or” should connect matching structures.
→ Fix: Make both sides base verbs after “either...or”.
→ Better: “After Neil ran home, he thought he would either play basketball or study his piano lessons.”
(Both are base verbs → parallel!)

8. Original: “Jasmine not only listens to political speeches; she analyzes them and posts her opinions on Facebook.”
→ Problem: “not only listens...” but then “she analyzes...” — breaks the “not only...but also” pattern. Also, semicolon doesn’t fit well here.
→ Fix: Use “not only...but also” with matching verbs.
→ Better: “Jasmine not only listens to political speeches but also analyzes them and posts her opinions on Facebook.”
(“listens”, “analyzes”, “posts” — all base verbs after “not only...but also” → parallel!)

Final Answer:
1. My parents considered getting a divorce or obtaining a legal separation.
2. Meaghan was excited by the prospect of visiting Paris or attending a family reunion in Italy.
3. Katherine told me that after school she would practice volleyball, conduct the science experiment, and apply for a job at Starbucks.
4. Publishing the first edition of the literary magazine and attending the FCCPA conference in Daytona Beach cost the administration $8000.
5. The veterinarian examined the lab results, consulted with a colleague, and studied the stool specimen under a microscope before meeting with the owner of the expensive bulldog.
6. Kiara’s ability to read complex passages quickly is greater than Sally’s.
7. After Neil ran home, he thought he would either play basketball or study his piano lessons.
8. Jasmine not only listens to political speeches but also analyzes them and posts her opinions on Facebook.