Parallel sentence, also known as parallel structure, is the repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence.
Parallel structure is achieved by making each compared/listed item or idea in your sentence follow the same grammatical pattern.
Word Form
-
Noun/Pronoun — Noun/Pronoun
-
Adjective –Adjective
- Verb — Verb (must be parallel in tense, form, number)
- Adverb — Adverb
Examples: She is my friend and mentor . (wrong: She is my friend and mentors me.)
John Mark is smart and diligent . (wrong: John Mark is smart and works hard.)
The children ran and hid behind the tree. (wrong: The children ran and were hiding behind the tree.)
You cannot be here and there at the same time. (wrong: You cannot be here and go there at the same time.)
Phrase Form
- Participial Phrase — Participial Phrase
- Prepositional Phrase — Prepositional Phrase
- Verb Phrase — Verb Phrase
- Infinitive Phrase — Infinitive Phrase
- Gerund Phrase — Gerund Phrase
Examples:
Wearing a dark jacket and hiding in the shadows , the man sneaked into the building. (wrong: Wearing a dark jacket and to hide behind the shadows , the man sneaked into the building.)
You can choose to fail or to succeed . (wrong: You can choose to fail or be successful .)
Clause Form
Examples:
There are two kinds of people in the world: those who cheat and those who are cheated .
I admire people whose minds are active and whose hearts are pure.
