PARALELLISM

DISCUSSANT: PROF. RENATO O. ESCANDOR, MEM

 DEFINITION

ALSO KNOWN AS PARALLEL

STRUCTURE OR PARALLEL
CONSTRUCTION
 PARALLELISM

is a balance within one or more sentences of

similar words, phrases, or clauses that have
the same grammatical structure.
Parallel structure adds both clout and clarity
to your writing.
UNDERSTANDING PARALLEL
STRUCTURE

- is the repetition of a chosen grammatical

form within a sentence.
 CONJUNCTION?
A parallel structure usually achieved with the help of specific
conjunctions.
F or
A nd
N or
B ut
O r
Y et
S o
 WHERE?

EXAMPLE:
Alyzza likes hiking, the sweet songs, and to
take afternoon naps.
Not Parallel
 WHERE?

EXAMPLE:
Alyzza likes hiking, the sweet songs, and to
take afternoon naps.
Not Parallel
 WHERE?

PARALLEL:
Alyzza likes hiking every month, singing
sweet songs, and taking afternoon naps.
 WORD
• I love to eat apples, oranges, and grapes.
Noun

• I love the way she winks, smiles, and

giggles.
Verb
 WORD
• Michael loves a girl who is witty, pretty,
and smart.
Adjective
• Stephanie dances gracefully and
beautifully.
Adverb
 WORD and PHRASE
GERUND (word)
•Earl John loves singing, dancing, and
acting.
GERUND phrase
•Earl John loves singing love songs, dancing
“Tala’s” moves, and acting comedy play.
 PHRASE
• My best friend Jonna Mae wishes to go on
a vacation and to eat pizza for dinner.
Infinitive Phrase

• Kian Vince wants Talking bird and

Whistling kettle as gifts for him.
Participial Phrase
 PHRASE

• Reading fictional stories, playing Tong-its

with friends, and going to the theater are
Milgrosa’s favorite things to do.
Noun Phrase
 PHRASE

• Larry drove to the lake, parked and gazed 

out over the water.
Verb Phrase
 PHRASE

• The group travelled by plane, by

bus and by car.
Prepositional Phrase
 CLAUSE
• Jhoanalei hates you because you cannot
fix your problem with your ex boyfriend,
because you do not dare to move on, and
because you cannot settle it with your own
right away.
Dependent Clause
 CLAUSE
• Jhoanalei hates you because you cannot
fix your problem with your ex boyfriend,
because you do not dare to move on, and
because you cannot settle it with your own
right away.
Dependent Clause
 CLAUSE
• Industrial workers are understandably
disturbed that they are losing their jobs
and no one seems to care.
Faulty parallel
• Industrial works are understandably
disturbed that they are losing their jobs
and that no one seems to care.
Parallel
 CLAUSE
• I will buy it and I will show it to you later
on.
• He came, he saw, and he conquered.
• The present government has ruined the
economy; it has ruined the education
system; and it has ruined the health
system of our country.
 PREPOSTIONS AND
ARTICLES
An article or a preposition applying to all the
members of a series must neither be used
only before the first term or else be repeated
before each term.
 PREPOSTIONS AND
ARTICLES
• Most of the tourists came here are the
Filipinos, the Americans, and the
Japanese.

• Which do you prefer to live for good, in

Manila, in Cebu, or in Cavite?
 PREPOSTIONS AND
ARTICLES
• Whether in class, at work, or at home,
Alvin Chuck was busy.

• Christine Rose can pay with a mark, a

peso, a yen, a buck, or a pound.
 COMPARISONS
• Your shoes are more expensive than my
brother.
Faulty Parallel

• Your shoes are more expensive than my

brother’s.
Parallel
 COMPARISONS
• How you live your life is just as important
as the many money you make.
Faulty parallel

• How you live your life is as just important

as how much money you make.
Parallel
 CORRELATIVE
CONJUNCTIONS
When you connect two clauses or phrases
with a correlative conjunction ( not only…
but also; either … or; neither … nor; if …
then; First … second… third; etc.), use
parallel structure.
• My dog not only likes to play fetch, but
also chase cars.
Faulty parallel
• My dog not only likes to play fetch, but he
also likes to chase cars.

or
• My dog not only likes to play fetch, but
also to chase cars.
 Let us try. . .
Monica brewed espresso, steamed milk, and
tells jokes as she prepared Mike’s latte.

Answer:
Monica brewed espresso, steamed milk, and
told jokes as she prepared Mike’s latte.
• Natasha tried holding her breath, chewing
a piece of gum, and poking her belly, but
she could not quiet her empty stomach,
which rumbled during the chemistry exam.
Parallel
• Every morning, we make our bed, eating
breakfast and feed the dog.
Faulty Parallel
Answer:
Every morning, we make our bed, eat
breakfast and feed the dog.
• They argued not only about the article, but
they argued also about the review.
Faulty Parallel
Answer:
They argued not only about the article, but
also about the review.
• The teacher told them to study and that
they should practice their words every
night.
Faulty Parallel
Answer:
The teacher told that they need to study and
that they should practice their words every
night.
• The following activities can be done at the
mall: buying groceries, eating lunch and
bill payment.
Faulty Parallel
Answer:
The following activities can be done at the
mall: buying groceries, eating lunch and
paying bills.
Getzzzz?