what is parallel construction in an essay

Purdue Online Writing Lab College of Liberal Arts

Parallel Structure

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level. The usual way to join parallel structures is with the use of coordinating conjunctions such as "and" or "or."

Words and Phrases

With the -ing form (gerund) of words:

With infinitive phrases:

(Note: You can use "to" before all the verbs in a sentence or only before the first one.)

Do not mix forms.

Not Parallel: Mary likes hik ing , swimm ing , and to ride a bicycle.

Parallel: Mary likes hik ing , swimm ing , and rid ing a bicycle.

Not Parallel: The production manager was asked to write his report quick ly , accurate ly , and in a detailed manner .

Parallel: The production manager was asked to write his report quick ly , accurate ly , and thorough ly .

Not Parallel: The teacher said that he was a poor student because he wait ed until the last minute to study for the exam, complet ed his lab problems in a careless manner, and his motivation was low.

Parallel: The teacher said that he was a poor student because he wait ed until the last minute to study for the exam, complet ed his lab problems in a careless manner, and lack ed motivation.

A parallel structure that begins with clauses must keep on with clauses. Changing to another pattern or changing the voice of the verb (from active to passive or vice versa) will break the parallelism.

Not Parallel: The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and to do some warm-up exercises before the game.

Parallel: The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, that they should not eat too much, and that they should do some warm-up exercises before the game.

Parallel: The coach told the players that they should get a lot of sleep, not eat too much, and do some warm-up exercises before the game.

Not Parallel: The salesman expected that he would present his product at the meeting, that he would have time to show his slide presentation, and that questions would be asked by prospective buyers. (passive)

Parallel: The salesman expected that he would present his product at the meeting, that he would have time to show his slide presentation, and that prospective buyers would ask him questions.

Lists After a Colon

Be sure to keep all the elements in a list in the same form.

Not Parallel: The dictionary can be used to find these: word meanings , pronunciations , correct spellings , and looking up irregular verbs .

Parallel: The dictionary can be used to find these: word meanings , pronunciations , correct spellings , and irregular verbs .

Proofreading Strategies to Try:

• Skim your paper, pausing at the words "and" and "or." Check on each side of these words to see whether the items joined are parallel. If not, make them parallel.
• If you have several items in a list, put them in a column to see if they are parallel.
• Listen to the sound of the items in a list or the items being compared. Do you hear the same kinds of sounds? For example, is there a series of "-ing" words beginning each item? Or do you hear a rhythm being repeated? If something is breaking that rhythm or repetition of sound, check to see if it needs to be made parallel.

What is Parallelism in Grammar?

Parallel sentence elements in grammar are just like parallel lines in geometry: they face the same direction and never meet.

More precisely, in grammar, it’s less about meeting and more about balance. Parallelism in grammar is defined as two or more phrases or clauses in a sentence that have the same grammatical structure.

Here’s a tip: Want to make sure your writing shines? Grammarly can check your spelling and save you from grammar and punctuation mistakes. It even proofreads your text, so your work is extra polished wherever you write.

Your writing, at its best Grammarly helps you communicate confidently Write with Grammarly

The purpose of parallelism

A sentence with parallel construction makes your writing effective, classy, and certain to impress anyone who reads your work.

How to create parallelism

Here’s a handy trick for testing parallelism : rewrite the sentence for each element that should be parallel. For example:

A sentence with parallel construction makes your writing effective.

A sentence with parallel construction makes your writing classy.

A sentence with parallel construction makes your writing certain to impress anyone who reads your work.

Effective, classy, and certain are all adjectives . Even though “certain to impress anyone who reads your work” is a mouthful compared to the other two, each sentence element is the same part of speech. That makes the sentence balanced, and therefore, parallel.

Parallelism mistakes

Lack of parallelism can happen in a lot of ways, but the mistake is usually clear enough to make you wince when you hear it. Read on for the most common parallelism problems you’ll encounter—and how to avoid them.

Olympic athletes usually like practicing, competing, and to eat ice cream sandwiches.

In this sentence, practicing and competing are gerunds (verbs functioning as nouns) and “to eat” is an infinitive . It sounds pretty awkward—just like being an athlete with a sweet tooth.

Olympic athletes usually like practicing, competing, and eating ice cream sandwiches.

Olympic athletes usually like to practice, compete, and eat ice cream sandwiches.

Note that you don’t need to repeat the “to” in each instance of the infinitive form of the verb. As long as the form of the verb is the same in all three cases, you’re good to go.

Nouns vs. verbs

For dinner we like lamb chops and to fry brussels sprouts.

Lamb chops is a noun. Brussels sprouts is a noun too, but to fry is a verb. 

For dinner we like lamb chops and brussels sprouts.

For dinner we like to grill lamb chops and fry brussels sprouts.

• Noun number

Public transit such as buses or a train can help reduce air pollution.

Multiple buses, one train? That’s not going to solve any environmental issues. Here’s a better solution:

Public transit such as buses or trains can help reduce air pollution.

More mismatched parts of speech

The detective deftly and with pizzazz outlined how the crime had been committed.

What’s the adverb of “pizzazz”? Great question. Both deftly (adverb) and with pizzazz (a prepositional phrase) need to be the same part of speech for this sentence to be properly parallel. And if “pizzazzilly” isn’t a word, that means two nouns are needed.

With deftness and pizzazz, the detective outlined how the crime had been committed.

• Subject matter

He decided to cover the gown in sequins, and had a steak for dinner.

Huh? Unless being a fabulous designer is a recipe for steak, these two actions don’t seem to have much in common. Parallelism in subject matter means that everything discussed in a sentence should have at least some amount of clarity and relatedness.

He decided to cover the gown in sequins, and to celebrate, he had a steak for dinner.

He was hungry after he covered the gown in sequins, so he had a steak for dinner.

The possible connections are endless, but for proper parallelism, that connection must be clear to the reader.

Parallelism in rhetoric

In rhetoric —that is, in the world of literature and speeches, or anytime you want to sound extra fancy— parallelism involves one or more sentences with similar structures to produce a pattern of repetition and balance.

I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

—Walt Whitman, “Song of Myself”

Love me, love me, say that you love me, Fool me, fool me, go on and fool me.

—The Cardigans, “Lovefool”

Easy come, easy go.

—Common saying

Parallelism helps make your writing as neat as a geometry equation. Specifically, one with parallel lines. To keep your writing lined up straight, don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for these elements:

• Matching parts of speech

You know what they say: you win some, you lose some. But use parallelism correctly in your writing and speech, and you’re that much more likely to say: I came, I saw, I conquered.

Welcome to the new OASIS website! We have academic skills, library skills, math and statistics support, and writing resources all together in one new home.

• Walden University
• Faculty Portal

Grammar: Parallel Construction

Parallel construction basics.

Parallel ideas must be presented in parallel grammatical form, which means that each part of a sentence uses the same grammatical structure.

Examples of Parallel Construction

"between" and "and".

Incorrect :  We debated the difference between  the weather in Minnesota in the winter  and  how hot it is in the summer .   Correct :  We debated the difference between  the weather in Minnesota in the winter  and  the weather in Minnesota in the summer.

"Both" and "And"

Incorrect : The films were enjoyable both to watch and for discuss ing .   Correct : The films were enjoyable both to watch and to discuss .

"Neither" and "Nor" ; " Either" and "Or"

Incorrect : Neither the responses to the questionnaire nor what we asked on the survey were answered.   Correct : Neither the responses to the questionnaire nor the responses to the survey were answered.

"Not Only" and "But Also"

Incorrect : It was surprising not only that the house sold, but also it sold well over the asking price.   Correct : It was surprising not only  that the house sold but also that it sold well over the asking price.

Parallel Construction in a List

Sentences with lists require particular attention to parallel construction.

Incorrect: This paper will address No Child Left Behind, how to teach effectively, and instructing with multimedia aids .   Correct: This paper will address No Child Left Behind benchmarks , effective teaching strategies , and multimedia instructional aids .

Now, the list has parallel elements ( benchmarks , strategies , and aids are all plural nouns).

Incorrect: The students were unprepared, poorly behaved, and disrupted the class.   Correct: The students were underprepared , poorly behaved , and disruptive .

Now, the list has parallel elements ("underprepared," "behaved," and "disruptive" are all adjectives).

For more help with parallel structure in a list, see the APA Style blog post on lists .

Common Error: Parallel Structure Video

Note that this video was created while APA 6 was the style guide edition in use. There may be some examples of writing that have not been updated to APA 7 guidelines.

• Common Error: Parallel Structure (video transcript)

Related Resources

Knowledge check: parallel construction.

Didn't find what you need? Email us at [email protected] .

• Previous Page: Run-On Sentences and Sentence Fragments
• Next Page: Relative, Restrictive, and Nonrestrictive Clauses
• Office of Student Disability Services

Walden Resources

Departments.

• Academic Residencies
• Academic Skills
• Career Planning and Development
• Certification, Licensure and Compliance
• Customer Care Team
• Field Experience
• Military Services
• Student Success Advising
• Writing Skills

Centers and Offices

• Center for Social Change
• Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services
• Office of Degree Acceleration
• Office of Research and Doctoral Services
• Office of Student Affairs

Student Resources

• Doctoral Writing Assessment
• Form & Style Review
• Quick Answers
• ScholarWorks
• SKIL Courses and Workshops
• Walden Bookstore
• Walden Catalog & Student Handbook
• Student Safety/Title IX
• Legal & Consumer Information
• Website Terms and Conditions
• Cookie Policy
• Accessibility
• Accreditation
• State Authorization
• Net Price Calculator
• Cost of Attendance
• Contact Walden

Walden University is a member of Adtalem Global Education, Inc. www.adtalem.com Walden University is certified to operate by SCHEV © 2024 Walden University LLC. All rights reserved.

  [email protected]

• English English Spanish German French Turkish

Understanding Parallel Structure in Academic Writing

Maintaining parallel structure prevents writers from making grammatically incorrect sentences and helps them to improve their writing styles. Although lack of parallelism is not always strictly incorrect, sentences with the parallel structure are easier to read and add a sense of balance to your academic writing. In this article, we will focus on what is parallel structure and how to use parallel structure in academic writing.

Academic writing demands correct use of grammar, good language, and proficiency in style. Because of so many rules and regulations, academic writing may seem like a lot of work, but if you practice well enough, you will understand a few tricks here and there that can help you get better at it.

Maintaining parallel structure prevents writers from making grammatically incorrect sentences and helps them to improve their writing styles. Although lack of parallelism is not always strictly incorrect, sentences with the parallel structure are easier to read and add a sense of balance to your academic writing.

If you are wondering how you can improve your academic writing , there are more than a few ways to do it. However, one of the best ways to get started is by understanding and mastering parallel structure. In this article, we will focus on what it is and how you can get better in academic writing by using parallel structure.

What is parallel structure?

Parallel structure  (also called parallelism or parallel construction) is when you use the same way of describing several things in a list. Parallel structure is the process of writing similar items in the same format and can be applied to a single sentence, a paragraph, or multiple paragraphs.

Not Parallel:

Nelson likes hiking, attends the festival, and to take afternoon naps.

Nelson likes hik ing , attend ing the festival, and tak ing afternoon naps.

Nelson likes to  hike , attend the festival, and take afternoon naps.

His research assistant conducted the study using structural equation modeling and perform regression analysis.

His research assistant conducted the study using structural equation modeling and performing regression analysis.

The reason why parallel structure is practiced is that it helps you avoid grammatical errors while at the same time helping you improve your writing style drastically. There are no strict rules which mention that non-parallel structuring is wrong, but using parallel structure helps your writing to seem more balanced and makes it easier to read.

Most Important Language Rules to Improve Your Academic Writing

DOs and DON'Ts: Tips to Improve Your Academic Writing

9 Basic Tips to Improve Your Academic Writing

The Best Ways to Improve Academic Essay Writing

How to implement parallel structure?

Now that we understand what parallel structures are, we will now move on to how you can detect a non-parallel structure  and convert it to parallel. Let us begin!

Locating parallel structures

To begin with, you need to locate the parallel structures first. To do that, you can look out for sentences and parts of your writing that have words, clauses, or phrases together as a series. Here are a few indicators that a sentence(s) is of parallel structure:

If the sentence contains coordinated conjunctions like ‘‘and.’’

Global warming has numerous impacts on nature, including climate change, melting of the ice caps, and heat island.

If the sentence contains correlated conjunctions such as ‘‘but also’’ and ‘‘not only.’’

He applied for a job at not only Company A but also at Company B and C.

Identifying the beginning of the parallel structure

The next thing to do is to recognize the area from where the parallelism begins. In more accurate words, you need to identify the first word that denotes the start of the parallelism. The reason why you need to do this is that:

The starting word will help you determine the form that the following words will take

Determining the spot where the parallelism begins can be flexible, so you need to be sure of where it begins

Analyzing the types of elements used in a sentence

Once you have isolated the words that mark the beginning of the parallelism, you need to next analyze whether the words, phrases, or clauses in the sentences are of the same kind and type.

As mentioned earlier, when you recognize the first word, you will get an idea of what form the following words need to take. It is like the first word is the typesetter for the rest of the following clauses or phrases. Look at the following example:

Your schedule says that you work at the cafe on weekdays, volunteer at the library on Saturdays, and keep Sundays to yourself.

Here, the types of words show that they are all infinitive clauses. This will help you determine how you can form the following words to ensure that they are all parallel.

Keep plurality and forms of the verb in mind

Now, do remember that merely recognizing the type of word the parallel structure has is not enough. You also need to ensure that you keep track of the plurality of the words in the sentence. If the starting word is plural, it would be better if the following words are also in plural form.

Same for the forms of verbs used in the sentence. The forms of verbs should not change in the sentence. If the sentence is following a present tense, ensure that the rest of the words follow the present tense.

Parallel structure — Conclusion

Academic writing can be difficult when you begin with it, but with enough practice, you can become just as good at it. One piece of advice — always gets your word edited and proofread before you submit or publish it.

Editing and proofreading can easily help your work become better, including taking care of the parallel structure. If you cannot edit your work on your own, you can easily rely on professional services.

Six Myths About Academic Editing and Proofreading

Academic Editing vs. Academic Proofreading

How Much Do Proofreading and Editing Cost?

8 Things to Consider Before Hiring Online Editing or Proofreading Services

If you need us to make your manuscript shine, contact us unhesitatingly!

Best Edit & Proof expert editors and proofreaders focus on offering manuscripts with proper tone, content, and style of  academic writing,  and also provide an upscale  editing and proofreading service  for you. If you consider our pieces of advice, you will witness a notable increase in the chance for your research manuscript to be accepted by the publishers. We work together as an academic writing style guide by bestowing subject-area editing and proofreading around several categorized writing styles. With the group of our expert editors, you will always find us all set to help you identify the tone and style that your manuscript needs to get a nod from the publishers.

English manuscript formatting service

You can also avail of our assistance if you are looking for editors who can format your manuscript, or just check on the  particular styles  for the formatting task as per the guidelines provided to you, e.g.,  APA,  MLA, or Chicago/Turabian styles. Best Edit & Proof editors and proofreaders provide all sorts of academic writing help, including editing and proofreading services, using our user-friendly website, and a streamlined ordering process.

Get a free quote for editing and proofreading now!

Visit our  order page  if you want our subject-area editors or language experts to work on your manuscript to improve its tone and style and give it a perfect academic tone and style through proper editing and proofreading. The process of submitting a paper is very easy and quick. Click here to find out how it  works.

Our pricing is based on the type of service you avail of here, be it editing or proofreading. We charge on the basis of the word count of your manuscript that you submit for editing and proofreading and the turnaround time it takes to get it done. If you want to get an instant price quote for your project, copy and paste your document or enter your word count into our  pricing calculator.

24/7 customer support | Live support

Contact us to get support with academic editing and proofreading. We have a 24/7 active live chat mode to offer you direct support along with qualified editors to refine and furbish your manuscript.

Stay tuned for updated information about editing and proofreading services!

Follow us on  Twitter,  LinkedIn,    Facebook,  Instagram,  and  Medium .

For more posts, click  here.  

This brief guide d iscusses what is parallel structure and how to use parallel structure in academic writing. To give you an opportunity to practice proofreading, we have left a few spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors in the text. See if you can spot them! If you spot the errors correctly, you will be entitled to a 10% discount.

• Editing & Proofreading
• Citation Styles
• Grammar Rules
• Academic Writing
• Proofreading
• Microsoft Tools
• Academic Publishing
• Dissertation & Thesis
• Researching
• Job & Research Application

Similar Posts

How to Determine Variability in a Dataset

How to Determine Central Tendency

How to Specify Study Variables in Research Papers?

Population vs Sample | Sampling Methods for a Dissertation

How to Ensure the Quality of Academic Writing in a Thesis and Dissertation?

How to Avoid Anthropomorphism in Your Dissertation?

How to Write a Research Methodology Section for a Dissertation and Thesis

How to Write a Theoretical Framework for a Dissertation and Thesis?

How to Write Literature Review for a Dissertation and Thesis

How to Write a Dissertation and Thesis Introduction

Recent Posts

ANOVA vs MANOVA: Which Method to Use in Dissertations?

They Also Read

Although the rules of English capitalization seem simple at first glance, it might still be complicated in academic writing. You probably know you should capitalize proper nouns and the first word of every sentence. However, in some cases, capitalization is required for the first word in a quotation and the first word after a colon. In this article, you will find 15 basic capitalization rules for English grammer.

Essays are a principal component of academic writing. Scholars and students need to write a plethora of essays on a recurring basis as a core requirement of their research or curricula. Depending on the writing purpose, these essays can be persuasive, narrative, descriptive, or expository. This article expounds on expository essays and suggests some helpful steps to write an expository essay.

While composing a thesis or dissertation, a student must experience some predicted traps. Falling into these traps can affect one’s academic career. However, handling potential blunders and pitfalls wisely, while developing a thesis, can lead you to success. The process of writing may be frustrating but learning about the probable pitfalls may ease your stress. Here, we bring you the list of the most common mistakes we have noticed as a professional proofreading and editing service provider.

The dissertation writing process is a lengthy, extensive and multi-faceted undertaking spanning several months (or even years). It is an exacting exercise comprising several steps, each with its own requisites that scholars need to fulfill duly. Hence, regardless of how strategic and meticulous a scholar's dissertation writing approach is, there are bound to be certain inconsistencies - grammatical errors, incoherent phrasing, inappropriate synonyms, formatting errors, etc., - even in the final draft.

There are several naive job seekers who waste their valuable time and energy designing their resumes instead of writing an eye-catching cover letter. It is too often people looking for a job neglect the importance of a cover letter. This article shows you 10 tips to write a persuasive cover letter for a resume and presents a short guide that will help you draft an impeccable cover letter for a resume.

Parallelism

What the handout is about.

This handout will help you understand what parallelism or parallel structure is and when to use parallelism to improve the clarity, flow, and conciseness of your writing.

Recognizing parallelism

Parallelism occurs when one or more sentences contain two or more elements with the same grammatical or conceptual structure. Less precisely, parallelism occurs when parts of a sentence (or even sentences themselves) are presented in a sequence and have the same basic “shape.” It’s often easy to spot effective uses of parallelism in real sentences. Look for the similarity in the boldface elements of each example.

These are parallel prepositional phrases:

• “…and that government of the people, by the people, for the people , shall not perish from the earth” (Abraham Lincoln, “Gettysburg Address”).

These are parallel past tense verbs:

• “He laid down the carving knife and fork . . put his two hands into his disturbed hair, and appeared to make an extraordinary effort to lift himself up by it.” (Charles Dickens, Great Expectations ).

These are parallel “that” clauses:

• “I could only tell him that I was the happiest woman in all the wide world, and that I had nothing to give him except myself, my life, and my trust, and that with these went my love and duty for all the days of my life” (Bram Stoker, Dracula ).

In his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. uses parallelism to add emphasis and rhetorical force to his argument. Look closely for examples of phrase repetition (“I have a dream that…”) grammatical repetition (by the color of, by the content of, etc.), linking pairs (the red hills of Georgia, the state of Mississippi, etc.) and contrasting pairs (a state of injustice and oppression / an oasis of freedom and justice).

Revising for parallelism

You may have received feedback from an instructor about problems with parallelism, sometimes called “faulty parallelism.” While there is nothing necessarily ungrammatical about non-parallel structures, the consistency and rhythm of parallel structure can improve clarity and flow. To revise, start by identifying elements of writing that could be in parallel form. Then ask yourself whether they are all in the same grammatical form or order.

Non-parallel grammatical structures

• The three pillars of the Mayor’s campaign are supporting local business, reducing crime, and education .

Parallel grammatical structures

• The three pillars of the Mayor’s campaign are supporting local business, reducing crime, and increasing educational funding.
• The three pillars of the Mayor’s campaign are local business development , crime reduction , and education .

Non-parallel terms

• The study included teenagers , people in their thirties , and octogenarians .

Parallel terms

• The study included people in their teens , in their thirties , and in their eighties .

Non-parallel order

• Three fundamental elements of design are line , color , and shape . Line refers to any two connected points, while shape refers to any enclosed space. Color comprises hue, saturation, and brightness.

Parallel order

• Three fundamental elements of design are line , shape , and color . Line refers to any two connected points, while shape refers to any enclosed space. Color comprises hue, saturation, and brightness.

Working parallelism into your writing process

By now you should have a good sense of what parallelism looks like, but you might be wondering how exactly to make sure that you are using it in your own writing. Here are a few approaches you can try:

Be aware of items in series

At the sentence level, notice when you’re writing a list of two, three, or more things—words, phrases, or longer expressions—and try using the same grammatical structure for each item in the series.

At the essay level, notice when you’re writing about topics or concepts that can be enumerated as a series (not just logically sequenced). Play with introducing each concept in the series with a consistent grammatical structure.

When you introduce a series of ideas, notice the order in which you introduce them, and discuss the ideas in the same order.

Listen as you read aloud

When you read aloud, read slowly enough to give voice to each word. This may allow you to notice those items in series that aren’t yet parallel, and may even draw your attention to all sorts of potential revision targets. If a sentence sounds awkward or wordy to you, or if the relationship between the different parts of your sentence seems unclear, that could signal an opportunity to revise with parallel structure. Our handout on reading aloud explains the rationale, strategies, and tools for reading aloud.

Have someone else read your draft

Lastly you can check for parallelism in your writing by asking someone else to read through your draft, and listen for instances of non-parallel structure. Ask a friend or roommate to read through your paper, or schedule an appointment with the Writing Center!

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find the latest publications on this topic. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

Dreyer, Benjamin. 2019. Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style. New York: Random House.

Williams, Joseph. 2000. Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace. Boston: Addison-Wesley.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Make a Gift

Parallel Structure

Definition of parallel structure, everyday examples of parallel structure, examples of parallel structure in literature, example #1:  good faith (by jane smiley).

“I had been short, and now I was tall. I had been skinny and quiet and religious, and now I was good-looking and muscular. It was Sally Baldwin who brought me along, told me what to wear and do and think and say. She was never wrong; she never lost her patience. She created me, and when she was done we broke up in a formal sense, but she kept calling me.”

Example #2:  Goodbye to Forty-Eighth Street (by E.B. White)

“The wheels wheeled, the chairs spun, the cotton candy tinted the faces of children, the bright leaves tinted the woods and hills. A cluster of amplifiers spread the theme of love over everything and everybody; the mild breeze spread the dust over everything and everybody. Next morning, in the Lafayette Hotel in Portland, I went down to breakfast and found May Craig looking solemn at one of the tables and Mr. Murray, the auctioneer, looking cheerful at another.”

Example #3:  Of Studies (by Francis Bacon)

“Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse ; but to weigh and consider.”

Example #4:  Great Expectations (by Charles Dickens)

“A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head. A man who had been soaked in water, and smothered in mud, and lamed by stones, and cut by flints, and stung by nettles, and torn by briars… and glared and growled; and whose teeth chattered in his head as he seized me by the chin.”

Example #5:  Still Life with Woodpecker (by Tom Robbins)

“Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced, not because it has been sober, responsible, and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious, and immature.”

Example #6:  We Real Cool (by Gwendolyn Brooks)

We Real Cool . We Left school. We Lurk late. We Strike straight. We Sing sin. We Thin gin. We Jazz June. We Die soon.

Function of Parallel Structure

Post navigation.

• Humanities ›
• English Grammar ›

Definition and Examples of Parallel Structure

Glossary of Grammatical and Rhetorical Terms

 Chris Saulit / Getty Images

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

In English grammar , parallel structure  involves two or more words , phrases , or clauses that are similar in length and grammatical form. Another word for parallel structure is parallelism .

By convention, items in a series appear in parallel grammatical form: a noun is listed with other nouns, an -ing form with other -ing forms, and so on. "The use of parallel structures," says Ann Raimes in Keys for Writers , "helps produce cohesion and coherence in a text ." In traditional grammar , the failure to express such items in similar grammatical form is called faulty parallelism .

Examples of Parallel Structure

Parallel structure can be observed in many forms of writing. Proverbs , for example, provide a simple way to grasp the concept of parallel structure.

- Easy come, easy go. - No pain, no gain. - Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. - One man's trash is another man's treasure. - A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

Quotes by authors and famous historical figures also illustrate the use of parallel structure.

"Never hurry and never worry!" (Charlotte's advice to Wilbur in Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, 1952)

"It is by logic we prove, but by intuition we discover." (Leonardo da Vinci)

"We spend our youth attempting to change the future, and the rest of our lives trying to preserve the past." (Arthur Bryant in Seventy-Seven Clocks by Christopher Fowler. Bantam, 2005) 

"Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced, not because it has been sober, responsible, and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious, and immature." (Tom Robbins, Still Life with Woodpecker , 1980)

"When success happens to an English writer, he acquires a new typewriter. When success happens to an American writer, he acquires a new life." (Martin Amis, "Kurt Vonnegut: After the Slaughterhouse." The Moronic Inferno . Jonathan Cape, 1986)

"A good ad should be like a good sermon; it must not only comfort the afflicted—it also must afflict the comfortable."​ (Bernice Fitz-Gibbon, Macy's, Gimbels, and Me: How to Earn $90,000 a Year in Retail Advertising . Simon and Schuster, 1967)

"If you are idle, be not solitary; if you are solitary, be not idle." (Samuel Johnson, quoted by James Boswell in The Life of Samuel Johnson , 1791)

"Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider." (Francis Bacon, " Of Studies ," 1625)

"Those who write clearly have readers; those who write obscurely have commentators." (Attributed to Albert Camus)

"I had been short, and now I was tall. I had been skinny and quiet and religious, and now I was good-looking and muscular. It was Sally Baldwin who brought me along, told me what to wear and do and think and say. She was never wrong; she never lost her patience. She created me, and when she was done we broke up in a formal sense, but she kept calling me." (Jane Smiley, Good Faith . Alfred A. Knopf, 2003)

"The wheels wheeled, the chairs spun, the cotton candy tinted the faces of children, the bright leaves tinted the woods and hills. A cluster of amplifiers spread the theme of love over everything and everybody; the mild breeze spread the dust over everything and everybody. Next morning, in the Lafayette Hotel in Portland, I went down to breakfast and found May Craig looking solemn at one of the tables and Mr. Murray, the auctioneer, looking cheerful at another." (E.B. White, "Goodbye to Forty-Eighth Street." Essays of E.B. White . Harper, 1977)

Guidelines for Creating Parallel Structure

To create parallel structure, keep in mind that adjectives should be paralleled by adjectives, nouns by nouns, dependent clauses by dependent clauses, and so on.​

INCORRECT: Your new training program was stimulating and a challenge . (Adjective and noun, stimulating and challenge) CORRECT: Your new training program was stimulating and challenging . (Two adjectives, stimulating and challenging)

Parallelism is especially important in displayed enumerations.

POOR : This article will discuss: 1. How to deal with corporate politics. 2. Coping with stressful situations. 3. What the role of the manager should be in the community.

BETTER : This article will discuss: 1. Ways to deal with corporate politics. 2. Techniques of coping with stressful situations. 3. The​ role of the manager in the community.

OR : This article will tell managers how to: 1. Deal with corporate politics. 2. Cope with stressful situations. 3. Function in the community.

(William A. Sabin, The Gregg Reference Manual , 10th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2005)

"When you write a sentence with a series of clauses , make sure that they start and end the same way. If you don't, you destroy the rhythm you've tried to establish. More important, if you use parallel structures your readers will have a more enjoyable time absorbing and understanding your facts, ideas, and concepts." (Robert M. Knight, A Journalistic Approach to Good Writing . Wiley, 2003)

• Parallelism (Grammar)
• paired construction (grammar)
• Examples of Faulty Parallelism in English Grammar
• Editing Exercise: Faulty Parallelism
• Isocolon: A Rhetorical Balancing Act
• Definition and Examples of Parison
• series (grammar and sentence styles)
• Synthetic Compound Words Examples
• What Is a Rhetorical Climax?
• Euphuism (Prose Style)
• Sentence Completion Exercise: Parallelism
• Tricolon Definition and Examples
• Definition of Deep Structure
• What Is a Tricolon?
• Definition and Examples of End Weight in Grammar
• What Is Transitivity in Grammar?

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

7.3 Parallelism

Learning objectives.

• Identify sentences that are parallel and not parallel.
• Identify ways to create parallelism in writing.
• Write and revise sentences using parallelism.

Earlier in this chapter, we learned that increasing sentence variety adds interest to a piece of writing and makes the reading process more enjoyable for others. Using a mixture of sentence lengths and patterns throughout an essay is an important writing technique. However, it is equally important to avoid introducing variation within individual sentences. A strong sentence is composed of balanced parts that all have the same structure. In this section, we will examine how to create a balanced sentence structure by using parallelism .

Using Parallelism

Parallelism is the use of similar structure in related words, clauses, or phrases. It creates a sense of rhythm and balance within a sentence. As readers, we often correct faulty parallelism —a lack of parallel structure—intuitively because an unbalanced sentence sounds awkward and poorly constructed. Read the following sentences aloud:

Faulty parallelism: Kelly had to iron, do the washing, and shopping before her parents arrived.

Faulty parallelism: Driving a car requires coordination, patience, and to have good eyesight.

Faulty parallelism: Ali prefers jeans to wearing a suit.

All of these sentences contain faulty parallelism. Although they are factually correct, the construction is clunky and confusing. In the first example, three different verb forms are used. In the second and third examples, the writer begins each sentence by using a noun ( coordination , jeans ), but ends with a phrase ( to have good eyesight , wearing a suit ). Now read the same three sentences that have correct parallelism.

Correct parallelism: Kelly had to do the ironing, washing, and shopping before her parents arrived.

Correct parallelism: Driving a car requires coordination, patience, and good eyesight.

Correct parallelism: Ali prefers wearing jeans to wearing a suit.

When these sentences are written using a parallel structure, they sound more aesthetically pleasing because they are balanced. Repetition of grammatical construction also minimizes the amount of work the reader has to do to decode the sentence. This enables the reader to focus on the main idea in the sentence and not on how the sentence is put together.

A simple way to check for parallelism in your writing is to make sure you have paired nouns with nouns, verbs with verbs, prepositional phrases with prepositional phrases, and so on. Underline each element in a sentence and check that the corresponding element uses the same grammatical form.

Creating Parallelism Using Coordinating Conjunctions

When you connect two clauses using a coordinating conjunction ( for , and , nor , but , or , yet , so ), make sure that the same grammatical structure is used on each side of the conjunction. Take a look at the following example:

Faulty parallelism: When I walk the dog, I like to listen to music and talking to friends on the phone.

Correct parallelism: When I walk the dog, I like listening to music and talking to friends on the phone.

The first sentence uses two different verb forms ( to listen , talking ). In the second sentence, the grammatical construction on each side of the coordinating conjunction ( and ) is the same, creating a parallel sentence.

The same technique should be used for joining items or lists in a series:

Faulty parallelism: This committee needs to decide whether the company should reduce its workforce, cut its benefits, or lowering workers’ wages .

Correct parallelism: This committee needs to decide whether the company should reduce its workforce, cut its benefits, or lower workers’ wages .

The first sentence contains two items that use the same verb construction ( reduce , cut ) and a third item that uses a different verb form ( lowering ). The second sentence uses the same verb construction in all three items, creating a parallel structure.

On your own sheet of paper, revise each of the following sentences to create parallel structure using coordinating conjunctions.

• Mr. Holloway enjoys reading and to play his guitar at weekends.
• The doctor told Mrs. Franklin that she should either eat less or should exercise more.
• Breaking out of the prison compound, the escapees moved carefully, quietly, and were quick on their feet.
• I have read the book, but I have not watched the movie version.
• Deal with a full inbox first thing in the morning, or by setting aside short periods of time in which to answer e-mail queries.

Collaboration

Please share with a classmate and compare your answers.

Creating Parallelism Using Than or As

When you are making a comparison, the two items being compared should have a parallel structure. Comparing two items without using parallel structure can lead to confusion about what is being compared. Comparisons frequently use the words than or as , and the items on each side of these comparison words should be parallel. Take a look at the following example:

Faulty parallelism: Swimming in the ocean is much tougher than a pool .

Correct parallelism: Swimming in the ocean is much tougher than swimming in a pool .

In the first sentence, the elements before the comparison word ( than ) are not equal to the elements after the comparison word. It appears that the writer is comparing an action ( swimming ) with a noun ( a pool ). In the second sentence, the writer uses the same grammatical construction to create a parallel structure. This clarifies that an action is being compared with another action.

To correct some instances of faulty parallelism, it may be necessary to add or delete words in a sentence.

Faulty parallelism: A brisk walk is as beneficial to your health as going for a run .

Correct parallelism: Going for a brisk walk is as beneficial to your health as going for a run .

In this example, it is necessary to add the verb phrase going for to the sentence in order to clarify that the act of walking is being compared to the act of running.

On your own sheet of paper, revise each of the following sentences to create parallel structure using than or as .

• I would rather work at a second job to pay for a new car than a loan.
• How you look in the workplace is just as important as your behavior.
• The firefighter spoke more of his childhood than he talked about his job.
• Indian cuisine is far tastier than the food of Great Britain.
• Jim’s opponent was as tall as Jim and he carried far more weight.

Creating Parallelism Using Correlative Conjunctions

A correlative conjunction is a paired conjunction that connects two equal parts of a sentence and shows the relationship between them. Common correlative conjunctions include the following:

• not only…but also
• neither…nor
• rather…than

Correlative conjunctions should follow the same grammatical structure to create a parallel sentence. Take a look at the following example:

Faulty parallelism: We can neither wait for something to happen nor can we take evasive action.

Correct parallelism: We can neither wait for something to happen nor take evasive action.

When using a correlative conjunction, the words, phrases, or clauses following each part should be parallel. In the first sentence, the construction of the second part of the sentence does not match the construction of the first part. In the second sentence, omitting needless words and matching verb constructions create a parallel structure. Sometimes, rearranging a sentence corrects faulty parallelism.

Faulty parallelism: It was both a long movie and poorly written.

Correct parallelism: The movie was both long and poorly written.

To see examples of parallelism in use, read some of the great historical speeches by rhetoricians such as Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. Notice how they use parallel structures to emphasize important points and to create a smooth, easily understandable oration.

Here is a link to text, audio, video, and the music of Martin Luther King’s speech “I Have a Dream”: http://www.mlkonline.net/dream.html .

Writing at Work

Speechwriters use parallelism not only within sentences but also throughout paragraphs and beyond. Repeating particular key phrases throughout a speech is an effective way of tying a paragraph together as a cohesive whole and creating a sense of importance. This technique can be adapted to any piece of writing, but it may be especially useful for creating a proposal or other type of persuasive workplace document.

Note that the spelling and grammar checker on most word processors will not draw attention to faulty parallelism. When proofreading a document, read it aloud and listen for sentences that sound awkward or poorly phrased.

On your own sheet of paper, revise each of the following sentences to create parallel structure using correlative conjunctions.

• The cyclist owns both a mountain bike and has a racing bike.
• The movie not only contained lots of action, but also it offered an important lesson.
• My current job is neither exciting nor is it meaningful.
• Jason would rather listen to his father than be taking advice from me.
• We are neither interested in buying a vacuum cleaner nor do we want to utilize your carpet cleaning service.

Read through the following excerpt from Alex’s essay and revise any instances of faulty parallelism. Rewrite the sentences to create a parallel structure.

Key Takeaways

• Parallelism creates a sense of rhythm and balance in writing by using the same grammatical structure to express equal ideas.
• Faulty parallelism occurs when elements of a sentence are not balanced, causing the sentence to sound clunky and awkward.
• Parallelism may be created by connecting two clauses or making a list using coordinating conjunctions; by comparing two items using than or as ; or by connecting two parts of a sentence using correlative conjunctions.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

• Ask LitCharts AI
• Discussion Question Generator
• Essay Prompt Generator
• Quiz Question Generator

• Literature Guides
• Poetry Guides
• Shakespeare Translations
• Literary Terms

Parallelism

Parallelism Definition

What is parallelism? Here’s a quick and simple definition:

Parallelism is a figure of speech in which two or more elements of a sentence (or series of sentences) have the same grammatical structure. These "parallel" elements can be used to intensify the rhythm of language, or to draw a comparison, emphasize, or elaborate on an idea. The following well-known adage is an example of parallelism: "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." The grammatical structures of the first and second sentences parallel each other.

Some additional key details about parallelism:

• Parallelism can be as simple as choosing grammatically similar elements when writing a list, as in "First do X, second do Y, third do Z."
• In some cases, parallelism involves the exact repetition of words, but all that is required to fit the definition of parallelism is the repetition of grammatical elements.
• Parallelism is a prominent feature of Hebrew and Middle Eastern poetry, and it appears frequently in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

How to Pronounce Parallelism

Here's how to pronounce parallelism: par -uh-lel-iz-em

Parallelism in Grammar vs. in Rhetoric and Literature

The term "parallelism" is used to describe both a figure of speech and a principle in grammar, although its use in each context is slightly different.

Parallelism in Grammar

In grammar, parallelism is the principle that using similar grammatical elements in certain contexts—when making a list, for example—leads to sentences that flow in a more natural way. In the following sets of sentences, the first version is parallel while the second is not. Note how the examples without parallelism are awkward and a little confusing.

In this first set of sentences, the first sentence contains a list of three parallel nouns , while the second combines two nouns with a verb .

• Parallelism: Their son loved playing chess , video games , and soccer .
• No parallelism: Their son loved chess , video games , and to play soccer .

In the second set of sentences, the first contains parallel adjectives , while the second combines two adjectives with a verb .

• Parallelism ( adjectives ): The Bach Sonata was beautiful , moving , and inspiring .
• No parallelism: The Bach Sonata was beautiful , moving , and it inspired .

Parallelism in Rhetoric and Literature

In contrast to the strictly grammatical view of parallelism, in rhetoric and literature parallelism can do much more than just create a pleasing and grammatical sentence structure. Writers use parallel grammatical elements within one sentence or, more broadly, between and among different sentences in a paragraph, for effect : to emphasize ideas or themes , suggest connections, or highlight contrasts, all while adding rhythm to the structure of their expression.

Parallelism and Related Figures of Speech

While parallelism is itself a figure of speech, it can also be seen as a kind of "umbrella" category of a number of different figures of speech. Put another way: there are a number of figures of speech that make use of parallelism in specific ways. It's useful to know what these other terms mean, since technically speaking they are specific types of parallelism.

Parallelism and Antithesis

One literary device that often makes use of parallelism is antithesis . In antitheses, two elements of a sentence are placed in contrast to one another. This opposition is clearest when a writer puts the ideas in parallel positions. Neil Armstrong used antithesis with parallelism when he first stepped onto the surface of the moon in 1969, using the parallel structure of the two halves of his sentence to highlight the contrast between his "small step" and the "giant leap" that this step represented in the history of humanity.

That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.

Parallelism and Anaphora

Another specific type of parallelism is anaphora . This figure of speech involves the repetition of at least one word at the beginning of successive clauses or phrases. In one of Winston Churchill's most famous speeches during World War II, he makes stirring use of anaphora :

.... We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender...

Note that there are also other uses of parallelism in this excerpt of Churchill's speech that do not fall into the category of anaphora. The different locations that Churchill names ("on the beaches...on the landing grounds...in the fields and in the streets...in the hills") create parallelism through their grammatical similarity.

Parallelism and Asyndeton

In asyndeton , a conjunction (such as "and") is omitted between parts of a sentence to create a certain rhythm. Often, this is made possible by parallelism, which helps the reader to interpret the sentence's meaning even when it is not (technically) grammatically correct. In Julius Caesar's famous boast to the Senate after his victory at the Battle of Zela, he makes use of asyndeton because he omits the word "and" before the final clause.

Veni, vidi, vici : I came, I saw, I conquered.

Technically this omission of "and" makes the sentence an example of "comma splicing," which is a grammatical no-no, but the parallelism allows the meaning to come through and creates a pleasing rhythm.

Parallelism and Epistrophe

Epistrophe is the opposite of anaphora . Instead of repeated word(s) at the beginning of successive phrases, epistrophe involves repeating words at the end of successive phrases. Abraham Lincoln employed epistrophe when he declared in his Gettysburg Address that the Union was fighting to defend a government "of the people , by the people , for the people ." Again, this is an example of parallelism as well as epistrophe, since epistrophe is just a specific type of parallelism.

Parallelism Examples

Parallelism examples in literature.

Parallelism occurs frequently in poetry and prose, from ancient Hebrew poetry to contemporary fiction.

Parallelism in Psalms of the Old Testament

Parallelism is found throughout both the Old and New Testaments of the Christian Bible. In this pair of verses from Psalm 24, there are two examples of what biblical scholars call synonymous parallelism , meaning that the idea of the first clause is repeated and rephrased with a parallel grammatical structure in the second clause to emphasize or amplify the point.

The earth is the LORD's and everything in it , the world, and all who live in it ; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters .

Parallelism in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar

In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar , Mark Antony is given the opportunity to speak at the funeral of his recently assassinated friend, Caesar. He uses this chance to incite a riot in the hopes of winning back control of the Senate from the conspirators who assassinated Caesar in the first place.

Friends, Romans, countrymen , lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar , not to praise him . The evil that men do lives after them ; The good is oft interred with their bones ...

The first use of parallelism in Antony's speech comes in the list of nouns with which he calls the crowd to attention, naming their reasons to be loyal listeners as friends and patriotic citizens. Antony then uses parallelism again (with antithesis ) to state his intended purpose by contrasting the verbs "to bury" and "to praise." The third instance of parallelism is also an example of antithesis.

Parallelism in Ernest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms

In this passage from A Farewell to Arms , Hemingway uses repetition and parallelism to create a rhythm that gives his simple style a precise and powerful effect. This repetition continues the matter-of-fact tone in which the narrator is describing the events of the war. This particular parallelism could also be called an example of epistrophe because its repetition occurs at the end of successive clauses.

Up the river the mountains had not been taken ; none of the mountains beyond the river had been taken . That was all left for next year.

Parallelism in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Paul Revere's Ride"

In this famous poem, Longfellow chronicles the ride of Paul Revere on his way to warn colonists of the attacking British soldiers. The first two instances of parallelism are simple repetitions of grammatical elements— first the repetition of a verb phrase, and then a series of adjectives . The third instance is also an example of antithesis (as well as anaphora , with the repetition of "now"). This third parallelism also sets the scene with the striking imagery of the horse's hooves.

He has left the village and mounted the steep And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep , Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides; And under the alders, that skirt its edge, Now soft on the sand , now loud on the ledge , Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides.

Parallelism in Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake

In this short excerpt from Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake , there are several examples of parallelism used to create rhythm within a sentence while elaborating on an idea. Here you can see how even without using the more elaborate versions of parallelism (anaphora, antithesis, asyndeton, etc.), the simple choice to use elements that are grammatically parallel within a sentence helps these sentences to flow effectively.

Without a single grandparent or parent or uncle or aunt at her side, the baby's birth, like most everything else in America, feels somehow haphazard , only half true . As she strokes and suckles and studies her son, she can't help but pity him. She has never known of a person entering the world so alone , so deprived .

Parallelism Examples in Rhetoric

Parallelism can add pleasing rhythm to speech that makes it seem more eloquent, can help to highlight or emphasize ideas, and through its use of repetition can make a speech more persuasive. No wonder politicians and other speech-makers use it all the time.

Parallelism in President John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address

In his first speech to the American public as President, JFK explicitly sent a message to the nations of the world that the United States would undergo any difficulty to defend liberty around the world. In just this one sentence, he uses parallelism in a few places, two of which could also be classified as antitheses .

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill , that we shall pay any price , bear any burden , meet any hardship , support any friend , oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

Parallelism in President George W. Bush's Address to the Nation on Terrorism (September 20th, 2001).

In this speech, delivered just over a week after the attacks of September 11th, President Bush declared a "war on terror." There are three instances of parallelism in just these two sentences, with the first also being an example of anaphora , since it involves a repetition of words at the beginning of a phrase. The second and third uses of parallelism are lists whose parallel structures create rhythm and establishes a link between the many different responses to the terrorist attack.

We have seen the state of our Union in the endurance of rescuers, working past exhaustion. We've seen the unfurling of flags , the lighting of candles , the giving of blood , the saying of prayers —in English , Hebrew , and Arabic .

Parallelism Examples in Song

Parallelism is a common feature of many song traditions. Songwriters use parallelism to create rhythm and link ideas together.

Parallelism in "The House of the Rising Sun"

In this traditional folk song from the American South, made famous by The Animals, parallelism paints a picture of the singer's background, while contrasting his mother's honest profession (tailor) with his father's dishonest one (gamblin' man):

My mother was a tailor She sewed my new blue jeans My father was a gamblin' man Down in New Orleans.

Parallelism in "Days Like This" by Van Morrison

In this song , Van Morrison uses several forms of parallelism, including both anaphora and epistrophe —which, when used together, create symploce . This example makes the rhythmic potential of parallelism clear, and shows its usefulness in song-writing.

When it's not always raining there'll be days like this When there's no one complaining there'll be days like this When everything falls into place like the flick of a switch Well mama told me there'll be days like this .

Why Do Writers Use Parallelism?

Parallelism is an important tool at any writer's disposal, and can be used for a variety of purposes:

• To emphasize the relationship between two or more sentences in a paragraph, or two or more ideas within a single sentence.
• To compare or contrast two different things or ideas.
• To create a stronger sense of rhythm in a text.
• To drive home a point through repetition.
• To elaborate on an idea.

Notice how even the bulleted list above is an example of parallelism. It's easy to read in part because the grammatical structure of each line is identical, beginning with an infinitive ("to" + verb). Parallelism is everywhere because it's one of the rules of grammar that makes ideas (both simple and complex) easier to understand.

Other Helpful Parallelism Resources

• Sound bites from history: This website collects audio samples from speeches in American history, so that you can hear parallelism in action.
• University Webpage: This professor's page includes some helpful breakdowns of sentence structure and grammatically correct examples of parallelism.
• The Wikipedia Entry on Parallelism: A useful rundown of parallelism with relevant examples from throughout world history.

• Figure of Speech
• Blank Verse
• Dynamic Character
• Common Meter
• Juxtaposition
• Anthropomorphism
• Internal Rhyme
• Understatement
• Deus Ex Machina

• Quizzes, saving guides, requests, plus so much more.