Parallel Structure
TLDRThe video script emphasizes the importance of parallel structure in writing to enhance clarity and uniformity of sentences. It explains that parallelism involves maintaining grammatical consistency, particularly with nouns, infinitives, prepositional phrases, and subordinate clauses. The script provides examples of incorrect and corrected sentences to illustrate how to achieve parallelism, such as ensuring that verbs and phrases are in the same form when connected by 'and' or 'or'. It also discusses the use of lists and the impact of sentence structure on parallelism. The video offers practical advice on identifying and correcting parallel structure issues, including looking for conjunctions like 'and' and 'or', ensuring lists are consistent, and reading sentences aloud to check for rhythm. The goal is to improve academic writing skills and make sentences sound more harmonious and professional.
Takeaways
- 📚 Parallel structure in writing is crucial for making sentences sound uniform and ensuring that ideas and words are balanced grammatically.
- 🔍 To maintain parallelism, ensure that nouns, verbs, and phrases are in the same form, such as using gerunds or infinitives consistently.
- ✅ Correct parallel structure: 'I like running and jumping,' not 'I like running and to jump.'
- ❌ Avoid mixing forms: 'John likes reading and to play basketball,' should be 'John likes reading and playing basketball.'
- 🔄 When using conjunctions like 'and' or 'or,' keep the forms of the words or phrases that follow them parallel.
- 📝 In lists, maintain parallel structure by ensuring all items are in the same grammatical form, like 'quickly, accurately, and precisely.'
- 👍 For improved parallelism, sometimes rephrasing is necessary, such as changing 'to make friends to learn a skill and having a good time' to 'to make friends, to learn a skill, and to have a good time.'
- 🚫 Avoid mixing forms in phrases, like 'after he does his homework or to relax' should be 'after he does his homework or when he wants to relax.'
- 💡 Reading sentences out loud can help identify rhythm issues and detect non-parallel structures.
- 🔑 Look for sentences containing 'and,' 'or,' 'not only,' and 'but also' to check for parallel structure.
- ✍️ When in doubt, rephrase sentences to maintain grammatical consistency and parallelism, such as 'having good sense and being thoughtful' becoming 'having good sense and thoughtfulness.'
Q & A
What does parallel structure in writing refer to?
-Parallel structure in writing refers to the use of a balanced grammatical form for all items in a series or comparison, ensuring that nouns, pronouns, verbs, or other parts of speech are in the same form to create a uniform and coherent sentence structure.
Why is maintaining parallel structure important in academic writing?
-Maintaining parallel structure is important because it makes sentences sound more uniform and coherent. It helps to clearly convey the intended meaning without causing confusion, and it is often expected in academic writing to demonstrate clarity and precision in expression.
What is an example of a non-parallel sentence and how can it be corrected?
-A non-parallel sentence could be: 'John likes reading and to play basketball.' To correct this, we make both actions parallel: 'John likes reading and playing basketball.'
How can you identify if a sentence has a parallel structure problem?
-You can identify a parallel structure problem by looking for sentences that contain words like 'and', 'or', or 'but' and checking if the ideas connected by these words are in the same grammatical form. Reading the sentences out loud can also help to hear if the rhythm is off.
What is the issue with the sentence 'John likes to read but not playing basketball'?
-The issue is that the sentence is not parallel. 'John likes to read' is an infinitive phrase, while 'not playing basketball' is a gerund phrase. It should be corrected to 'John likes to read but does not like to play basketball' or 'John likes reading but not playing basketball'.
How can you ensure that phrases in a sentence are parallel?
-To ensure phrases are parallel, they should follow the same grammatical pattern. For instance, if you have two phrases connected by 'and' or 'or', they should both be in the same form, such as two gerunds, two infinitives, or two prepositional phrases.
What is the corrected form of the sentence 'The manager wrote up his report quickly, accurately and in detail'?
-The corrected form to maintain parallel structure would be 'The manager wrote up his report quickly, accurately, and precisely.' All three adverbs end in '-ly', making them parallel.
How should lists in a sentence be structured to be parallel?
-Lists in a sentence should have all items in the same grammatical form. For example, if listing activities, all activities should be in the gerund form (ending in '-ing'), or if listing infinitives, they should all be in the 'to + verb' form.
What is a tip for avoiding problems with parallel structure?
-One tip is to look for sentences containing 'and', 'or', or 'but' and ensure the connected ideas are in parallel structure. Also, reading sentences out loud can help identify non-parallel structures by noticing any irregular rhythm or flow.
How can changing the words help make a sentence more parallel?
-Changing the words can help by converting them into a form that matches the other elements in the sentence, thus creating a parallel structure. For example, changing 'to write better instructions' to 'writing better instructions' to match 'changing the price'.
What is the parallel structure in the sentence 'Managing your money well is preparing for the future'?
-The parallel structure is achieved by having both parts of the equation in the '-ing' form: 'managing' and 'preparing'. This maintains a consistent grammatical structure.
What is the difference between parallel and non-parallel words in a sentence?
-Parallel words in a sentence are those that are in the same grammatical form, such as all verbs in the infinitive form (to run, to jump) or all nouns in the plural form (apples, bananas). Non-parallel words do not follow this pattern and can disrupt the flow and clarity of the sentence.
Outlines
📚 Understanding and Fixing Parallel Structure in Writing
This paragraph introduces the concept of parallel structure in writing and its importance for academic essays. It explains that parallel structure involves maintaining grammatical balance in sentences, which can apply to words, phrases, or lists. The paragraph provides examples of incorrect and corrected sentences to illustrate the concept, emphasizing the need for uniformity in sentence construction. It also covers the use of nouns, infinitives, prepositional phrases, and subordinate clauses in parallel structure. The key takeaway is that parallelism in writing helps to ensure clarity and coherence.
📝 Maintaining Parallelism in Lists and Sentences
The second paragraph delves into the application of parallel structure in lists and sentences. It provides examples of sentences where parallel structure is incorrectly applied and then corrected, demonstrating the proper use of verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. The paragraph emphasizes the need to keep the forms consistent within a list or a series of phrases. It also touches on the use of conjunctions like 'and', 'or', and 'but', and how they should be used to maintain parallelism. The goal is to ensure that the sentence flows smoothly and that the ideas are presented in a clear, uniform manner.
🎓 Tips for Avoiding Parallel Structure Errors
The final paragraph offers advice on how to avoid problems with parallel structure. It suggests looking for sentences containing 'and', 'or', and checking for parallelism. The paragraph also recommends ensuring that any lists of words or ideas are parallel and that reading sentences aloud can help detect rhythm issues. It concludes by reiterating the importance of parallel structure in writing and encourages careful consideration of word forms to maintain parallelism, wishing the reader happy writing.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Parallel structure
💡Academic writing
💡Grammar balance
💡Nouns
💡Infinitives
💡Prepositional phrases
💡Subordinate clauses
💡Sentence rhythm
💡And, but, or
💡Lists
💡Adverbs ending in -ly
💡Writing improvement
Highlights
Parallel structure in writing is essential for making sentences sound uniform and balanced.
Parallelism can involve nouns, infinitives, prepositional phrases, and subordinate clauses.
Using nouns in a sentence should maintain parallel form, such as 'running and jumping', not 'running and to jump'.
When using infinitives, maintain consistency, e.g., 'to run and to jump', not 'to run and jumping'.
Prepositional phrases should be parallel, e.g., 'in the morning and at the corner'.
Subordinate clauses should pair with another clause, avoiding a mix of forms like 'because he helps and to eat'.
Parallel words should be in the same form, unlike non-parallel words which lack the same pattern.
Avoid mixing forms in sentences that use 'and' or 'or', ensuring that the elements are in the same grammatical form.
Examples provided show how to correct sentences like 'John likes reading and to play basketball' to 'John likes reading and playing basketball'.
Phrases should also maintain parallel structure, as shown in the correction from 'after he does his homework or to relax' to 'after he does his homework or when he wants to relax'.
Lists in sentences should follow parallel structure, such as changing 'reading running and to play basketball' to 'reading, running, and playing basketball'.
Adverbs in a list should be parallel, like 'quickly, accurately, and precisely'.
Correcting non-parallel structures can involve rephrasing, as in changing 'to make friends to learn a skill and having a good time' to 'to make friends, to learn a skill, and to have a good time'.
Sentences using 'not only but also' should maintain parallel structure, avoiding phrases like 'he also argued'.
Practicing parallel structure involves looking for sentences with 'and', 'or', and checking lists for consistency.
Reading sentences aloud can help identify non-parallel structures by noticing rhythm discrepancies.
Parallel structure is crucial for clear and effective writing, and careful attention to it can enhance the quality of written work.
Transcripts
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