Grammar Rule 5: Parallelism
TLDRThe video script provides an in-depth explanation of parallelism in writing, emphasizing its importance for creating balanced and harmonious sentences. Parallelism involves ensuring that elements within a sentence, especially when part of a series or paired by conjunctions, maintain the same grammatical form or part of speech. The transcript guides viewers through identifying and correcting parallelism errors, using examples to illustrate common issues and their resolutions. It highlights the use of comma series, conjunctions, correlating conjunctions, and comparative structures as key indicators of potential parallelism problems. The goal is to achieve consistency and balance in sentence construction, making the writing more aesthetically pleasing and easier to understand.
Takeaways
- 📚 **Parallelism Focus**: Parallelism is about achieving balance in sentence construction by ensuring that details in a sentence are expressed in the same form or part of speech.
- 🔍 **Series Consistency**: In a series or list, items should maintain the same grammatical form, such as using past participles consistently or keeping all items in the same tense.
- ✅ **Correction Approach**: To correct a lack of parallelism, adjust the sentence to ensure that all elements in a series or comparison are in the same form or part of speech.
- 🔑 **Common Tip-off**: The presence of commas often indicates a series that should be checked for parallelism.
- 📝 **Identifying Errors**: Look for changes in verb tense, part of speech, or structure within a series as these can signal a lack of parallelism.
- 📐 **Balanced Construction**: Maintaining parallel structure makes sentences more aesthetically pleasing and easier to understand.
- 🔠 **Part of Speech**: Ensure that nouns, verbs, adjectives, and other parts of speech are consistent within their respective series or comparisons.
- 🚫 **Avoid Mixed Forms**: Do not mix different forms of verbs or parts of speech within a series without good reason.
- ➡️ **Conjunction Awareness**: Conjunctions like 'and', 'or', 'but' are common indicators of where parallelism might be expected.
- 📉 **Comparison Consistency**: In comparisons using 'more', 'less', or similar words, the items being compared must be in parallel form.
- 📈 **Tip-off Clues**: Recognizing correlating conjunctions and comparison structures are key to identifying and correcting parallelism errors.
Q & A
What is the main concept of parallelism in writing?
-Parallelism in writing is about balance and ensuring that details in a sentence are expressed in the same form or with the same part of speech, especially when words or phrases are part of a series.
Why is maintaining parallelism important in a sentence?
-Maintaining parallelism is important because it ensures that the sentence looks and sounds balanced, symmetrical, and is aesthetically pleasing to the reader or listener.
What is the most common parallelism tip-off clue on the SAT?
-The most common parallelism tip-off clue on the SAT is the presence of a comma series, which is a series of words or phrases separated by commas.
What should be done if a sentence has a verb in the past participle form and then switches to a past continuous form?
-To maintain parallelism, the sentence should be adjusted so that all verbs are in the same form. If the first two verbs are in the past participle form, the third verb should also be changed to a past participle form.
How can you correct a sentence that has adjectives followed by an independent clause in a comma series?
-To correct the sentence, change the independent clause to an adjective or an adjective phrase that describes the noun in the series, ensuring that all elements in the series are in the same form.
What is the rule for words or phrases in a series joined by a conjunction?
-The rule for words or phrases in a series joined by a conjunction is that they must have the same form or part of speech to maintain parallelism.
What is the issue with the sentence 'The doctor told Tristan to drink soups and shakes but solid foods were to be avoided'?
-The issue is that the sentence lacks parallelism because it switches from an infinitive ('to drink') to an independent clause ('solid foods were to be avoided'). To correct this, the independent clause should be changed to an infinitive form to match the first part.
What are correlating conjunctions and how do they relate to parallelism?
-Correlating conjunctions are pairs of words like 'either...or', 'neither...nor', and 'not only...but also' that connect two elements in a sentence. They are important for parallelism because the elements that follow each part of the conjunction pair should be in the same form or part of speech.
How should you correct a sentence that uses correlating conjunctions without parallelism?
-To correct a sentence with correlating conjunctions that lacks parallelism, ensure that the elements following each part of the conjunction are in the same grammatical form. If they are not, adjust one of the elements to match the other.
What is the role of comparison words like 'more', 'less', 'than' in parallelism?
-Comparison words like 'more', 'less', 'than' indicate that a comparison is being made between two things. For the sentence to be parallel, the elements being compared must be in the same form or part of speech.
How can you identify a potential parallelism error in a sentence?
-Potential parallelism errors can be identified by looking for tip-off clues such as comma series, conjunctions, correlating conjunctions, and comparison words. If these elements are present, check that the items they connect are in the same form or part of speech.
What is the significance of maintaining parallelism in the context of standardized tests like the SAT?
-Maintaining parallelism is significant in the context of standardized tests like the SAT because it is often a criterion for correct sentence structure and can be a focus of the test. Demonstrating an understanding of parallelism can lead to higher scores in the language sections of such exams.
Outlines
📚 Introduction to Parallelism
The first paragraph introduces the concept of parallelism in writing, emphasizing its importance in maintaining balance within a sentence. It explains that parallelism involves ensuring that details in a sentence are expressed using the same grammatical form or part of speech. The paragraph provides an example of a sentence lacking parallelism and shows how to correct it by making all elements of a comma-separated series consistent. It also mentions that one of the most common indicators of parallelism in the SAT is the presence of a comma series.
🔍 Identifying Parallelism with Examples
The second paragraph delves into identifying and correcting parallelism through examples. It discusses the use of comma series as a tip-off clue and the need to maintain consistency in form or part of speech within these series. The paragraph provides three examples, showing how to spot the tip-off clue, identify non-parallel portions, and make corrections to achieve parallelism. It also touches upon the concept of infinitives and the importance of keeping the sentence structure balanced.
📝 Additional Parallelism Tip-Off Clues
The third paragraph presents additional tip-off clues for parallelism, including conjunctions such as 'and,' 'or,' and 'but.' It explains that when two words or phrases are connected by a conjunction, they should be in the same form or part of speech to maintain parallelism. The paragraph provides two examples, illustrating how to identify and correct sentences that lack parallel structure due to the use of conjunctions.
🔄 Correlating Conjunctions and Parallelism
The fourth paragraph focuses on correlating conjunctions like 'neither... nor,' 'either... or,' and 'not only... but also,' which should be followed by parallel structures. The paragraph explains that the items following each half of the correlating conjunction pair need to be parallelized. It provides two examples, showing how to identify the lack of parallelism and make corrections to achieve balance in the sentence.
⚖️ Parallelism in Comparisons
The fifth and final paragraph discusses parallelism in comparisons, noting that when two things are being compared using words like 'more' or 'less,' they must be in the same form or part of speech. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of maintaining balance in comparisons and provides an example of how to correct a sentence that lacks parallelism in a comparative structure. It concludes with a summary of the key points about parallelism and its significance in writing.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Parallelism
💡Balance
💡Part of Speech
💡Comma Series
💡Past Participle
💡Conjunctions
💡Correlating Conjunctions
💡Comparisons
💡Adjectives
💡Infinitives
💡Passive Voice
Highlights
Parallelism is about balance, ensuring that details in a sentence are expressed in the same form or with the same part of speech.
In a series, words or phrases should maintain the same form or part of speech for parallelism.
The most common parallelism tipoff clue on the SAT is the comma series, which follows an X, Y, Z pattern.
To correct a lack of parallelism, maintain consistency by ensuring that all items in a series are in the same grammatical form.
Example sentences illustrate how to correct parallelism by changing verb forms to match the rest of the series.
Adjectives and nouns in a series should be parallelized to maintain grammatical balance.
Conjunctions such as 'and,' 'or,' and 'but' are common indicators of potential parallelism errors.
Correlating conjunction pairs like 'either...or,' 'neither...nor,' and 'not only...but also' require parallelism in the phrases they connect.
When correcting parallelism issues with correlating conjunctions, ensure that the forms following each half of the pair are parallel.
Comparisons using 'more' or 'less' followed by 'than' require the elements being compared to be in the same form or part of speech.
Identifying and correcting parallelism errors can enhance the clarity, balance, and symmetry of sentences.
Spotting the tip-off clues for parallelism, such as comma series and conjunctions, is crucial for maintaining grammatical correctness.
Parallelism in sentence structure is not only about grammar but also about creating sentences that are aesthetically pleasing to the ear.
The importance of parallelism is emphasized in standardized tests like the SAT, where it is a common point of focus.
Practice identifying and correcting parallelism through example sentences to become more adept at recognizing grammatical balance.
Parallelism can be a subtle aspect of grammar, but it plays a significant role in the overall coherence and flow of written and spoken language.
Understanding parallelism helps in constructing well-balanced sentences that effectively convey meaning without grammatical distractions.
Transcripts
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)
Thanks for rating: