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Correcting Faulty Parallelism

Parallelism is the placement of equal grammatical structures in a sentence or clause. There are four types of parallelism: words, phrases, clauses, and sentences. Faulty parallelism occurs when different grammatical structures are used to express similar ideas. To correct faulty parallelism, the sentence must be rewritten so that all parallel ideas are expressed using the same grammatical structure, such as gerunds, infinitive phrases, noun clauses, or prepositional phrases.

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40 views2 pages

Correcting Faulty Parallelism

Parallelism is the placement of equal grammatical structures in a sentence or clause. There are four types of parallelism: words, phrases, clauses, and sentences. Faulty parallelism occurs when different grammatical structures are used to express similar ideas. To correct faulty parallelism, the sentence must be rewritten so that all parallel ideas are expressed using the same grammatical structure, such as gerunds, infinitive phrases, noun clauses, or prepositional phrases.

Uploaded by

JV Mallari
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

- Parallelism is the placement of equal ideas in words, phrases, or clauses in similar types.

Parallel grammatical structures may be made up of two or more words of the same parts of speech,
two or more phrases of the same type, two or more clauses of the same type, or occasionally two or more
sentences of the same type.

PARALLEL WORDS: The wrestler looked strong, fit, and agile.


PARALLEL PHRASES: The greatest pleasure I know is to do a good action by stealth and to have it
found out by accident. – Charles Lamb
PARALLEL CLAUSES: The tennis star whom I have met and whom you saw last Thursday will
speak.
PARALLEL SENTENCES: It couldn’t be, of course. It could never, never be. – Dorothy Parker

- Correct a sentence containing faulty parallelism by rewriting each so that each parallel idea is
expressed in the same grammatical structure.

• Faulty parallelism can involve words, phrases and clauses in series or in comparison.

Nonparallel Words, Phrases, and Clauses in Series.


CORRECTING FAULTY PARALLELISM IN SERIES
Nonparallel Structures Corrected Sentences
Gerund Gerund Noun Gerund Gerund Gerund

Planning, drafting, and revision are three steps in Planning, drafting, and revising are three steps in
the writing process. the writing process.

Infin. Phrase Infin. Phrase Infin. Phrase Infin. Phrase

I was appalled to see her manners, to hear her I was appalled to see her manners, to hear her
Part Phrase Infin. Phrase

bad language, and feeling her intense animosity. bad language, and feeling her intense animosity.
Noun Clause Noun Clause

Some experts feel that our population is too Some experts feel that our population is too
Indep. Clause Noun Clause

large, but it will diminish. large, but that will diminish.

Nonparallel Words, Phrases, and Clauses in Comparisons.

CORRECTING FAULTY PARALLELISM IN COMPARISON


Nonparallel Structures Corrected Sentences
Noun Gerund Phrase Noun Noun

Most people prefer corn to eating Brussels Most people prefer corn to Brussels sprouts.
sprouts.
Prep. Phrase Part Phrase Prep. Phrase Prep. Phrase

I left my job at 7:00p.m. rather than stopping I left my job at 7:00p.m. rather than at the usual
work at 5:00p.m. 5:00p.m.

S DO S S DO S

I delight in foggy days as much as sunny days I delight in foggy days as much as other people
DO DO

delight other people. delight sunny days.

** END **

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