Parallelism

September 17, 2025

Posted by STLCC in Tutoring Resources 

Two or more parts of a sentence are said to be parallel when they have the same grammatical structure.

Balancing a Sentence

If you lost one of several black buttons from your coat, you would probably not replace it with a red button. A sense of proportion and harmony, a sense of balance, would tell you to use a button like the one you lost. In like manner, parts of a sentence that have the same thought value or function should balance; they should be in the same grammatical form.

Example: I came, I saw, I conquered.

The famous words of Julius Caesar would not have nearly the impact they do had he said, “I came, I was seeing, I wanted to conquer.” The coming, the seeing, and the conquering all have the same importance in his statement. They all serve the same function. Because identical grammatical forms were used for each (simple past tense verbs—came, saw, conquered), the sentence balances; it is parallel.

Correcting Faulty Parallelism

Look at the following examples and notice the lack of balance in the original sentences and the sense of balance or parallelism in the corrected versions.

Faulty: I like to swim and hunting.

Corrected: I like swimming and hunting. or I like to swim and to hunt.

Faulty: The president has the power, the means, and should end poverty in America.

Corrected: The president has the power and the means to end poverty in America.
(Power and means are both nouns; should end, a verb phrase, does not match the list.)

Faulty: The class is not always worthwhile or a challenge.

Corrected: The class is not always worthwhile or challenging.
(Both ideas are now expressed as descriptive words.)

Faulty: I hoped that my family would arrive safely and to enjoy each other’s company.

Corrected: I hoped that my family would arrive safely and that we would enjoy each other’s company.

Using Conjunctions for Parallel Structure

Connecting words like and and or often link parallel parts. Other conjunctions such as nor, for, so, yet, and but also act as equalizers, joining ideas that are equally important. Those equal ideas should be expressed in equal or similar patterns.

Sometimes, two words work together as coordinators:

• both … and
• either … or
• not only … but also
• not … but
• whether … or

With these pairs, make certain the word or phrase that follows each coordinator is of the same kind.

Examples:

Both swimming and running are great forms of exercise.

For her birthday, she would like not only a day off but also a shopping spree.

Parallel Structure in Lists

Another sentence pattern that needs parallel construction introduces a list with numbers or letters.

Example: The committee researched the following areas: 1) how the faculty reacted to the proposal, 2) how the students responded on the questionnaires, and 3) what the school board recommended.

Note: Words such as conjunctions (that, what, how), prepositions (of, in, by), and other introductory words often need to be repeated to reinforce parallel construction.

Examples:

The troops traveled by land, by sea, and by air.

or

The troops traveled by land, sea, and air.

Other Examples with Parallel Structure

Sentences that express comparisons or contrasts should also be phrased in similar or balanced patterns. Words such as than, as, or as well as often connect these ideas.

Examples:
It is easier to get up on a bright, sunny day than on a dreary, rainy day.

The parents were attempting to teach their children the joy of giving as well as of receiving gifts.

Writing sentences with parallel structures creates balanced and easy-to-read expressions. Using the fill-in-the-blank method and visualizing your sentence can help remind you which parts need to be expressed in similar patterns.