Parallel Writing
Parallel writing is used to balance words in pairs or in a series, making the sentence
clearer and easier to read. When listing words in a series, use consistent parts of
speech: nouns, adjectives, adverbs. The same is true of phrases and clauses.
Examples: I am tired, hungry, and frustrated. (adjectives)
I ran up the hill, down the road, and around the corner. (phrases)
He set down his easel, he placed his paints on a rock, and he fell to
the ground. (clauses)
The elements in the sentence should be of the same part of speech or grammatical
unit.
Examples:
I like to hunt, to fish, and hiking. (not parallel)
I like to hunt, to fish, and to hike. (parallel)
OR
I like hunting, fishing, and hiking. (parallel)
Modifiers in a series
Use only those words together which describe the same word or groups of words and
fit together logically.
Example:
The house next door is large, brick, dilapidated, and built last year. (not parallel)
The house next door, which was built last year, is large, brick, and dilapidated.
(parallel)
Paired elements
The use of parallelism is important in paired items, such as both…and, either…or,
neither… nor, not only… but also. Parallel writing is also used in comparisons.
Example:
Chloe is both attractive and intelligent.
Not only is Chloe attractive, but she is also intelligent.
Jim’s truck is bigger, but Emily’s car is quieter.
