Parallelism

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It is important to be consistent in your wording in professional writing, particularly in employment documents; this is called parallelism. When you are expressing ideas of equal weight in your writing, parallel sentence structures can echo that fact and offer you a writing style that uses balance and rhythm to help deliver your meaning. You can use parallel structure in any kind of writing, whether that writing is on or off the job. We would like to encourage you to print out this handout which includes has more general information about parallel structure.

thanks to Purdue University Online Writing Lab.

Proofreading Strategies to try:

Skim your paper, pausing at the words "and" and "or." Check on each side of these words to see whether the items joined are parallel. If not, make them parallel.
If you have several items in a list, put them in a column to see if they are parallel.
Listen to the sound of the items in a list or the items being compared. Do you hear the same kinds of sounds? For example, is there a series of "-ing" words beginning each item? Or do your hear a rhythm being repeated? If something is breaking that rhythm or repetition of sound, check to see if it needs to be made parallel.

Quiz on Parallel Structures

Parallel Structure Parallel Structure: web page or PDF

Parallel Structure

A good writer uses parallel structure; that is, he or she puts nouns, verbs, phrases, thoughts, and so on into a similar form. This is done primarily for ...
bellevuecollege.edu/WritingLab/Parallel.html - 16k - Cached - Similar pages

Wilbers: Parallel Structure

Parallel structure requires that the elements of a sentence that are alike in meaning or function be alike in construction. For example, if you begin the ...
www.wilbers.com/part40.htm - 25k - Cached - Similar pages

Parallel Structure

Parallel structure is one of the quickest and easiest ways to make a good impression on your readers, especially experienced readers and writers, ...
www.eslbee.com/Parallel.htm - 8k - Cached - Similar pages

Writers' Workshop Writing Tips: Parallelism

Words, phrases, clauses, and whole series of sentences within paragraphs can be parallel. For parallel structure, balance nouns with nouns, ...
www.english.uiuc.edu/cws/wworkshop/writer_resources/writing_tips/parallelism.htm

Sentences and Sentence Patterns

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Some useful links: Writing Resources

Adult Literacy Articles	Letters Library Logic	Reading List Resource
Bias Computers	Poetry Powell's Books	Sentences Syntax
Dictionary ESL	Prepositions Private Tutor	Transitions WebLinks
English Literature	Pronouns Quotations	Verbs

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The books at the left are recommended resources for those who want
to write effectively. They can supplement any secondary, college, or
graduate-level writing project. If you would like to obtain either book,
click at left. The Writers Harbrace Handbook is a basic guide and
rulebook for writers. It has particularly useful resources on rhetoric.
Adventures in writing is designed as a practical guide for the writing
process. The book is designed for people who want to improve their writing, including students from non-English based learning environments.
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