Sentence Skills

Unit 9 Sentence Parallelism

1. What Is Parallelism For instance: My first grade teacher was an elderly woman. She was tall. And she had a friendly manner.

My first grade teacher was an elderly, tall, and friendly woman.

Almost any sentence element can appear in a parallel form: Parallel words: Recommended exercise includes running, swimming , and cycling .

Parallel phrases: Exercise helps people to maintain healthy bodies and to handle mental pressures .

Parallel clauses: Many people begin to exercise because they want to look healthy, because they need to have stamina( 体力） , and because they hope to live longer.

2. What Is the Value Of Parallelism

Nonparallel: His novels reveal his knowledge of the state’s history and that he admires the people who first settled there .

Parallel: His novels reveal his knowledge of the state’s history and his admiration for the people who first settled there . [The parallel phrases make the sentence smoother.]

Note the effectiveness of the parallel pairs in the following two sentences: a. Ambition in a man is praised; ambition in a woman is denounced ( 谴责 ) as unfeminine.

b. Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.

3. How to Achieve Parallelism 3.1 Express similar ideas in similar grammatical forms Nonparallel: The strikers had tried pleading, threats , and shouting.

..

Parallel: The strikers had tried pleading, threatening , and shouting.

Parallel: The strikers had tried pleas, threats, and shouts.

3.2 Arrange parallel elements in climactic order This is a cause ( 事业 ) that means something to thousands, to a people, to a nation , to humanity, to God.

3.3 Use parallel forms with coordinating conjunctions This government people , and of the people for the people , by the shall not perish from the earth.

3.4 Use parallel forms with correlative conjunctions Writing permits us to understand not only the world but also the self.

This is a time not for words, but for actions.

3.5 Repeat certain words to begin parallel elements They thought it was better to agree than quarrel.

They thought it was better to agree than to quarrel.

For the handicapped, getting an education is often a tribulation, necessity, and victory.

For the handicapped, getting an education is often a tribulation, a necessity , and a victory.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way. — Charles Dickens

3.6 Use parallelism in making lists and outlines Americans now rely on the automobile because: (1) Cities are sprawling, public transport is poor.

(2) Prestige ( 声望 ).

(3)The cheapness of gasoline for so long.

Americans now rely on the automobile because: (1) Cities are sprawling and public transport is poor.

(2) The automobile bestows prestige on its owners.

(3) Gasoline was cheap for a very long time.

4. How to Avoid Faulty Parallelism 4.1 Avoid faulty use of correlative conjunctions Nonparallel: Most men who fought in the Civil War were neither they cowardly.

heroic nor were Parallel: Most men who fought in the Civil War were neither heroic nor cowardly.

4.2 Avoid faulty omission of certain words Ambiguous: My mother shows her love by cooking and serving her family.

Clear: My mother shows her love by cooking and by serving her family.

4.3 Avoid nonparallel comparisons and contrasts Nonparallel: The new library was larger than the old one, more beautiful than any other building on campus, and

it cost too much money.

Parallel: The new library was larger than the old one, more beautiful than any other building on campus, and more expensive to build than anyone had imagined.

Exercises: Rewrite the following sentences to make clear parallel constructions.

1. The American people have always loved to read newspaper stories about murder, scandals, and how to make money.

2. Either you begin to study now or risk failing the exam. 3. He wanted three things out of college: to learn a skill, to make good friends, and learning about life.

4. She was a skilled a cook. As a host, however, she was incompetent.

5. Presidential elections are often neither rational, and they are not democratic either.

6. Carlos wasted his first year at college by not studying enough and spending too much time at parties.

7. Mr. Green kept his store clean, neat, and he made it conveniently arranged.

8. She is not a good writer, and neither is her speaking.

9. She made three promises —that she would try the machine out, write up a report about it , and tell her friends if she liked it.

10. Tom’s handwriting is better than Sally.