GRAMMAR & STRUCTURE
Parallelism

Definition

Parallelism is the use of the same, or similar, grammatical structures when linking items in a sentence. Parallel structure makes different parts of a sentence balanced and equal.

Example

Dorothy likes painting, gardening, and walking.
(Gerunds: painting, gardening, walking)

Explanation

Use parallel structure when linking words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence by

• linking words of the same grammatical form, for example:
  - noun + noun.
  - gerund + gerund.
  - adjective + adjective.
• linking phrases of the same grammatical form, for example:
  - prepositional phrase + prepositional phrase.
  - verb phrase + verb phrase.
• linking clauses with clauses (a clause is a group of words that has a subject and a verb).

Related Sections

Adjectives
Gerunds
Independent and Dependent Clauses
Infinitives
Sentence Combining: Part 1
Sentence Combining: Part 2