Writing with Concord: Parallel Structure

Parallel Structure

Review A

Review B

What would you think if your friend said this to you?

My favorite pastimes are playing soccer, listening to music, and TV.

Writing with Concord: Parallel Structure

Would you wonder if he really liked listening to TV?

My favorite pastimes are playing soccer, listening to music, and watching TV.

Look how we make the sentence clearer by expressing the pastimes in the same way.

Expressing related ideas in similar forms keeps writing on track.

Writing with Concord: Parallel Structure

Like railroad tracks, these similar forms are said to be parallel.

Parallel structure is the arrangement of corresponding parts of a sentence, or group of sentences, in similar grammatical forms.

Let’s look at some key sentences from President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 Inaugural Address. Here President Kennedy explains both the promise and the threat of modern technology.

For man holds in his mortal hands the power

to abolish all forms of human poverty and

all forms of human life.

Writing with Concord: Parallel Structure

Note the parallel grammatical forms joined by and:

adjective + noun + prepositional phrase

The repetition of key words adds to the sense of order in the passage.

For man holds in his mortal hands the power

to abolish all forms of human poverty and

all forms of human life.

Writing with Concord: Parallel Structure

As this example shows, sentences can contain multiple levels of parallel structures.

We observe today not a victory of party,

but a celebration of freedom —

symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning —

signifying renewal, as well as change.

noun + prepositional phrase

nouns joined by as well as

participial phrase

Writing with Concord: Parallel Structure

Speakers often use a series of parallel structures to emphasize a point.

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

verb + any + noun

Read this sentence aloud. What effect does the repetition have?

Writing with Concord: Parallel Structure

[End of Section]

Revise each sentence to create parallel structures. You may need to add or delete some words.

1. The play ended tragically but predictable.

2. We could see every star and the planets clearly.

3. Wisdom and being cautious are what we need most.

4. Carrie is a true friend, a teacher who is patient, and an artist with talent.

5. The forest has suffered unintentional harm, but it will now benefit from our kindness that we intend to give.

On Your Own

Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and

foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new

generation of Americans—born in this century, tempered by

war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our

ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow

undoing of those human rights to which this nation has

always been committed, and to which we are committed

today at home and around the world.

Review A

Identify each group of parallel structures in this famous sentence from President Kennedy’s 1961 Inaugural Address.

Review B

You have been asked to write an encouraging message to be posted on your class Web site. Write a short message to your classmates that includes at least three examples of parallel structure.

The End