3.4 Parallelism

Parallelism is a powerful tool in writing that creates balance and rhythm. It repeats similar grammatical structures to emphasize ideas and make them more memorable. This technique enhances clarity and flow in sentences.

In this part of the chapter, we'll look at how to use parallelism effectively. We'll also learn to spot and fix faulty parallelism, which can muddle your message and confuse readers.

Parallelism in Sentence Structure

Defining Parallelism

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• Parallelism repeats grammatical structures, words, or phrases in sentences to create balance, rhythm, and clarity
• Ensures similar ideas express in similar grammatical forms, enhancing readability and coherence
• Occurs at word, phrase, or clause level, maintaining consistency in parts of speech, verb tenses, or syntactical arrangements
• Contributes to overall flow and symmetry of writing, making complex ideas more accessible and memorable
• Emphasizes key points, creates pleasing cadence, and reinforces logical relationships between ideas
• Examples of parallel structure:
  • "I came, I saw, I conquered" (Julius Caesar)
  • "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country" (John F. Kennedy)

Importance in Effective Writing

• Enhances clarity by presenting related ideas in similar grammatical structures
• Improves readability by creating a consistent rhythm and flow
• Strengthens the logical connections between ideas
• Aids in memory retention through repetition of structural patterns
• Adds rhetorical power to persuasive and argumentative writing
• Examples of effective parallelism in literature:
  • "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness..." (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities)
  • "To be, or not to be, that is the question" (William Shakespeare, Hamlet)

Identifying Faulty Parallelism

Common Errors

• Mixing verb forms in a series (running, jumped, and will swim)
• Inconsistent use of articles or prepositions (she likes to read books, listening to music, and watch movies)
• Shifting between singular and plural forms (the team's goals are to win games, increase fan support, and improving player morale)
• Mixing gerunds and infinitives (she enjoys swimming, to dance, and singing)
• Inconsistent sentence structures in comparisons (the novel is longer than the movie adaptation's length)
• Examples of faulty parallelism:
  • Incorrect: "The professor asked the students to read the chapter, taking notes, and to submit a summary"
  • Correct: "The professor asked the students to read the chapter, take notes, and submit a summary"

Detection and Revision Strategies

• Scrutinize sentences for grammatical consistency, particularly in lists, comparisons, and coordinated elements
• Focus on elements joined by conjunctions (and, or, but) to ensure parallel structure
• Check for consistency in verb tenses across clauses and phrases
• Examine correlative conjunctions (not only...but also, either...or) for balance in connected elements
• Review complex sentences for parallelism across multiple clauses
• Revision techniques:
  • Restructure sentences to ensure each element in a series follows the same grammatical pattern
  • Add or remove words to achieve grammatical symmetry
  • Change verb tenses to maintain consistency
  • Rearrange sentence elements to create parallel structure

Achieving Parallelism in Writing

Constructing Parallel Sentences

• Create coordinated elements with consistent grammatical forms (she likes swimming, running, and cycling)
• Develop parallel lists where each item begins with the same part of speech (to inform, to persuade, to entertain)
• Craft sentences with correlative conjunctions maintaining parallel structure (both exciting and challenging)
• Compose comparative sentences with grammatical consistency (more interesting than, as complex as)
• Utilize repeated grammatical patterns for emphasis or rhythm (we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds)
• Examples of well-constructed parallel sentences:
  • "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed, and make justice a reality for all" (Martin Luther King Jr.)
  • "The government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth" (Abraham Lincoln)

Advanced Parallelism Techniques

• Employ parallelism across multiple sentences to unify themes or reinforce central ideas
• Use parallel structure in complex sentences to clarify relationships between ideas
• Create climactic effects with tricolon structures (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness)
• Balance parallel structure with variation to maintain reader interest
• Incorporate parallelism in transitional phrases for smooth flow between paragraphs
• Examples of advanced parallelism:
  • "To raise a happy, healthy, and hopeful child, it takes a family; it takes teachers; it takes clergy; it takes business people; it takes community leaders; it takes those who protect our health and safety" (Hillary Clinton)

Rhetorical Effects of Parallelism

Enhancing Persuasive Power

• Creates emphasis through repetition of grammatical structures
• Establishes rhythm and cadence, making arguments more memorable
• Reinforces logical connections between ideas
• Adds symmetry and balance to complex arguments
• Facilitates audience comprehension of multi-faceted concepts
• Examples of parallelism in persuasive writing:
  • "We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans..." (Winston Churchill)

Literary and Stylistic Impact

• Contributes to the overall tone and style of a text
• Creates contrast or comparison between ideas, enhancing logical structure
• Unifies themes across extended passages or entire works
• Adds poetic quality to prose through rhythmic patterns
• Serves as a mnemonic device, aiding in recall of key points
• Examples of parallelism in literature:
  • "It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity..." (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities)
  • "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past" (F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby)