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Parallelism with items in a series
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You've probably heard the word parallel used in gymnastics (parallel bars) or math (parallel lines), but did you know it also applies to a concept in writing? It's likely that you have seen parallel structure—or parallelism—when reading or even used it in your writing. Let's take a closer look.
What is parallelism?
A sentence is parallel when there is a series of items listed—and they all share the same grammatical structure (all are nouns or verbs or phrases, for example). Writers use parallelism to help readers see connections between ideas and to emphasize particular points. (There's some parallelism now!)
Let's look at some examples:
André loves to play golf, tennis and badminton.
[These are all nouns sharing to play.]
The tour group wanted to swing by the studio, the museum and the theatre.
[These are all nouns sharing by.]
Many people learn about the culture of a country by eating its food, by listening to its music and by talking to its people.
[These are all phrases, with by repeated.]
Reading books, playing the piano and going to the theatre are Mie's favourite activities.
[These are all -ing phrases.]
Melissa hoped to graduate from college, to find a job and to buy a car.
[These are all infinitive phrases, with to repeated.]
OR
Melissa hoped to graduate from college, find a job and buy a car.
[These are all infinitive phrases sharing to.]
In these sentences, the parallel structure helps to draw attention to the ideas. So when you want to emphasize a series of points, consider using parallelism!
