9.2 Parallelism

Notes

Parallelism means using the same grammatical form for items in a pair or series. It makes writing clear and rhythmic.

• Not parallel: "She likes hiking, to swim, and biking." Parallel: "She likes hiking, swimming, and biking."
• Correlative pairs (both...and, either...or, not only...but also) must be followed by parallel structures.
• Not parallel: "The coach told us to arrive early, that we should stretch, and doing our best." Parallel: "to arrive early, to stretch, and to do our best."
• Parallelism in famous prose: "I came, I saw, I conquered."
• Worked example: "He is not only talented but also works hard." Fix: "He is not only talented but also hardworking."