Transcript Parallelism
This presentation is broughtchomp! to you by Grammar Bytes!, chomp! ©2014 by Robin L. Simmons. Parallel Structure Do I maintain parallelism with a participle? Or should I use an infinitive? This presentation covers distinguishing between parallel and non-parallel elements. A parallelism item on an objective test might look like this ... Sample Item Directions: Choose the sentence that has no errors in structure. A. Eileen bought new shoes for the party, a gold charm for her mother, and to treat her best friend Maria to lunch. B. Eileen decided decided to tobuy buynew newshoes shoesfor forthe theparty, party, purchasing a gold charm for her mother, and treating her best friend Maria to lunch. C. Eileen Eileen purchased purchasednew newshoes shoes forfor thethe party, party, a gold a gold charm for charm forher hermother, mother, and and lunch lunch forfor Maria, Maria, herher bestbest friend. friend. Items in a series must have parallel structure. Parallelism looks like this: Shane , , and . Shane , , and . Here is an example: Shane ate the pizza, wiped his lips, and burped with contentment. Ate = past tense verb; wiped = past tense verb; and burped = past tense verb. D on’t create problem s by m ixing gram m atical elem ents. Non-parallel structure looks like this: Shane , , and . Shane , , and . The problem looks like this: Shane ate the pizza, wiped his lips, and burping with contentment. Now look what you’ve done! Ate and wiped = past tense verbs, but burping = present participle! Quick Test, Par t 1 Directions: In the items that follow, choose the sentence that has no errors in structure. Let’s see how you perform! Item 1 A. that were meowing, andand A. Barking Barkingdogs, dogs,kittens kittens that were meowing, squawking greet thethe petpet shop visitors. squawkingparakeets parakeets greet shop B. visitors. Barking dogs, meowing kittens, and squawking parakeetsdogs, greetmeowing the pet shop visitors. B. Barking kittens, and squawking greet the pet visitors. C. parakeets Dogs that bark, kittens thatshop meow, and parakeets pet shop visitors.and C. squawking Dogs that greet bark, the kittens that meow, parakeets squawking greet the pet shop visitors. Item 2 A. During During class, spent hishis time flirting with class,Samuel Samuel spent time flirting with Brittney, eating onon thethe eatingcandy, candy,and anddoodling doodling assignment assignmentsheet. sheet. B. During class, spent his time flirting withwith B. During class,Samuel Samuel spent his time flirting Brittney, and doodling on the Brittney, he heate atecandy, candy, and doodling on the assignment assignmentsheet. sheet. C. spent his time to flirt C. During Duringclass, class,Samuel Samuel spent his time to with flirt with Brittney, doodling on on thethe Brittney, to toeat eatcandy, candy,and and doodling assignment assignmentsheet. sheet. Item 3 A. forfor hishis math book—under A. Alex Alexlooked lookedeverywhere everywhere math book— the bed, onbed, his desk, anddesk, he searched the under the on his and he inside searched refrigerator. inside the refrigerator. B. Alex looked forfor hishis math book—viewing B. Alex lookedeverywhere everywhere math book— under theunder bed, searching on his desk,on and inside the viewing the bed, searching his desk, refrigerator. and inside the refrigerator. C. math book—under C. Alex Alex looked lookedeverywhere everywherefor forhishis math book— the bed, onbed, his desk, and inside theinside refrigerator. under the on his desk, and the refrigerator. Item 4 A. The manager managerwanted wantedstaff staffwho who arrived arrived on on time, smiledsmiled time, at the customers, at the customers, and didn’t and snack didn’t on the chicken snack on the nuggets. chicken nuggets. B. The manager manager wanted wantedstaff staffwho whoarrived arrivedon ontime, time, would be smiling at the customers, and would not be snacking on the chicken nuggets. C. The manager wanted staff who arrived on time, smiled at the customers, and no snacking on the chicken nuggets. Item 5 A. After After giving givingJeremy Jeremy her her phone phone number, number, Felicia Felicia had to tolerate had to tolerate his late hisnight latecalls, nightstupid calls,conversations, silly conversations, and requests for her math and requests for her math homework. B. homework. After giving Jeremy her phone number, Felicia had B. After to tolerate givinghis Jeremy late night her phone calls, the number, fact that Felicia he had carried to tolerate on stupid his lateconversations, night calls, theand factrequests that he for her math carried onhomework. silly conversations, and requests for her C. math After giving homework. Jeremy her phone number, Felicia had C. After to tolerate givingbeing Jeremy woken her phone up latenumber, at night, Felicia havinghad stupid to tolerate conversations, being woken and uphe late constantly at night, having requested silly her math homework. conversations, and he constantly requested her math homework. Quick Test, Part 2 Directions: In the items that follow, choose the correct word or phrase within the context suggested by the sentence. Now try a different type! Item 6 Pasta __________, and and garlicgarlic bread Pastaboiling boilingininwater, water, __________, baking in the oven welcomed Francisco Francisco as he opened bread baking in the oven welcomed as the door. the door. he opened A. in in thethe panpan A. simmered simmeredtomato tomatosauce sauce B. pan B. tomato sauce saucesimmering simmeringininthe the pan C. in in thethe panpan C. tomato sauce saucethat thatsimmered simmered D. simmering in the panpan D. saucy saucytomatoes tomatoesthat thatwere were simmering in the Item 7 During our vacation in the Bahamas, we hope __________, __________,totoenjoy enjoybeautiful beautifulsunsets, sunsets,and andtoto dance ourselves dizzy at reggae clubs. A. that we eat delicious seafood B. that eating delicious seafood occurs C. to to eat eat delicious deliciousseafood seafood D. eating delicious seafood Item 8 Karen chewed withwith his mouth closed, for Karenwished wishedRay Ray chewed his mouth closed, otherwise he was she wanted in a date; for otherwise he everything was everything she wanted in he a was and __________. date;tall, heintelligent, was tall, intelligent, and __________. A. A. he looked lookedgood good B. B. being beinggood goodlooking looking C. toto look at at C. one one handsome handsomeman man look D. D. handsome handsome Item 9 To win Laurie’s love, Albert visited the florist for To win Laurie’s love, Albert visited the florist for roses, roses, the drugstore for a box of chocolates, and the drugstore for a box of chocolates, and __________. __________. A. bought an expensive gold necklace at the jewelry A. bought an expensive gold necklace at the store jewelry store B. the jeweler for an expensive gold necklace B. the jeweler for an expensive gold necklace C. the jeweler where he bought an expensive gold C. the jeweler where he bought an expensive gold necklace necklace D. to buy an expensive gold necklace D. to buy an expensive gold necklace Item 10 Kimberly because he is short, too Kimberlywon’t won’tdate dateTerry Terry because hetoo is too short, noisy, and _________. too noisy, and _________. A. hishis teeth with his his fingers A. because becausehe hepicks picks teeth with fingers B. B. too impolite C. hashas ever metmet C. is is the the most mostimpolite impoliteman manshe she ever D. fingers D. Picking Pickinghis histeeth teethwith withhishis fingers Grammar Bytes! provides additional handouts and exercises on parallel structure . Go chomp! to chompchomp.com! chomp! The End.