Transcript Parallelism
RUN-ONS
&
COMMA SPLICES
Run-on
happens when you join two simple sentences
without a comma and without a connecting
word
Example:
Men like to shop quickly women like to
browse.
Comma splice
happens when you join two simple sentences
with a comma alone.
Example:
Men like to shop quickly, women like to
browse.
3 ways to correct run-on and
comma splice errors
1. Join the two sentences with a comma and a
coordinating conjunction such as and, but,
or so.
Men like to shop quickly, but women like to
browse.
2. Make two sentences. Separate the two
sentences with a period.
Men like to shop quickly. Women like to
browse.
3. If you wish to show the relationship
between the two sentences, add a
sentence connector (and a comma) to the
second sentence.
Men like to shop quickly. However, women
like to browse.
Parallel Structure
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!
Practice Questions:
Par t 1
Directions: In the items that follow, choose
the sentence that has no errors in structure.
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.
Practice Questions:
Par t 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
The End.