Transcript Faulty Parallelism

Faulty Parallelism
• By placing two or more ideas of equal value in the same
grammatical form will enable us to express these ideas
clearly and emphatically. However, to position parallel
ideas properly, we must pay close attention to the logic
of grammatical relationship.
• 1. Correcting faulty coordination
• When word groups are linked by a coordinating
conjunction, they should each have the same
grammatical construction. Consider the parallel
structure of the following word groups:
• Her office is small, chilly and dirty, (parallel
adjectives)
• I enjoy football and hockey. (parallel nouns)
• Our dog ran across the lawn and under the
hedge. ( parallel phrases)
• We requested that he sing our favorite songs and
he allow us to record them. (parallel clauses)
• I want to learn English, and she wants to learn
French. (parallel sentences)
• Notice how awkward sentences look and sound
when they contain unequal elements:
• She works diligently and at night.
• He spends a great deal of money and foolishly.
• I was told to report to the supervisor and that I
should bring my tools.
• (a) And Who I And Which Construction
And who / and which construction is one of the most
common yet most serious errors made by the students,
for it results in an illogical link between dependent and
independent clauses. To avoid this error, follow this
rule: Never use and who or and which clauses unless they
are preceded by who or which clauses.
• Tom Clark, who is wise and intelligent and who is our
union representative, has been promoted to foreman.
• James Joyce's Ulysses, which is a long and complicated
novel, and which is on our reading list, has been banned
by the school board.
• (b) Correlative Conjunctions
• Correlative conjunctions are always used in pairs: either ... or;
neither . . . nor; not only . . . but also; both . . . and. Because they are
used to compare and contrast similar statements, each part of
the conjunction must be followed by the same grammatical
conjunction. The proper use of correlative conjunctions will
enable you to write clear, well-balanced sentences.
• Unbalanced
He wants either to study English Literature or
study World History.
Balanced
He wants to study either English Literature or
World History.
• Unbalanced
Our new car not only is more economical but
also it is more comfortable than our old one.
• Balanced
Our new car is not only more economical but
also more comfortable than our old one.
• 2. Making a series of parallels
• When words or groups of words are placed in a series, they must
be parallel in both meaning and structure. Observe how the
proper use of parallel tightens your sentence structure and
clarifies your meaning.
• FAULTY
When we arrived home, we unpacked our suitcases,
took showers, and then we went to sleep after eating
our lunch.
• REVISED When we arrived home, we unpacked our suitcases,
took showers, ate our lunch, and went to sleep.
• FAULTY Many people choose air transportation because it is
fast, offers convenience, and it is not very expensive.
• REVISED Many people choose air transportation because it is
fast, convenient, and inexpensive.
• FAULTY You should strive to cooperate with
your colleagues to bring about change, for
improving communication and professional
development.
• REVISED You should strive to cooperate
with your colleagues to bring about change, to
improve communication, and to further
professional development.
• 3. Watching incorrect omissions
• By omitting essential words in a parallel
construction, you force one word to serve the
grammatical requirements of two different
statements. One of the most common errors of
omission in student writing occurs in the has I
have, will, shall constructions.
Examples:
• He always has and always will compete for the highest
honor .
I always have and always shall practice diligently.
• To correct this type of omission error, test the
verb with each of its auxiliary words; if it
appears in the wrong tense, the construction is
unparalleled.
• CORRECTION He has always competed
( not compete) and always will compete (not
competed) for the highest honor.
• I have always practiced (not practice) diligently
and always shall. (Practice is understood. )
• 4. Comparisons using than or as
• When than or as are used to join parallel
constructions, make sure that the things or ideas
they compare are logically and grammatically
alike.
• ILLOGICAL
• The students attending our school are more
intelligent than your school. (Compare
people — students, that is, to a thing — a
building. )
• LOGICAL
• The students attending our school are more
intelligent than the students attending your
school.
• ILLOGICAL
• His learning is as extensive as Paul. (Compare an
abstract quality — learning, to a proper noun —
Paul)
• LOGICAL
• His learning is as extensive as Paul's learning.
(Or simply Paul's)
• Practice
• After each of the following sentences containing errors
in parallel construction, write P in the blank at the left.
Then write the sentence correctly. If the sentence
contains no error, write C instead of P.
Example:
• I cannot decide whether I should remain in school or to
withdraw.
Revised:
• I cannot decide whether to remain in school or to withdraw.
• 1. I decided to live in this city because I wanted a better
job for its social activities, and because of a clean
environment.
2. My sister was a teacher, a school principal, and
finally she became a successful business executive.
• 3. Carl wants not only to compare, but he wants also to
win a gold medal.
• 4. She is neither young nor is she inexperienced.
• 5. My father's car is sporty, fast, expensive, and it is also
quite comfortable.
• 6. Debbie enjoys playing cards, reading novels, listening
to classical music, and going on camping trips.
• 7. Our school's computers are more advanced than
your school.
• 8. Soccer is Europe's most popular sport, and which is
becoming more popular every year in North
America.
• 9. I am either going to study electrical engineering at
university, or I might try studying electrical
technology at our local community college.
• 10. He is not only a star basketball player but also an
excellent student.
• 11. My parents always have and always will vote in the
national election.
• 12. She contributes and works for the peace movement
in Canada.
• 13. Dominic not only works hard, he studies hard as
well.
• 14. Jack helps his wife by dusting and cooking his own
meals.
• 15. When we arrived at the lake, we unpacked the car,
fed the dog, and aired out the cottage.
• 16. Our city's buildings are not as modern as your city.
• 17. Both our teachers as well as our students wanted
the gymnasium repainted.
• 18. My favorite teacher, a native of Australia, and who
is also our tennis coach, is moving to another city
next semester.
• 19. An industrial plant with well-motivated and
qualified workers and having the latest hightechnology equipment will succeed in today's
competition marketplace
• 20. My sister asked for the family car and that
she be allowed to stay out after twelve
o'clock.
• 21. If I had my choice of seeing a rock concert
or opera, I would choose the opera.
• 22. My teacher asked me to state my opinion of
the short story and that I should talk about
the main character.
• 23. Susan always has promoted women's rights
and always will.
• 24. Sky-diving is extremely hazardous and which
requires great skill and concentration.
• 25. My mother studied physics, mathematics,
and now she is studying world history.
• 26. Maria not only collects old coins, she collects
stamps as well.
• 27. Hockey in Canada is more popular than the
United States.