Parallel structure is
important in English, but it is all too often used incorrectly. From simple
words to complex phrases, the basic rule of
parallel structure is that all the elements must be equal (i.e., they must
match) on either side of the comma or
conjunction. Parallel structure is especially important when it comes to
paired joining terms such as not only…but also, either…or, neither…nor, and
both…and. Listed below are some of the rules, examples, and tricky cases
that you can use when teaching your students about these terms.
General Rules of Parallel
Structure
There must be a match in form and function when joining words, phrases, clauses, or sentences
in English. The form must be the same; i.e., nouns must be joined to other nouns, verb + object phrases must be joined to other verb + object phrases, SVO clauses must
be joined to other SVO clauses, etc.
Examples:
·
She cleaned the kitchen,
the bathroomand dusted the living room. (wrong:
N, N, V + N)
·
She cleaned the kitchen,
the bathroomand the living room. (correct:
N, N, N)
·
I wrote the report, called
the clientand the storeroom was organized. (wrong:
V + N, V+ N, N + V)
·
I wrote the report, called
the clientand organized the storeroom. (correct:
V + N, V + N, V + N)
The grammatical function must
also be the same; i.e., adjectives must be joined to other adjectives, past
verbs should be joined to other past verbs, gerunds must be joined to other
gerunds, etc.
Examples:
· The house was old but a beauty. (wrong: Adj, N)
· The house was old but beautiful. (correct: Adj, Adj)
Specific Cases of Parallel Structure: Paired Joining Terms
The following expressions are mainly used for emphasis. They are especially common in writing. The most important
thing to remember about these
expressions is that the first joining term must
be placed before the part of the
sentence that has the same form and
function as the second part of the
sentence that you are trying to
match.
1. Not Only…But Also
·
We not only ate pizza, but also pasta. (wrong: V + N, N)
·
We ate not only pizza, but also pasta.
(correct: N, N)
When joining two sentences (using not
only at the beginning of the sentence),the subject and verb become inverted.
·
Not only she will take a
test, but
she will also give a
presentation. (wrong: no inversion)
·
Not only will she take a test, but she
will also give a presentation. (correct: inversion)
For practice
with not only…but also
2. Either…Or
·
The students can either choose to study or to exercise. (wrong: V + Infinitive, Infinitive)
· The students can choose either to study or to exercise. (correct: Infinitive, Infinitive)
3. Neither…Nor
·
My roommate neither likes the red dress nor the green dress. (wrong: V + N, N)
·
My roommate likes neither the red dress nor the
green dress. (correct: N, N) Using not with either…or has
the same meaning as neither…nor. Neither…nor is quite formal and not often
used in speaking,
so
understanding how to change it
to not with either…or is useful for students.
·
They ate neither the apples nor the oranges. (correct,
but formal, used in formal writing)
·
They didn’t eat either the apples or the
oranges. (correct, more common in
informal writing and speaking)
·
They didn’t eat the apples or the oranges. (correct,
the most common in speaking)
4. Both…And
·
The child both wanted to ride the roller coaster and ice cream. (wrong: V + Infinitive + N, N)
·
The child wanted both to
ride the roller coaster and ice
cream. (wrong: Infinitive + N, N)
·
The child wanted both to ride the roller coaster and to eat ice cream. (correct: Infinitive + N, Infinitive + N)
Ex:Either…or , neither…nor , not only…but
also, both…and .They are used to introduce alternatives. Study the
following pairs of sentences given below.
·
Either he or she cooks dinner.
·
Lily eats not only
string beans but also broccoli
· Neither Italy nor France got to the quarter finals last year.
·
She can have either tea or coffee.
·
He either washes the clothes himself or asks her to wash them.
·
The game is suitable both for children and adults.
·
She not only wrote the text but also researched the photographs
· He was determined both to beat the record and to win over the crowd.
Activity: Combine the following pairs of sentences using either…or or neither…nor
1.
I don’t like John. I don’t like Peter.
2. He keeps the keys himself. Or he
leaves them with his wife.
3. He did not come. He did not call.
4. He wasn’t wearing a shirt. He wasn’t wearing a coat.
5. He will not come here. He will not
send a representative.
6. He may attend the function. Or his
wife may attend the function.
7. Give me freedom. Or give me death.
8. He must have done this. Or his
brother must have done this.
