Faulty parallelism can make your writing sound awkward and confusing. It’s a common grammatical error where elements in a sentence that should be grammatically similar aren't. Think of it like a list where one item is a noun, another is a verb, and a third is an adjective – it just doesn’t flow right. Fixing it is about making sure all parts of a sentence that serve the same function have the same grammatical form.
What is Parallelism Anyway?
Parallelism, or parallel structure, means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. This applies to words, phrases, and clauses. When used correctly, it creates rhythm, clarity, and emphasis.
For example, consider this sentence:
- "She likes to read, to write, and to paint."
Here, "to read," "to write," and "to paint" are all infinitive phrases. They are parallel.
Or this one:
- "The car was fast, red, and expensive."
"Fast," "red," and "expensive" are all adjectives. They are parallel.
Common Types of Faulty Parallelism
Faulty parallelism often pops up in lists, comparisons, and when using correlative conjunctions (like "either...or," "neither...nor," "not only...but also").
Faulty Parallelism in Lists
This is perhaps the most frequent offender. When you list three or more items, they should match in structure.
Incorrect: The club's goals are to recruit new members, raise funds, and being more visible in the community.
- Why it's wrong: "to recruit" (infinitive), "raise" (base verb), and "being more visible" (gerund phrase) don't match.
Correct: The club's goals are to recruit new members, raise funds, and be more visible in the community.
- How it's fixed: All elements are now infinitive phrases ("to recruit," "to raise," "to be").
Another example:
Incorrect: He is intelligent, hardworking, and has a good attitude.
- Why it's wrong: "intelligent" (adjective), "hardworking" (adjective/participle), and "has a good attitude" (clause).
Correct: He is intelligent, hardworking, and possesses a good attitude.
- How it's fixed: "intelligent" and "hardworking" are adjectives, and "possesses a good attitude" is a verb phrase that fits better as the third item in a description of qualities. Alternatively, you could make them all adjectives: "He is intelligent, hardworking, and positive."
Faulty Parallelism in Comparisons
Comparisons using words like "than" or "as" need parallel structures on both sides.
Incorrect: I'd rather read a book than going to the movies.
- Why it's wrong: "read a book" (verb phrase) is compared to "going to the movies" (gerund phrase).
Correct: I'd rather read a book than go to the movies.
- How it's fixed: Both sides of the comparison are now verb phrases ("read" and "go").
Another example:
Incorrect: The data showed that the new strategy was more effective than it was predicted.
- Why it's wrong: "more effective" (adjective phrase) is compared to "it was predicted" (clause).
Correct: The data showed that the new strategy was more effective than predicted.
- How it's fixed: The comparison is now between "more effective" and "predicted."
Faulty Parallelism with Correlative Conjunctions
Correlative conjunctions link two grammatically equal parts of a sentence. If the conjunctions don't precede parallel elements, the sentence becomes unbalanced.
Incorrect: She is interested not only in science but also in history.
- Why it's wrong: "not only" precedes "in science" (prepositional phrase), but "but also" precedes "in history" (prepositional phrase). This looks parallel, but the intended structure might be different. Let's rephrase to highlight the issue more clearly.
Let's try a clearer incorrect example:
Incorrect: We will either go to the park or visit the museum.
- Why it's wrong: "either" precedes "go to the park" (verb phrase), but "or" precedes "visit the museum" (verb phrase). This structure should be parallel. The issue arises when the elements aren't parallel.
Correct: We will either go to the park or visit the museum.
- How it's fixed: "go" and "visit" are both verbs, creating parallel structure.
Now, a genuinely faulty example with correlative conjunctions:
Incorrect: He not only enjoys hiking but also loves to cook.
- Why it's wrong: "not only" precedes "enjoys hiking" (verb phrase), but "but also" precedes "loves to cook" (verb phrase). This is actually grammatically parallel. The error occurs when the structure isn't parallel.
**Let's illustrate the faulty aspect:**
Incorrect: The plan not only involves new equipment but also that we train our staff.
- Why it's wrong: "not only" precedes "new equipment" (noun phrase), but "but also" precedes "that we train our staff" (noun clause). These are not parallel.
Correct: The plan involves not only new equipment but also staff training.
- How it's fixed: Both "new equipment" and "staff training" are noun phrases.
Another correct version:
Correct: The plan will not only provide new equipment but also train our staff.
- How it's fixed: "provide" and "train" are both verbs.
How to Fix Faulty Parallelism
The key is to identify the elements that should be parallel and then adjust them so they match.
- Identify the structure: Look for conjunctions (and, but, or), correlative conjunctions (either...or, not only...but also), and comparison words (than, as). These often signal where parallel structures are needed.
- Isolate the elements: What items are being listed, compared, or linked by the conjunctions?
- Check for grammatical consistency: Do all the linked elements share the same grammatical form? Are they all nouns, verbs, infinitives, gerunds, prepositional phrases, or clauses?
- Revise to match: If they don't match, rewrite one or more elements so they do. Often, you can change a gerund to an infinitive, a noun phrase to a verb phrase, or vice versa, depending on what sounds best and makes sense.
Let's take a complex sentence and fix it:
Original: The project requires dedication, being able to work under pressure, and that we meet deadlines.
- Problem: "dedication" (noun), "being able to work under pressure" (gerund phrase), and "that we meet deadlines" (noun clause). These are not parallel.
- Fixing it: We need to make these elements consistent. We could aim for all nouns, all gerunds, or all infinitives.
Option 1 (All nouns): The project requires dedication, resilience, and timely completion. Explanation: "dedication," "resilience," and "timely completion" are all nouns. Option 2 (All gerunds): The project requires dedicating time, being able to work under pressure, and meeting deadlines. Explanation: "dedicating," "being able," and "meeting" are all gerunds. Option 3 (All infinitives): The project requires us to dedicate time, to be able to work under pressure, and to meet deadlines. Explanation: "to dedicate," "to be able," and "to meet" are all infinitives.
The best option depends on the nuance you want to convey, but all three corrected versions are grammatically sound and much clearer than the original.
Why Does It Matter?
Clear, parallel writing is easier to read and understand. It makes your arguments stronger and your sentences more impactful. When you're writing essays, reports, or even emails, paying attention to parallelism helps you communicate your ideas effectively. If you're finding it tricky to get your sentences just right, services like EssayGazebo.com can help polish your writing for clarity and correctness.
Mastering parallelism is a skill that takes practice, but the payoff in improved communication is significant.