Examples of Parallelism in English Grammar

These examples of parallelism in English grammar show you correct and incorrect sentences.

Sentences with Correct & Incorrect Parallelism

  1. Parallelism with infinitives:

    Incorrect: She likes to hike, swim, and walking.
    Correct: She likes to hike, swim, and walk.

  2. Parallelism with adjectives:

    Incorrect: The car is fast, reliable, and it handles well.
    Correct: The car is fast, reliable, and well-handling.

  3. Parallelism with nouns:

    Incorrect: He is an engineer, programmer, and designs websites.
    Correct: He is an engineer, programmer, and website designer.

  4. Parallelism with verbs:

    Incorrect: She sings, dances, and enjoys painting.
    Correct: She sings, dances, and paints.

  5. Parallelism with gerunds:

    Incorrect: I love swimming, hiking, and to read books.
    Correct: I love swimming, hiking, and reading books.

  6. Parallelism with adverbs:

    Incorrect: He ran quickly, jumped high, and a graceful land.
    Correct: He ran quickly, jumped high, and landed gracefully.

  7. Parallelism with parallel clauses:

    Incorrect: He is talented at playing the guitar and that he sings.
    Correct: He is talented at playing the guitar and singing.

  8. Parallelism with correlative conjunctions:

    Incorrect: Either you can work hard or study smartly to succeed.
    Correct: You can either work hard or study smartly to succeed.

  9. Parallelism with infinitive phrases:

    Incorrect: She plans to cook, travel, and visiting her friends.
    Correct: She plans to cook, travel, and visit her friends.

  10. Parallelism with prepositional phrases:

    Incorrect: He went to the store, to the park, and walking by the beach.
    Correct: He went to the store, to the park, and to the beach.

  11. Parallelism with comparisons:

    Incorrect: The city is as vibrant as it is having a rich history.
    Correct: The city is as vibrant as it is rich in history.

  12. Parallelism with gerund phrases:

    Incorrect: She enjoys reading books, jogging in the park, and she goes to the movies.
    Correct: She enjoys reading books, jogging in the park, and watching movies.

  13. Parallelism with phrasal verbs:

    Incorrect: I need to wake up early, to get dressed, and make breakfast.
    Correct: I need to wake up early, get dressed, and make breakfast.

  14. Parallelism with determiners (e.g. articles):

    Incorrect: They can choose either an apple, orange, or a banana.
    Correct: They can choose either an apple, an orange, or a banana.

  15. Parallelism with intensifiers:

    Incorrect: The project was not only challenging but it was also requiring creativity.
    Correct: The project was not only challenging but also required creativity.

  16. Parallelism with participial phrases:

    Incorrect: The writer captures emotions vividly, describing scenes with precision, and his characters are believable.
    Correct: The writer captures emotions vividly, describes scenes with precision, and creates believable characters.

  17. Parallelism with conjunctions in sentences:

    Incorrect: Whether it's raining or if it's snowing, I'll be staying indoors.
    Correct: Whether it's raining or snowing, I'll be staying indoors.

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