Good writing isn't just about conveying information; it's about doing so clearly, elegantly, and effectively. One of the unsung heroes of clear and persuasive writing is parallelism, also known as parallel structure. When parallelism is absent or incorrect, it leads to "faulty parallelism"—a grammatical error that can trip up readers, obscure meaning, and undermine your credibility.
This guide will demystify faulty parallelism, show you where it commonly appears, and provide practical, step-by-step methods with examples to help you identify and fix it in your own writing.
What is Parallelism?
At its core, parallelism means using the same grammatical form for elements that have the same function in a sentence. Think of it as balancing scales: if you put a noun on one side, you need a noun on the other to keep things level.
For instance, if you're listing several activities, they should all be structured similarly:
- Correct: She enjoys running, swimming, and cycling. (All gerunds)
- Correct: She enjoys to run, to swim, and to cycle. (All infinitives)
Parallelism creates rhythm, improves readability, and makes your writing more coherent and impactful. It's especially crucial in lists, comparisons, and when using correlative conjunctions.
What is Faulty Parallelism?
Faulty parallelism occurs when elements that should be parallel are not. This imbalance creates a jarring effect, making sentences sound awkward, confusing, or simply incorrect. It's like a song with a sudden, off-key note—it disrupts the flow and distracts the listener.
Why Faulty Parallelism Matters
- Clarity: Non-parallel structures can make it difficult for readers to understand the relationship between ideas.
- Readability: Sentences with faulty parallelism are harder to process and often require rereading, which frustrates your audience.
- Professionalism: Grammatical errors, including faulty parallelism, can make your writing appear unpolished and unprofessional, potentially impacting your credibility.
- Impact: Parallelism adds persuasive power and elegance to your prose. Its absence weakens these qualities.
Common Scenarios for Faulty Parallelism
Faulty parallelism tends to crop up in specific sentence structures. Knowing these common trouble spots is the first step to identifying and fixing the error.
1. Items in a Series (Lists)
This is perhaps the most frequent culprit. When you list three or more items, they must all share the same grammatical form.
- Incorrect: Sarah loves hiking, to read novels, and baking cakes.
Problem:* Gerund (hiking), infinitive (to read novels), gerund (baking cakes). The infinitive breaks the pattern.
2. Comparisons
When you compare two or more things, those things must be grammatically equivalent. Often, faulty parallelism occurs with words like "than" or "as."
- Incorrect: Running a marathon is harder than to train for one.
Problem:* Gerund phrase (running a marathon) compared to an infinitive phrase (to train for one).
3. Correlative Conjunctions
These are pairs of conjunctions that connect grammatically equal elements:
- both...and
- either...or
- neither...nor
- not only...but also
- whether...or
The grammatical structure immediately following the first conjunction must match the structure immediately following the second conjunction.
- Incorrect: He is not only a talented writer but also sings well.
Problem:* Noun phrase (a talented writer) followed by a verb phrase (sings well).
4. Verbs and Verb Phrases
When multiple verbs or verb phrases are used in a sequence, they should maintain consistency in tense and form.
- Incorrect: The manager asked the team to develop a strategy, implement the plan, and then they should report on progress.
Problem:* Infinitive phrase, infinitive phrase, then an independent clause.
5. Nouns and Noun Phrases
Similar to verbs, lists of nouns or noun phrases should be consistent.
- Incorrect: Her goals included career advancement, personal growth, and to travel the world.
Problem:* Noun phrase, noun phrase, then an infinitive phrase.
How to Identify Faulty Parallelism
Finding these errors isn't always easy, but a systematic approach can help.
- Read Aloud: Your ear is often your best tool. Awkward or clunky sentences often signal a grammatical issue. Faulty parallelism frequently sounds "off."
- Look for Key Structures:
Lists: Are there commas separating three or more items? Comparisons: Do you see "than" or "as"? Correlative Conjunctions: Scan for both...and, either...or*, etc.
- Underline the Elements: Once you spot a potential trouble area, underline the items that are supposed to be parallel.
- Check Grammatical Form: For each underlined element, ask yourself: Is it a noun? A verb? An infinitive? A gerund? An adjective? A phrase of a certain type? If the forms don't match, you've found faulty parallelism.
How to Fix Faulty Parallelism: Examples and Solutions
Let's revisit our common scenarios and apply fixes. The key is to ensure all parallel elements conform to the same grammatical structure.
1. Fixing Faulty Parallelism in Lists
Rule: All items in a series must be in the same grammatical form (all nouns, all gerunds, all infinitives, all adjectives, all clauses, etc.).
- Original (Incorrect): Sarah loves hiking, to read novels, and baking cakes.
Analysis: Gerund, infinitive, gerund. Fix 1 (All Gerunds): Sarah loves hiking, reading novels, and baking cakes. * Fix 2 (All Infinitives): Sarah loves to hike, to read novels, and to bake cakes.
- Original (Incorrect): The ideal candidate should be intelligent, experienced, and possess strong leadership skills.
Analysis: Adjective, adjective, verb phrase. Fix 1 (All Adjectives/Adjective Phrases): The ideal candidate should be intelligent, experienced, and a strong leader. (Here, "a strong leader" functions as a predicate nominative, parallel to the adjectives describing the subject.) * Fix 2 (All Adjectives): The ideal candidate should be intelligent, experienced, and leadership-oriented. (This requires rephrasing for a direct adjective match.)
2. Fixing Faulty Parallelism in Comparisons
Rule: The elements being compared must be grammatically equivalent.
- Original (Incorrect): Running a marathon is harder than to train for one.
Analysis: Gerund phrase compared to infinitive phrase. Fix 1 (Both Gerund Phrases): Running a marathon is harder than training for one. * Fix 2 (Both Infinitive Phrases): To run a marathon is harder than to train for one.
- Original (Incorrect): My old car was less reliable than the new one's performance.
Analysis: Noun (my old car) compared to a noun phrase describing performance (the new one's performance). You're comparing a car to a performance. Fix (Both Nouns/Noun Phrases): My old car was less reliable than my new one. (Comparing car to car) * Fix (Both Noun Phrases): The reliability of my old car was less than the performance of my new one. (Comparing reliability to performance)
3. Fixing Faulty Parallelism with Correlative Conjunctions
Rule: The grammatical structure immediately following the first part of the conjunction must match the structure immediately following the second part.
- Original (Incorrect): He is not only a talented writer but also sings well.
Analysis: "not only" followed by a noun phrase; "but also" followed by a verb phrase. Fix 1 (Both Noun Phrases): He is not only a talented writer but also a skilled singer. * Fix 2 (Both Verb Phrases/Clauses): He not only writes well but also sings well.
- Original (Incorrect): You can either submit your application online or mail it in.
Analysis: "either" followed by a verb phrase; "or" followed by a verb phrase. This one is actually correct because "submit" and "mail" are both base verbs following "can." Let's try a truly incorrect example: You can either submit your application online or by mailing it in. Analysis: "either" followed by a verb phrase; "or" followed by a prepositional phrase. Fix (Both Verb Phrases): You can either submit your application online or mail it in. * Fix (Both Prepositional Phrases): You can submit your application either online or by mail.
- Original (Incorrect): Neither the students nor their parents were happy about the decision.
Analysis:* This is actually correct. "Neither" is followed by a noun phrase ("the students") and "nor" is followed by a noun phrase ("their parents").
- Let's try a truly incorrect example: The new policy affected both the employees and it caused problems for management.
Analysis: "both" followed by a noun phrase; "and" followed by an independent clause. Fix (Both Noun Phrases): The new policy affected both the employees and the management.
4. Fixing Faulty Parallelism with Verbs and Verb Phrases
Rule: Ensure consistent verb forms or verb phrase structures when multiple actions are presented.
- Original (Incorrect): The manager asked the team to develop a strategy, implement the plan, and then they should report on progress.
Analysis: Infinitive phrase, infinitive phrase, independent clause. Fix (All Infinitive Phrases): The manager asked the team to develop a strategy, to implement the plan, and to report on progress. * More concise Fix (All Infinitive Phrases, sharing "to"): The manager asked the team to develop a strategy, implement the plan, and report on progress. (The "to" can be implied for subsequent items in a list once established).
5. Fixing Faulty Parallelism with Nouns and Noun Phrases
Rule: Ensure all items are presented as consistent noun forms or noun phrases.
- Original (Incorrect): Her goals included career advancement, personal growth, and to travel the world.
Analysis: Noun phrase, noun phrase, infinitive phrase. Fix (All Noun Phrases/Gerunds): Her goals included career advancement, personal growth, and world travel. (Or: traveling the world.)
6. Fixing Faulty Parallelism with Adjectives and Adjective Phrases
Rule: Maintain consistent adjective forms or adjective phrase structures.
- Original (Incorrect): The report was clear, concise, and had accuracy.
Analysis: Adjective, adjective, verb phrase implying a quality. Fix (All Adjectives): The report was clear, concise, and accurate.
7. Fixing Faulty Parallelism with Adverbs and Adverb Phrases
Rule: Keep adverbial elements consistent in form.
- Original (Incorrect): He spoke confidently, eloquently, and with great passion.
Analysis: Adverb, adverb, prepositional phrase functioning as an adverb. Fix (All Adverbs): He spoke confidently, eloquently, and passionately.
The Impact of Correct Parallelism
Mastering parallelism elevates your writing from merely functional to truly effective. When your sentences flow smoothly and logically, readers grasp your ideas more easily and are more likely to be persuaded by your arguments. It adds a layer of sophistication, making your work sound professional and polished.
Consider the famous example from the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." The repeated "that they are..." structure creates a powerful, memorable rhythm.
While achieving perfect parallelism might seem like a small detail, it significantly contributes to the overall strength and clarity of your communication. If identifying these subtle grammatical nuances still feels daunting, remember that professional writing and editing services, like those offered by Humanize, can provide expert assistance to refine your work. Investing time in understanding and applying parallel structure is an investment in your writing's future success.
Practice Makes Perfect
The best way to improve your ability to spot and fix faulty parallelism is through practice. Actively look for these structures in your own writing and in the writing of others. The more you train your eye and ear, the more naturally correct parallelism will come to you. Start small, focusing on lists and comparisons, and gradually expand your awareness to more complex sentences. Your readers will thank you for the clarity and elegance you bring to your words.