Parallel structure is one of the clearest signs that a writer understands how English sentences are built. When two or more ideas have the same grammatical role, they should usually be expressed in matching grammatical forms. The result is easier to read, easier to remember and harder to misunderstand. The principle sounds simple, yet failures of parallel structure appear regularly in school essays, situational writing, summaries, comprehension responses, speeches, reports and academic prose.
This SETC guide teaches parallelism as a sentence-architecture skill rather than a decorative style trick. It is designed for Primary, PSLE, Secondary, SEC, IGCSE and advanced learners who want to make lists, comparisons, paired ideas and multi-part arguments structurally consistent. The guide also shows how to diagnose faulty parallelism, repair it without changing meaning and transfer the pattern into authentic writing under time pressure.
The core idea is simple: ideas that perform the same job should normally look grammatically alike. If a sentence presents three actions as equal, keep the actions in matching verb forms. If a sentence compares two noun phrases, keep the comparison at the same structural level. If a correlative pair such as either…or or not only…but also introduces two elements, the two elements should be grammatically comparable.
What parallel structure means
Parallel structure, also called parallelism or parallel construction, is the use of matching grammatical forms for ideas that are equal or closely related. Cambridge Dictionary describes parallelism as matching sentence structures or longer parts in order to balance ideas of equal importance. Purdue OWL similarly treats parallel structure as a clarity principle: when a writer uses a series of words, phrases or clauses, the forms should match so the reader can see the relationship easily.
A simple example makes the principle visible. Not parallel: Leonie likes reading, to swim and cycling. Parallel: Leonie likes reading, swimming and cycling. The meaning is almost the same, but the second sentence presents all three activities in the same -ing form. The reader no longer has to adjust to a structural change in the middle of the series.
Why parallelism matters
Parallelism reduces processing effort. Readers naturally assume that elements presented together belong together. Matching grammar confirms that relationship. When the forms change unexpectedly, the reader may wonder whether the writer has changed the meaning, changed the level of importance or simply lost control of the sentence.
Parallel structure also supports emphasis. Balanced forms make contrasts sharper and arguments easier to follow. We came to learn, to practise and to improve has a stronger rhythm than We came to learn, for practice and because we wanted improvement. The first version tells the reader immediately that three purposes are being coordinated.
Parallelism is about grammatical function, not identical words
Parallel elements do not need to be the same length or contain the same vocabulary. They need to perform the same grammatical function. In The tutor asked the students to read carefully, to underline the evidence and to explain their choices, each element is an infinitive phrase beginning with to. The second and third elements are longer than the first, but the architecture remains parallel.
Likewise, noun phrases can differ in complexity while remaining parallel: accurate reading, careful inference and clear written explanation. Each element is a noun phrase. Parallelism is therefore structural balance, not mechanical repetition.
The fastest way to diagnose a parallelism problem
Look for a trigger that creates a series, pair or comparison. Common triggers include and, or, but, both…and, either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also, than, as well as and lists after a colon. Then identify the grammatical form of the first element. Ask whether the remaining elements match that form and perform the same job.
If the first element is a noun, the others should usually be nouns or noun phrases. If the first is a gerund, the others should normally be gerunds. If the first is an infinitive phrase, the others should normally follow the same pattern. If one side is a complete clause, the other side should generally be a comparable clause.
Parallel words in a series
At the simplest level, coordinate words should be grammatically alike. Maren is calm, patient and observant uses three adjectives. The lesson required attention, persistence and accuracy uses three nouns. The students read, discussed and revised uses three past-tense verbs.
A sentence becomes unstable when the series changes word class without a reason. Not parallel: The tutor was calm, patience and observant. The repair is The tutor was calm, patient and observant, or The tutor showed calmness, patience and careful observation. Both are possible because the writer has chosen one consistent structure.
Parallel phrases
Phrases also need balance. Not parallel: The students practised reading closely, to identify evidence and careful explanation. This sentence coordinates a gerund phrase, an infinitive phrase and a noun phrase. A clear repair is The students practised reading closely, identifying evidence and explaining their answers carefully.
Another repair is possible if the writer wants infinitives: The students practised how to read closely, how to identify evidence and how to explain their answers carefully. The exact wording can change, but the principle remains: equal ideas should be built from comparable units.
Parallel clauses
Clauses contain subjects and verbs. When clauses are coordinated, keep the structures comparable. Not parallel: The teacher explained that the question required inference, that evidence had to be precise and choosing the correct scope. The third element breaks the that-clause pattern.
Parallel repair: The teacher explained that the question required inference, that the evidence had to be precise and that the answer had to match the required scope. Repeating that is not always compulsory, but repetition can make the parallel architecture visible and reduce ambiguity.
Gerunds in parallel structure
Gerunds are -ing forms functioning as nouns. They are common in lists of activities: reading widely, revising deliberately and checking errors. If the first element is a gerund phrase, maintain the same pattern unless there is a clear rhetorical reason to change.
Not parallel: Improving English requires reading widely, deliberate revision and to check errors. Parallel: Improving English requires reading widely, revising deliberately and checking errors. The repair aligns all three actions.
Infinitives in parallel structure
Infinitive phrases often begin with to: to plan, to write, to revise. In a parallel series, the word to may be repeated before every element or may appear only before the first if the structure remains clear. Both To plan, to write and to revise require discipline and To plan, write and revise requires discipline can be grammatical, though the first is more visibly balanced.
What matters is not whether to is repeated mechanically, but whether the reader can see that the verbs belong to the same infinitive frame.
Noun phrases in parallel structure
Noun phrases are especially important in formal writing because headings, objectives, report sections and arguments often present multiple concepts as equal. A strong list might read: accurate comprehension, precise vocabulary and controlled sentence structure. A weak list might mix levels: accurate comprehension, using precise vocabulary and sentences that are controlled.
The repair can be noun-based or verb-based. Accurate comprehension, precise vocabulary and controlled sentence structure keeps three noun phrases. Reading accurately, choosing precise vocabulary and controlling sentence structure turns all three into action phrases.
Adjective phrases in parallel structure
Adjectives can also be coordinated: The explanation was concise, accurate and easy to follow. If one element becomes a clause, the balance weakens: The explanation was concise, accurate and it was easy to follow. The sentence is not necessarily impossible, but the coordination is less elegant because the last element has a different grammatical shape.
Repair: The explanation was concise, accurate and accessible. Or: The explanation was concise and accurate, and it was easy to follow. The second version deliberately separates the clause instead of pretending all three items belong to the same structure.
Parallelism with both…and
Both…and creates a strong expectation of balance. Correct: The programme develops both reading accuracy and writing control. Correct: The programme helps students both identify evidence and explain its significance. The paired elements after both and and should be comparable.
Faulty: The programme both develops reading accuracy and stronger writing. Here both is placed before the verb develops, so the reader expects a second verb after and. Repair either the placement or the structure: The programme develops both reading accuracy and stronger writing, or The programme both develops reading accuracy and strengthens writing.
Parallelism with either…or
Either…or connects alternatives. Correct: Students can either revise independently or attend a guided session. Correct: Students can choose either independent revision or a guided session. The two sides match.
Faulty: Students can either revise independently or a guided session is available. One side is a verb phrase; the other is a clause. Repair by choosing two verb phrases or two noun phrases.
Parallelism with neither…nor
Neither…nor works in the same way. Neither the teacher nor the students were ready coordinates two noun phrases. The student neither planned the answer nor checked the evidence coordinates two verb phrases.
Placement matters. If neither appears before a verb, nor should introduce a comparable verb phrase. If neither appears before a noun phrase, nor should introduce a comparable noun phrase.
Parallelism with not only…but also
Not only…but also frequently causes errors because the two markers are separated by long phrases. Correct: The course not only teaches grammar but also develops editing judgment. Correct: The course teaches not only grammar but also editing judgment.
Faulty: The course not only teaches grammar but also better editing judgment. The first side after not only is a verb phrase, while the second side after but also is a noun phrase. Repair either the verbs or the objects: The course not only teaches grammar but also develops editing judgment, or The course teaches not only grammar but also editing judgment.
Parallel comparison with than
Comparisons require comparable things. Weak: Leonie enjoys reading more than to write. Parallel: Leonie enjoys reading more than writing. Weak: The new method is more effective than students using the old worksheet. Better: The new method is more effective than the old worksheet method, if methods are being compared.
Logical comparison matters as much as grammar. The sentence Singapore’s public transport system is more extensive than many cities compares a system with cities. Better: Singapore’s public transport system is more extensive than the systems in many cities. Parallelism protects meaning by forcing the writer to compare like with like.
Parallel comparison with as…as
The as…as construction also needs comparable forms. She is as careful in reading as she is in writing is balanced. She reads as carefully as she writes is even tighter. Avoid mismatches such as She is as careful in reading as writing accurately, unless the intended structures are clarified.
Parallelism after a colon
A colon often introduces a list or explanation. If the items belong to the same list, keep them structurally parallel. The tutor checks three things: whether the student understood the question, whether the evidence is accurate and whether the answer is complete. Each item is a whether-clause.
A mixed version would be harder to follow: The tutor checks three things: whether the student understood the question, accurate evidence and that the answer is complete. The content is related, but the grammar does not signal equal membership cleanly.
Parallel headings and bullet points
Parallelism is not confined to sentences. Headings, slide labels, report objectives and bullet points should usually use the same grammatical pattern. If one bullet begins with Analyse the question, another should not suddenly become Accurate evidence and another To check grammar. Choose a consistent frame.
For example: Analyse the task. Select the evidence. Explain the inference. Check the language. The repeated imperative form makes the sequence easy to scan. A noun-based version is also possible: Task analysis. Evidence selection. Inference explanation. Language checking.
Parallelism in lists inside essays
Students often create non-parallel lists when adding ideas during drafting. Consider: Social media can help students communicate quickly, finding information and to organise group work. The writer has three intended benefits but three different forms.
Repair: Social media can help students communicate quickly, find information and organise group work. The auxiliary structure can help applies to all three base verbs, creating a compact parallel series.
Parallelism in thesis statements
A thesis statement often forecasts several sections of an essay. Parallelism makes that roadmap easier to follow. Weak: This essay will examine why sleep matters, the effects of digital distraction and how students can build better routines. The items are a why-clause, a noun phrase and a how-clause.
Parallel noun version: This essay will examine the importance of sleep, the effects of digital distraction and the development of better routines. Parallel clause version: This essay will examine why sleep matters, how digital distraction affects attention and how students can build better routines.
Parallelism in topic sentences
Topic sentences benefit from balanced structures because they often compare causes, effects or responses. Poor time management affects students by increasing stress, missed deadlines and reducing the quality of work is structurally uneven. Better: Poor time management increases stress, causes missed deadlines and reduces the quality of work.
The repair also improves logic because each effect is expressed as a verb phrase controlled by the same subject.
Parallelism in introductions and conclusions
Rhetorical parallelism can create memorable openings and endings, but the grammar must remain controlled. A conclusion might say: Students need to read with attention, write with precision and revise with purpose. The repeated verb-plus-prepositional-phrase pattern creates rhythm without adding unnecessary ornament.
The strongest parallelism often feels natural rather than showy. It serves meaning first.
Parallelism in speeches
Speeches use parallel structure because listeners cannot reread a sentence as easily as readers can. Repeated architecture helps the audience predict and retain information. We need clearer questions, stronger evidence and better explanations is easy to hear. We need to ask clearly, to support carefully and to explain fully uses a different but equally balanced pattern.
Writers should avoid forcing parallelism where the ideas are not genuinely equal. Rhythm should clarify hierarchy, not hide it.
Parallelism and sentence combining
Sentence combining is a powerful way to teach parallelism. Start with three short sentences: Maren reads carefully. Maren marks evidence. Maren checks scope. Combine them: Maren reads carefully, marks evidence and checks scope. The shared subject makes the parallel relationship visible.
Then increase complexity: Maren reads the passage carefully, marks evidence that supports the inference and checks whether her answer matches the question scope. The three verb phrases are unequal in length but remain parallel because they share the same grammatical role.
False parallelism caused by meaning
A sentence can look grammatically parallel yet remain logically faulty. The tutor values accuracy, clarity and students who persevere contains two abstract nouns and a relative-clause noun phrase. A grammatical repair is accuracy, clarity and perseverance. But even a formally balanced sentence can compare unrelated categories if the writer has not thought carefully about meaning.
Parallelism is therefore not a substitute for logic. It is a tool that exposes logic. When elements refuse to become parallel without distortion, the underlying ideas may not truly belong in one series.
Faulty parallelism after prepositions
Prepositional patterns should also align. The course focuses on reading for evidence, writing with precision and revision under time pressure is broadly balanced because all three are noun-like phrases after on. A more strictly matched version is The course focuses on reading for evidence, writing with precision and revising under time pressure.
Watch for a preposition that governs only one item. She is interested in reading, writing and to debate is faulty because in governs gerunds, not an infinitive. Repair: She is interested in reading, writing and debating.
Parallelism with repeated prepositions
Sometimes repeating a preposition improves clarity: The policy applies to students, to teachers and to visitors. At other times one preposition can govern the full series: The policy applies to students, teachers and visitors. Both can be parallel. Repetition becomes useful when elements are long or when the writer wants deliberate emphasis.
Parallelism with repeated articles
Articles can similarly be repeated or shared. We spoke to a teacher, a parent and a student emphasises three distinct people. We spoke to a teacher, parent and student can also be understood, though the shared article may sound compressed depending on context. Parallelism should support clarity, not become an inflexible rule.
Parallelism with tense and aspect
When coordinated verbs describe actions on the same timeline, tense and aspect should normally align. Weak: She planned the essay, writes the introduction and had checked the conclusion. Better: She planned the essay, wrote the introduction and checked the conclusion. If the timeline truly differs, different tenses may be correct, but the difference should reflect meaning rather than accident.
Students should therefore distinguish faulty parallelism from legitimate tense contrast. Grammar follows the intended timeline.
Parallelism with voice
Active and passive forms can be mixed for a reason, but accidental switches often weaken parallelism. Weak: The class analysed the passage, the evidence was selected and wrote the response. Better active version: The class analysed the passage, selected the evidence and wrote the response. Better passive version: The passage was analysed, the evidence was selected and the response was written.
Choose the version that best preserves agency and information flow.
Parallelism with person and point of view
Lists and paired statements should normally keep the same person when they describe the same participant. Weak: A student should plan carefully, you should write clearly and they must edit. Better: A student should plan carefully, write clearly and edit. Or: Students should plan carefully, write clearly and edit.
This is partly a reference issue and partly a parallelism issue. Consistency makes the sentence easier to interpret.
Parallelism and punctuation
Punctuation cannot repair a structurally non-parallel series by itself. Commas separate items, semicolons can separate complex items and colons can introduce lists, but the grammatical relationship must still be coherent. Before adjusting punctuation, identify the forms being coordinated.
Likewise, a semicolon should not be used merely because a list feels complicated. Choose punctuation based on clause and list structure, then check parallelism independently.
A six-step SETC parallelism check
Step 1: find the connector or list trigger. Step 2: underline each coordinated element. Step 3: label the form of the first element: noun, adjective, gerund phrase, infinitive phrase, prepositional phrase or clause. Step 4: test whether the other elements match. Step 5: check whether the ideas are logically comparable. Step 6: read the revised sentence aloud and confirm that the rhythm supports the meaning.
This method works because it separates grammar from impression. Instead of asking Does this sound strange?, the learner can locate the exact structural mismatch.
Worked example 1: mixed verb forms
Draft: The student enjoys reading articles, to discuss ideas and writing responses. Diagnosis: reading and writing are gerunds; to discuss is an infinitive. Repair: The student enjoys reading articles, discussing ideas and writing responses.
Worked example 2: mixed noun and clause
Draft: The tutor values accuracy, careful reasoning and that students explain their answers. Diagnosis: two noun phrases plus a clause. Repair: The tutor values accuracy, careful reasoning and clear explanation. Alternative: The tutor values students who read accurately, reason carefully and explain their answers.
Worked example 3: not only…but also
Draft: Leonie not only improved her vocabulary but also her sentences became clearer. Diagnosis: the first side is a verb phrase; the second is a clause. Repair: Leonie not only improved her vocabulary but also clarified her sentences.
Worked example 4: logical comparison
Draft: The reading demands of Secondary 3 are greater than Primary 6. Diagnosis: demands are compared with a school level. Repair: The reading demands of Secondary 3 are greater than those of Primary 6.
Worked example 5: thesis statement
Draft: The report examines why students procrastinate, digital distraction and how routines can reduce delay. Diagnosis: why-clause, noun phrase, how-clause. Repair: The report examines why students procrastinate, how digital distraction sustains delay and how routines can reduce it.
Worked example 6: bullet list
Draft bullets: Identify the claim. Evidence selection. To explain the reasoning. Diagnosis: imperative, noun phrase, infinitive phrase. Repair: Identify the claim. Select the evidence. Explain the reasoning.
Common parallelism errors
- mixing gerunds and infinitives in one series
- mixing nouns and clauses as equal list items
- placing both, either, neither or not only in the wrong position
- comparing one type of thing with another type
- switching tense without a meaning reason
- switching active and passive voice accidentally
- changing person inside a coordinated structure
- using headings or bullet points with inconsistent grammatical forms
- allowing a shared preposition or auxiliary to stop applying midway through a list
- repairing the punctuation without repairing the structure
Primary and PSLE application
Primary learners can begin with simple coordinated verbs and adjectives. Maren reads, underlines and explains. The answer is clear, precise and complete. Once the pattern is stable, add longer phrases. The student reads the question carefully, selects the relevant evidence and explains the answer in her own words.
For PSLE writing, parallelism helps sentence fluency, synthesis and transformation, composition control and oral response structure. It also makes lists in situational writing easier to scan. Students should practise generating parallel sentences, not only identifying mistakes.
Secondary and SEC application
At Secondary level, parallelism becomes especially important in argumentative and discursive writing. Thesis statements, topic sentences and evidence summaries often coordinate several complex ideas. A student who loses parallel structure may also lose conceptual hierarchy.
Editing practice should therefore include long sentences where the parallel elements are separated by modifiers. The learner should mark the skeleton first, then restore the full sentence. This trains structural attention under realistic conditions.
IGCSE and advanced writing application
In IGCSE and advanced academic writing, parallelism improves clarity across reports, articles, speeches, essays and summaries. It also supports formal outlines and headings. A consistent set of section titles such as Define the problem, Examine the causes, Evaluate the responses and Recommend next steps is easier to navigate than a mixed set of nouns, questions and commands.
Advanced writers can use deliberate asymmetry for rhetorical effect, but control must come before deviation. A writer should know what pattern the reader expects before choosing to break it.
Parallelism in comprehension answers
Comprehension answers often require two or three linked points. If the question asks why a character acted, a parallel answer might state: She wanted to protect her friend, avoid further conflict and preserve the team’s trust. The three purposes share the same infinitive frame.
Balanced structure can also reveal whether one point is incomplete. If two items are full reasons and the third is merely a noun, the mismatch may expose a content gap as well as a grammar issue.
Parallelism in summary writing
Summary writing rewards compression. Parallel structures help combine related points efficiently: The programme reduced waiting time, improved communication and lowered administrative costs. Three findings fit one grammatical frame without repeated subjects.
However, do not force unlike ideas into a list merely to save words. Compression should preserve logical relationships.
Parallelism in situational writing
Emails, reports and proposals frequently present requests, actions or recommendations. Use parallel verbs for action lists: confirm the venue, notify the participants and prepare the materials. Use parallel nouns for headings: venue confirmation, participant notification and material preparation.
The chosen form should fit the document’s purpose and level of formality.
Parallelism in oral communication
Parallel structure also helps speaking. A student who answers an oral question with three balanced points can sound more organised because the listener can predict the pattern. For example: I would choose public transport because it is cheaper, reduces congestion and lowers emissions.
The aim is not memorised rhetoric. It is clear packaging of thought.
Why students know the rule but still break it
Many learners can correct an isolated worksheet item yet lose parallelism in composition because their attention is occupied by content, vocabulary, spelling and timing. This is a transfer problem. The grammar rule exists in declarative knowledge but has not become part of the writing process.
The solution is not another hundred labelled items. Practice must gradually remove the label and increase authentic writing demands.
How SETC builds parallelism control
A three-student tutorial allows the tutor to see whether the visible error comes from different causes. One learner may not recognise grammatical categories. Another may recognise them but misplace not only. A third may know the rule and fail only when sentences become long. The correction should match the cause.
SETC therefore moves through diagnosis, controlled repair, sentence combining, paragraph editing and independent production. Students explain why elements are parallel, not merely whether the answer key marks them correct.
A useful progression for practice
Stage 1: match simple words. Stage 2: match phrases. Stage 3: match clauses. Stage 4: repair correlative conjunctions. Stage 5: repair logical comparisons. Stage 6: edit paragraphs. Stage 7: produce parallel structures inside real essays and reports.
Interleave older patterns after delay. A skill that works only immediately after teaching is not yet durable.
Diagnostic practice
- Leonie enjoys reading, to sketch and playing the piano.
- The programme develops accuracy, confidence and students learn independence.
- Students should either submit the form online or by visiting the office.
- The new timetable is more flexible than the old school.
- Not only did Maren identify the evidence, but she also explained its significance.
- The tutor asked students to plan carefully, write clearly and that they should edit their work.
- The article was concise, persuasive and used accurate evidence.
- Our goals are to reduce errors, improving speed and stronger explanations.
- The teacher values both independent thinking and students who ask questions.
- The report examined the causes of delay, how routines affect performance and possible solutions.
Possible repairs: 1 reading, sketching and playing; 2 accuracy, confidence and independence; 3 either submit the form online or visit the office; 4 compare timetable with timetable; 5 already parallel; 6 plan carefully, write clearly and edit; 7 concise, persuasive and well supported, or used concise language, persuasive reasoning and accurate evidence; 8 to reduce errors, improve speed and strengthen explanations; 9 independent thinking and purposeful questioning; 10 the causes of delay, the effects of routines and possible solutions, or three matching clauses.
A paragraph editing challenge
Draft: Effective revision requires students to know what they have forgotten, practising retrieval instead of rereading and that mistakes are checked carefully. A strong routine also includes short sessions, mixing topics and to return to difficult material after a delay. Students who use such a system often become faster at recognising what method is needed and their confidence can improve.
One repair: Effective revision requires students to identify what they have forgotten, practise retrieval instead of rereading and check mistakes carefully. A strong routine also includes using short sessions, mixing topics and returning to difficult material after a delay. Students who use such a system often recognise the required method more quickly and become more confident. Notice that the revision improves both parallelism and sentence economy.
Parallelism and revision strategy
During final editing, scan specifically for and, or, than, both, either, neither and not only. These words are structural alarms. When one appears, pause and inspect what lies on each side. This targeted scan is faster than rereading every sentence with equal attention.
For long lists, place brackets around the elements. If the brackets contain different grammatical forms, decide whether the difference is intentional. If not, rebuild the sentence from one chosen frame.
When repetition is useful
Parallelism often involves repetition, and repetition is not automatically bad style. Repeating a preposition, auxiliary, infinitive marker or clause introducer can make complex structures easier to parse. The tutor asked whether the answer was relevant, whether the evidence was sufficient and whether the explanation was precise is longer than a compressed version but exceptionally clear.
Good editing balances economy against processing ease. Remove repetition only when the structure remains obvious.
When not to force parallelism
Parallelism should not erase genuine differences. If one recommendation is an immediate action and another is a long-term policy condition, forcing both into identical short verbs may hide their different status. Structure should reflect meaning, not flatten it.
Likewise, a writer may deliberately break a repeated pattern for emphasis in creative or rhetorical writing. That is a stylistic choice, not the same as accidental faulty parallelism. Examination and academic writing, however, reward clarity and consistency, so deliberate deviation should be used cautiously.
Frequently asked questions
Is parallelism only a style rule?
No. It is both a grammatical and stylistic principle. Some failures create clearly faulty constructions; others are technically interpretable but less clear and less balanced.
Must every item have exactly the same number of words?
No. Length can vary. The important issue is comparable grammatical function.
Can I mix active and passive voice in a parallel sentence?
Yes if the meaning requires it, but accidental switching often weakens clarity. Check whether the change of voice serves information flow.
Do I have to repeat ‘to’ before every infinitive?
No. You can repeat it for visible balance or let one to govern several verbs when the structure remains clear.
Why is logical comparison part of parallelism?
Because a grammatically balanced comparison can still be illogical if unlike categories are compared. Strong parallelism aligns both form and meaning.
How can I spot parallelism errors quickly in an exam?
Scan for connectors and list markers, underline the elements they coordinate and compare their grammatical forms. This is faster than relying on sound alone.
Research and reference points
The core description of parallelism in this guide is consistent with Cambridge Dictionary and Purdue OWL, which describe matching forms as a way to balance related ideas and improve sentence clarity. Purdue also highlights parallelism during proofreading because non-parallel lists often become difficult for readers to process. SETC extends these principles into a diagnostic, examination and writing-transfer framework.
Continue through SETC
Continue with English Grammar and Sentence Control, Run-On Sentences, Comma Splices and Sentence Fragments, English Conjunctions, and How English Works.
The rule to keep is simple: when ideas are equal, build them in comparable forms. Parallel structure is not ornament. It is a visible signal that the writer has organised both grammar and thought.