Grammar Workshop Series. Parallelism. Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre

Transcription

1 Grammar Workshop Series Parallelism

2 Parallelism Take a look at the following sentences: 1) When I am bored, I like swimming or to go for a walk. 2) Big classes sometimes make people feel insignificant and like they don t exist. 3) I couldn t get my mark raised, even though I tried coaxing, begging, and arguments. (Answer on next slide)

3 Parallelism Questions How do they look to you? Try saying them aloud. How do they sound? Can you hear or see problems with them? If so, take a minute to think about the following questions: a) How would you define the problems? b) How would you fix the sentences? If you have an answer, feel free to head on to the next slide.

4 Some possible solutions There are several ways in which the problems in these sentences could be solved. For instance, we could rewrite them as follows: 1)When I am bored, I like to swim or to go for a walk. 2)Big classes sometimes make people feel like they don t matter and like they don t exist. 3)I couldn t get my mark raised, even though I tried coaxing, begging, and arguing. Two questions: a)what did we change to improve the sentences? b)did you solve the problems the ways we did? If not, which do you like better, your solutions or these ones?

5 Parallelism Definition With regard to defining the problem, we can say that it relates to parallelism. This is the principle that when expressions (which can be words or phrases, or even sentences) are doing the same job, or occupying the same place in the structure surrounding them, they need to be similar in form, both for reasons of elegance, and so that the reader can tell where one item ends and the next one starts.

6 How it works So if you are making up a list of activities, all the activities in the list should have the same form, whether they are ing verbs, infinitives, or clauses. In other words, 1) I like running, singing and dancing. 2) I like to run, sing, and dance. 3) I like running when it is sunny, singing when my friends come over, and dancing when it s the weekend.

7 Markers for Parallelism Parallelism typically involves words, phrases, and/or clauses that are put together in lists, or in alternating or contrasting structures so it will typically occur in situations where words and phrases are connected with a) and, b) or, c) on the one hand on the other hand, d) neither nor, e) either or, f) not only but, g) and so on.

8 Examples of Parallel Words: Parallel: Work needs to be done accurately, neatly, and quickly. Not parallel: Work needs to be done accurately, neatly, and in a hurry. Phrases: Parallel: The successful candidate will be an efficient verbal communicator or a clear writer. Not parallel: The successful candidate will be an efficient verbal communicator or write well. Clauses: Parallel: The professor told us that we should study hard and that we should take a lot of notes. Not parallel: The professor told us that we should study hard and to take a lot of notes.

9 Watch out 1) For infinitives and gerunds there are lots of situations where you can use an infinitive ( I like to swim ) or a gerund ( I like swimming ), but whichever form you choose, stick to it for all the parallel items! 2) For clauses or phrases that are mixed together with verbs or words: The production manager was asked to write his report quickly, accurately, and in a detailed manner is a problem; so is The teacher said that he was a poor student because he waited until the last minute to study for the exam, completed his lab problems in a careless manner, and his motivation was low. How would you solve these problems? 3) For clauses that change from active to passive: For instance how would you fix the salesman expected that he would present his product at the meeting, that there would be time for him to show his slide presentation, and that questions would be asked by prospective buyers?

10 The Magic Word: Balance Think of parallelism as balance, and pretend that words that come between parallel elements such as and, or, and but are the balancing points. If you want to make things balance correctly, the words on either side of the balancing points must be equal which in this case means similar in form and structure. Unbalanced: I enjoy biking and to walk down by the pier. Balanced, or Parallel: I enjoy biking and walking down by the pier.

11 Introductory Markers Other parallelism signalers come before the parallel elements for instance, not only but also. The material following the first signaler must be parallel to the material following the second. So The hurricane not only destroyed the fishing fleet but also the homes of the fishermen is not parallel, because destroyed the fishing fleet starts with a verb, destroyed, whereas the homes of the fishermen starts with the article and noun. How would you fix this?

12 An answer and a question Well, since the verb applies to both the fleet and the homes, why not put it in front of the parallel items, like so: The hurricane destroyed not only the fishing fleet but also the homes of the fishermen? Can you identify the problem with, and give a solution for, the following sentence: By dividing us into groups for some projects, the professor ensures that either our entire group will pass, or will fail?.

13 Parallelism in Rhetoric We have been talking about parallelism in terms of grammar and sentence structure. Moving to a somewhat different level, we can say that parallelism becomes extra powerful when we are able to link its structure with the sentence s sense. Parallelism is often used, for instance, to emphasis antithesis, which is the rhetorical technique of using balanced contrasts or opposites. So the following sentences are parallel in structure, and lean on that parallelism in order to give a real point to their antithetical contents. The combination of sense and structure make them extra powerful. Ambition in a man is praised; ambition in a woman is damned. Jack Sprat could eat no fat; his wife could eat no lean.

14 Strategies for creating rhetorical parallelism Remember: You should be pairing words or phrases that have a similar sound. The sound-parallel can be: alliterative ("similar in sound") determined by length and rhythmic stress ("government of the people, by the people, and for the people )

15 Alliteration You can also use alliteration (words that share letters) to strengthen parallelism: We were promised compassion and conservatism but we got Katrina and wiretaps (Barack Obama) not by polls but by principle; not by calculation but by conviction (Barack Obama)

16 More Rhetorical Parallelism Here are another couple of examples of powerfully parallel pronouncements (alliteration!): "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" (Martin Luther King Jr.) In the face of war, you believe there can be peace. In the face of despair, you believe there can be hope. In the face of a politics that s shut you out, that s told you to settle, that s divided us for too long, you believe we can be one people, reaching for what s possible, building that more perfect union. (Barack Obama)

17 For further investigation Many have drawn upon the effectiveness of parallel structures to strengthen their messages. Abraham Lincoln, for instance, made extensive use of it in his famous Gettysburg Address. Take a look at the speech (for instance, here: and see if you can identify all the ways in which parallel structure is used. Or check out Mark Antony s speech in act 2, scene 3 of Shakespeare s Julius Caesar the famous speech whose first words are a nice little bit of parallelism: Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears (

18 Some Examples to Conclude "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" (Martin Luther King Jr.) In the face of war, you believe there can be peace. In the face of despair, you believe there can be hope. In the face of a politics that s shut you out, that s told you to settle, that s divided us for too long, you believe we can be one people, reaching for what s possible, building that more perfect union. (Barack Obama)

19 Parallelism Question 1 Which revision is parallel? The firefighter, knowing that two children were trapped in the burning building, rushed through the front door, finding the youngsters hiding under their beds, and carried them to safety moments before the roof collapsed. A) rushed through the front door, finding the youngsters hiding under their beds, and carried them B) rushed through the front door, found the youngsters hiding under their beds, and was carrying them C) rushed through the front door, found the youngsters hiding under their beds, and carried them D) rushed through the front door, finding the youngsters hiding under their beds, and was carrying them

20 Parallelism Answer 1 Which revision is parallel? The firefighter, knowing that two children were trapped in the burning building, rushed through the front door, finding the youngsters hiding under their beds, and carried them to safety moments before the roof collapsed. A) rushed through the front door, finding the youngsters hiding under their beds, and carried them B) rushed through the front door, found the youngsters hiding under their beds, and was carrying them C) Correct: rushed through the front door, found the youngsters hiding under their beds, and carried them D) rushed through the front door, finding the youngsters hiding under their beds, and was carrying them

21 Parallelism Question 2 Which is parallel? A) Raoul's GPA is higher than Ralph. B) Raoul's GPA is higher than Ralph's. C) Raoul s GPA is higher than is Ralph s.

22 Parallelism Answer 2 Which is parallel? A) Raoul's GPA is higher than Ralph. B) Correct: Raoul's GPA is higher than Ralph's. C) Raoul s GPA is higher than is Ralph s.

23 Parallelism Question 3 A) He wanted three things out of college: to learn a skill, to make good friends, and to learn about life. B) He wanted three things out of college: to learn a skill, to make good friends, and learning about life. C) He wanted three things out of college: to learn skills, to make at least one friend, and learn about life.

24 Parallelism Answer 3 A) Correct: He wanted three things out of college: to learn a skill, to make good friends, and to learn about life. B) He wanted three things out of college: to learn a skill, to make good friends, and learning about life. C) He wanted three things out of college: to learn skills, to make at least one friend, and learn about life.

25 Parallelism Question 4 Choose the best option: A) Coach Espinoza was a brilliant strategist, a caring mentor, and a wise friend. B) Coach Espinoza was a brilliant strategist, a caring mentor, and friend. C) Coach Espinoza was a brilliant strategist, was a caring mentor, and was a friend. D) Coach Espinoza was a wonderful strategist, mentor and friend. E) A or C or D

26 Parallelism Question 4 Choose the best option: A) Coach Espinoza was a brilliant strategist, a caring mentor, and a wise friend. B) Coach Espinoza was a brilliant strategist, a caring mentor, and friend. C) Coach Espinoza was a brilliant strategist, was a caring mentor, and was a friend. D) Coach Espinoza was a wonderful strategist, mentor and friend. E) Correct: A or C or D

27 Parallelism Question 5: Which is NON-Parallel? A. Higher education is suffering from the twin evils of bureaucracy and politics. B. Mary is a professor of linguistics but who teaches in an English department. C. Syntax, morphology, and phonology are the core areas of linguistics. D. all of the above E. none of the above

28 Parallelism Answer 5: Which is NON-Parallel? A. Higher education is suffering from the twin evils of bureaucracy and politics. B. Non-parallel: Mary is a professor of linguistics but who teaches in an English department. C. Syntax, morphology, and phonology are the core areas of linguistics. D. all of the above E. none of the above

29 Parallelism Question 6: Which is NON-Parallel? A. I have worked in Spain and in Ireland. B. Yesterday, I had the new pipes and the new air filter installed C. Susan is smart, diligent, and a hard worker. D. all of the above E. none of the above

30 Parallelism Answer 6: Which is NON-Parallel? A. I have worked in Spain and in Ireland. B. Yesterday, I had the new pipes and the new air filter installed C. Non-parallel: Susan is smart, diligent, and a hard worker. D. all of the above E. none of the above

31 Parallelism Question 7: Which is NON-Parallel? A. I hope to vacation either in Spain or in Ireland. B. I hope either to marry the woman of my dreams or the woman of his dreams. C. Either I will or I won't. D. all of the above E. none of the above

32 Parallelism Answer 7: Which is NON-Parallel? A. I hope to vacation either in Spain or in Ireland. B. Non-parallel: I hope either to marry the woman of my dreams or the woman of his dreams. C. Either I will or I won't. D. all of the above E. none of the above