10 Tips to Balance Parallel Sentence Structure

10 Tips to Balance Parallel Sentence Structure 10 Tips to Balance Parallel Sentence Structure 10 Tips to Balance Parallel Sentence Structure By Mark Nichol In crafting sentences that compare one thing to another or represent one thought in contrast to another, writers often omit key words or phrases because they misunderstand how one phrase is balanced against another. In constructing sentences with parallel structure, think of the two parallel elements as figures on a seesaw, and the connecting word or phrase as the fulcrum, then check whether the elements on either side of the fulcrum are equally balanced: 1. â€Å"We often pay more attention to them than our own children.† This ambiguous sentence means either that we pay more attention to something than we do to our children, or that we pay more attention to something than our children do. This slight revision reflects that the writer meant the former choice. (â€Å"We pay more attention to them† is balanced against â€Å"[we pay attention)] to our own children.†): â€Å"We often pay more attention to them than [we pay] to our own children.† 2. â€Å"His version is created not with brush and ink, but countless Lego blocks.† The parallel phrases in this sentence, balanced by the fulcrum but, are not â€Å"with brush and ink† and â€Å"countless Lego blocks,† but â€Å"brush and ink† and â€Å"countless Lego blocks,† so repeat with: â€Å"His version is created not with brush and ink, but with countless Lego blocks.† 3. â€Å"The story here is not one of privacy infringement so much as the way real estate is changing because of technology.† The fulcrum in this sentence is â€Å"so much as,† and the phrase â€Å"is not one of privacy infringement† must be balanced against one that starts with the same verb: â€Å"The story here is not one of privacy infringement so much as it is the way real estate is changing because of technology.† 4. â€Å"The rainwater boon isn’t so much about taste as reliability in a region where hundreds of wells dried up in the last drought.† This sentence has the same fulcrum as the previous example does, but notice how the sentence reads more smoothly and has more impact because of the inversion of the constituent phrases: â€Å"In a region where hundreds of wells dried up in the last drought, the rainwater boon isn’t so much about taste as it is about reliability.† 5. â€Å"They protect consumers from purchasing products that are not effective or even dangerous.† Without the repetition of the phrase â€Å"that are,† this sentence crashes to a halt with the false parallel terms effective or dangerous. Omit the first word and the fulcrum from the equation, and the resulting sentence, â€Å"They protect consumers from purchasing products that are not even dangerous,† does not retain the meaning. The point about dangerous products needs a complete phrase: â€Å"They protect consumers from purchasing products that are not effective or that are even dangerous.† 6. â€Å"They believe in cultural and racial diversity, but not diversity of opinions.† Take away the first phrase, and you’re left with an omission in â€Å"They (don’t) believe diversity of opinions,† so the preposition in must accompany both phrases: â€Å"They believe in cultural and racial diversity, but not in diversity of opinions.† 7. â€Å"Thanks for your generous assistance and support of these books.† If â€Å"and support† is omitted, the phrase â€Å"assistance of these books† stands out as faulty, so repair the error with one of these two options: â€Å"Thanks for your generous assistance with and support of these books,† or â€Å"Thanks for your generous assistance and for your support of these books.† Better yet, perhaps, is â€Å"Thanks for your generous assistance in supporting these books.† 8. Beagles rely on their acute sense of smell to chase their quarry and alert hunters with their high-pitched barks. Beagles rely on smell to chase their quarry and alert the hunters? No. Their smelling and their barking are two parallel attributes. This sentence requires two independent clauses with parallel subjects: â€Å"Beagles rely on their acute sense of smell to chase their quarry, and they alert hunters with their high-pitched barks.† (A fulcrum assisted by a â€Å"not only . . . but also† phrase might seem useful at first glance, but that revision alters the writer’s intent.) 9. â€Å"Those who clashed with the color scheme were getting fired or relegated to the stockroom.† Without a balance to either side of or, the sentence implies that people were getting fired to the stockroom or relegated to the stockroom. Repeating the verb clarifies that only the second option involved the stockroom: â€Å"Those who clashed with the color scheme were getting fired or were relegated to the stockroom.† 10. â€Å"Families have been leaving the city not so much because of the form housing takes but its price tag.† The parallel phrases here are (or should be) â€Å"because of the form housing takes† and â€Å"because of its price tag.† Without the following fix to the second phrase, the reader trips into a prose pothole: â€Å"Families have been leaving the city not so much because of the form housing takes but because of but its price tag.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comparative Forms of AdjectivesDriver License vs. Driver’s License50 Musical Terms Used in Nonmusical Senses

Compound-Complex Sentence Worksheet

Compound-Complex Sentence Worksheet There are three types of sentences in English: Simple, compound and complex sentences. This worksheet focuses on writing compound-complex sentences and is ideal for advanced level classes. Teachers can feel free to print out this page to use in class. Understanding Compound-Complex Sentences Compound-complex sentences are sentences that contain two independent clauses and one or more dependent clauses. They are more complicated than compound sentences or complex sentences as they combine the two styles. Learning to write compound-complex sentences is an advanced level English learning task. Make sure you understand both compound and complex sentences before you begin to study the compound-complex sentences. Coordinating Conjunctions Compound sentences use coordinating conjunctions also known as FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) to connect two simple sentences. Remember to place a comma before the coordinating conjunction. Here are two compound sentences as examples to review. I would like to read the book, but its not available.Janet is going to visit her grandparents, and shes going to a meeting. Complex Sentences Adverb Clauses Complex sentences combine one dependent and one independent clause through the use of subordinating conjunctions such as because, though, as, while, if, etc these are also known as dependent adverb clauses. Here are two complex sentences as examples to review. Notice how the two sentences are similar in meaning to the two compound sentences. Though its not available, Id like to read the book.Janet is going to a meeting after she has visited her grandparents. Remember that the dependent clause can be placed at the beginning or the end of the sentence. When placing the dependent clause at the beginning of the sentence, use a comma. Complex Sentences Using Relative Clauses Complex sentences also use relative clauses using relative pronouns (who, which, that, etc.) as the independent clause to modify a noun or noun phrase. Relative clauses are also known as dependent adjective clauses. I would like to read the book which was written by John Handy.Jane is going to visit her grandparents who live in Boston. Combining the Two Most compound-complex sentences contain coordinating conjunction and an adverb or relative clause. Here are examples combining the previous sentences to write compound-complex sentences. I would like to read the book which was written by John Handy, but its not available.Jane is going to a meeting after she has visited her grandparents who live in Boston. Compound-Complex Sentence Worksheet Combine the sentences  to make one compound-complex sentence. Susan teaches the kids who live in the neighborhood. They meet in the evenings after she comes home from work.The doctor wants to prescribe physical therapy, and he asked me to see a specialist. He recommended Dr. Smith.Anthony told us about the assembly of the products. Unfortunately, he didnt tell us about where they were made.We managed to finish the exercise on time  and passed the exam. However, it was very difficult.The man spoke little English. Mary understood him, but couldnt help.We didnt have much time, so we didnt read the final chapter. However, we still enjoyed the book.We will miss our father greatly. He taught us many lessons. Those lessons have helped us succeed in life.The eagles attract many tourists. They live in the local mountain range. Unfortunately, the politicians still refuse to protect them.We finished our work early, so we decided to go out for a drink. We went to Allans Pub.The students who attended the university went on strike. They protested the tuiti on hikes. Sandy wanted to ask her uncle questions about his experiences. Her uncle fought in WW II.The boys refused to ask the teacher any questions. They failed the exam.I dont like the food. The staff prepares the food. I also do not like their unfriendly attitude.Sheila loves red. The Mustang is red, but she might wait a few months.He can join us if he asks the man who invited us to the party. He can also stay home. Answers There are other variations that are possible than those provided in the answers. Ask your  teacher for other ways  to connect these to write complex sentences. Susan teaches the kids who live in the neighborhood in the evenings after she comes home from work.The doctor wants to prescribe physical  therapy, and he wants me to see Dr. Smith whom he recommended.Anthony instructed us on how the products are assembled, but he failed to tell us where they were made.Although the exercise was difficult, we managed to finish it on time, so we passed the exam.Mary understood the man who spoke little English, but she was unable to help him.Because we had limited time, we didnt read the final chapter, yet we still enjoyed the book.Our father taught us many lessons which helped us succeed in life, and we will miss him greatly.The eagles which live in the local mountain range attract many tourists, but the local politicians still refuse to protect them.As we had finished our work early, we decided to go out for a drink, so we went to Allans Pub.The students who attended the university went on strike, for they protested the tuition hikes.Sandy never met her uncle who had fought in WW II, yet she wanted to ask him about his experiences. The boys refused to ask the teacher who had instructed them any questions, so they failed the exam.I dont enjoy the food which is prepared by the staff, nor do I appreciate their unfriendly attitude.As she loves red, Sheila wants to buy the Mustang, or she wants to wait for a few months.If he wants to join us, he needs to ask the man who invited us to the party, or he can stay home.