02A: SYNTAX AND WORD CHOICE

8. Create Parallel Expressions

This specific rule is part of a larger principle that we'll call consistency. We'll discuss visual consistency in Chapter 11, where we talk about the importance of repetition. In this chapter, we refer to verbal consistency as parallelism. 

Parallelism means using the same word patterns - the same syntax - for similar parts of a sentence. When these similar elements aren't parallel, they sound awkward and out of place. Writers most often violate the parallelism principle in two situations:  (1) when stating items in a list or series, and (2) when connecting items with what are called parallel connectives. We'll look at each of these errors separately.

Items in a series or list. Items in a series need to be stated in the same grammatical form. The following video explains this use of parallelism:

Here's an example of the lack of parallelism in a series, and an example showing parallelism:

NOT PARALLEL:  Our exhibition booth will feature product giveaways, instructional videos, and we'll be especially pleased to raffle off a Hawaiian vacation.  

(The first two items in the series are adjective-noun combinations; the third item is a clause that starts with a subject and verb.)

PARALLEL:   Our exhibition booth will feature product giveaways, instructional videos, and an exciting raffle for a Hawaiian vacation. 

In a bulleted vertical list, the same principle applies:

NO:   Projects will be evaluated on the following criteria:

              • Is the client satisfied?
              • Were the consultants fully utilized?
              • Existence of a follow-on project.  (Wait a minute - the first two bullets are questions; this one's a statement.)

YES:   Projects will be evaluated on the following criteria: 

              • Is the client satisfied?
              • Were the consultants fully utilized?
              • Did the project generate follow-on work? 

Parallel Connectives. A parallel connective is a pair of words that joins two ideas together. The five most common parallel connectives (also called "correlative conjunctions") are: 

              • Neither/nor   The movie was neither interesting nor uplifting. 
              • Either/or     Walmart is going to either lay off a lot of workers or cut their hours.
              • Not only/but also   The new consultant is not only a genius but also a gourmet.
              • Both/and    Google is both profitable and innovative.
              • Rather/or  Would you rather take two weeks off or move to a different team?

What do you notice about the underlined words in the examples above? In all cases, the same part of speech immediately follows the two parallel connectives. In the first sentence, both are adjectives (interesting, uplifting); in the second sentence, both are verbs (layoff, cut); and so on. In other words, the parts of the sentence joined by the correlative conjunctions are parallel. 

Additional examples are provided in Exhibit 2A.2 below.

Neither ADJECTIVE nor ADJECTIVE 

Either NOUN or NOUN

Not only VERB but also VERB 

Neither red nor green
Neither fast nor slow
Neither hungry nor thirsty

Either Liz or Lisa
Either London or Paris
Either candy or popcorn

Not only run but also bike
Not only audit but also advise
Not only teach but also learn


Exhibit 2A.2: Consistent Wording following Parallel Connectives

To consolidate your understanding of how to use parallel connectives, watch this video: