Activity: Parallel Sentences

According to the dictionary, "consistency" means "conformity in the application of something". This meaning aligns perfectly with how we will think of it in terms of writing. For our purposes, the "something" will be our use of language. Specifically, we will talk about consistency in three ways that it applies to writing: parallel sentence construction, verb tense, and point of view (pronouns). Consistency is important in good writing because it helps to make the job of the reader easy. To better understand these ideas, read about parallelism in the following section, and get some practice by doing the activity. When you are done, compare your answers to the answer key.

Correcting Non-Parallel Sentences Activity

Answer Key

  1. My dog loves to chase squirrels, take long naps, and chew on her sister's face.
  2. Paul plans to become an office administrator, a sales associate, or an accountant.
  3. The hardware store has huge sections devoted to electrical equipment, plumbing supplies, and carpentry tools.
  4. My music collection is divided into party music, hanging-out music, and study music.
  5. A consumer group rates my motorcycle as noisy, expensive, and unsafe.
  6. Between receiving a call from her mother and leaving her backpack at home, Mia was running really late.