Parallelism
In academic writing, parallelism is a key element for constructing clear and organized sentences. This grammatical concept involves using similar structures within a sentence to enhance readability and coherence.
✗The researcher is responsible for collecting data, writing reports, and analysis.
➔This sentence is incorrect due to a lack of parallel structure. To rectify this, ensure consistency in the grammatical form of the listed items.
✓The researcher is responsible for collecting data, writing reports, and conducting analysis.
In the corrected version, each item in the list (collecting data, writing reports, and conducting analysis) follows the same grammatical structure, creating a more balanced and polished sentence.
Rules to Consider:
- ➔Consistent Verb Forms: Ensure that verbs within a list are in the same form (e.g., gerunds, infinitives).
- ➔Consistent Noun Forms: Maintain consistency in the structure of nouns and noun phrases.
- ➔Parallelism in Clauses: Pay attention to parallelism in parallel clauses to enhance overall sentence structure.
Further Examples:
Incorrect: ✗The professor asked students to analyze the literature review, presenting findings, and to discuss implications.
➔Correct: ✓The professor asked students to analyze the literature review, present findings, and discuss implications.
Incorrect: ✗To succeed in academia, one must have strong research skills, a good writer, and critical thinking.
➔Correct: ✓To succeed in academia, one must have strong research skills, good writing abilities, and critical thinking.
Incorrect: ✗Her research focuses on environmental issues, analyzing climate change, and conservation.
➔Correct: ✓Her research focuses on environmental issues, analyzing climate change, and promoting conservation.
Incorrect: ✗The conference covered topics such as innovative teaching methods, to enhance student engagement, and incorporating technology.
➔Correct: ✓The conference covered topics such as innovative teaching methods, enhancing student engagement, and incorporating technology.