3 Examples of Strengthening Parallel Structure

3 Examples of Strengthening Parallel Structure 3 Examples of Strengthening Parallel Structure 3 Examples of Strengthening Parallel Structure By Mark Nichol In each of the sentences below, misplacement of a word, or absence of a word, presents an obstacle to comprehension. Discussion and a revision follows each example. 1. These regulations either need to be revised or repealed. When employing an â€Å"either . . . or† phrase, the verb that applies to both choices, which are represented by two words or two phrases that follow either and or, should precede either: â€Å"These regulations need to be either revised or repealed.† 2. Smith, a former journalist and passenger on the flight, said that fellow passengers subdued the man until the plane landed about an hour later. Smith is a former journalist. She is also technically a former passenger, but the relevant fact is that she was a passenger at the time of the incident, not that she used to be a passenger. Therefore, she should be identified both as â€Å"a former journalist† as well as â€Å"a passenger on the flight†: â€Å"Smith, a former journalist and a passenger on the flight, said that fellow passengers subdued the man until the plane landed about an hour later.† 3. They can think more strategically when working with the committee and executive management to formulate plans and analyzing risks. Readers are likely to assume that â€Å"formulate plans† and â€Å"analyzing risks† are parallel and that, therefore, the inconsistent inflectional ending of analyzing must be corrected. However, â€Å"analyzing risks† is parallel not with â€Å"formulate plans† but with the larger phrase that begins â€Å"working with† and ends with â€Å"formulate plans,† so analyzing correctly matches working. To make clear the extent of the phrase equivalent to â€Å"analyzing risks,† repeat when immediately before the latter phrase to match the one before working: â€Å"They can think more strategically when working with the committee and executive management to formulate plans and when analyzing risks.† 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 Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Using "a" and "an" Before WordsFlier vs. FlyerWord Count and Book Length