Here's what most people miss when they're learning parallel structure: it's not about making sentences sound fancy or looking smart on paper. It's about making your writing actually easier to read and understand. And yeah, that means fixing those sentences that trip you up every time you read them aloud.
Parallel structure isn't some secret grammar club rule—it's simply about keeping the same grammatical form when you're listing things, connecting ideas, or showing comparisons. Think of it like this: if you're building a staircase, you want each step to be the same height. If one step is way higher than the others, you're going to stumble. Same deal with sentences Not complicated — just consistent. But it adds up..
What Is Parallel Structure?
Parallel structure is when elements in a sentence that are logically connected have the same grammatical form. It's like matching the left and right shoes—you wouldn't pair a left sneaker with a right sandal, right?
Let's look at a sentence that gets this wrong:
"I like running, to swim, and biking."
See the problem? Even so, "Running" and "biking" are gerunds (verb forms ending in -ing that act like nouns), but "to swim" is an infinitive (the base form of a verb with "to"). It's like wearing mismatched shoes Not complicated — just consistent. Took long enough..
Now here's the corrected version:
"I like running, swimming, and biking."
Or alternatively:
"I like to run, to swim, and to bike."
Both work because now everything matches.
Why People Care About Parallel Structure
Here's the thing—most people don't actually care about parallel structure until they realize how much it messes with their writing. Maybe you've struggled to make a presentation sound smooth. Maybe you've sent an email that felt clunky. Maybe you just want to write better, period.
No fluff here — just what actually works Most people skip this — try not to..
Correct parallel structure makes your writing:
- Easier to read and process
- More professional and polished
- Less confusing for your audience
- Stronger and more persuasive
It's one of those things that separates amateur writing from writing that feels... well, written by someone who knows what they're doing.
How to Identify and Fix Parallel Structure Issues
We're talking about where most people get stuck—not because it's hard, but because they're not looking for the right patterns.
Start by Identifying the Pattern
Look for:
- Lists with commas
- Comparisons with "like" or "as"
- Correlative pairs (both/and, either/or, not only/also)
- Series connected by conjunctions
Check Each Element
Once you've found your pattern, check that each element follows the same grammatical form And it works..
Common patterns and their fixes:
Infinitive pairs: "She wants to eat healthy and to exercise regularly." → "She wants to eat healthy and exercise regularly."
Gerund pairs: "He enjoys swimming and to bike." → "He enjoys swimming and biking."
Adjective + noun: "The book was informative, entertaining, and it taught me a lot." → "The book was informative, entertaining, and educational."
Prepositional phrases: "We looked forward to the party, the food, and it was amazing." → "We looked forward to the party, the food, and the company."
The Quick Test: Read It Aloud
Here's what I always do—I read the sentence out loud. If it trips me up or sounds weird, there's probably a parallel structure issue. Your ear is often better than your eye at catching these things.
Try it with this example:
"She studied hard, worked diligently, and passed the exam with flying colors."
Read that slowly. Does it flow? Even so, or does "studied hard" (verb + adverb) feel different from "worked diligently" (verb + adverb) and "passed... flying colors" (verb + prepositional phrase)?
The fix: "She studied hard, worked diligently, and passed with flying colors."
Or even better: "She studied hard, worked diligently, and aced the exam."
Common Parallel Structure Mistakes (And How to Spot Them)
Mixing Verb Forms in Lists
This is the most common offender. People write: "My goals are to save money, get healthy, and spending time with family."
See it? "To save" and "to get" are infinitives. Day to day, "Spending" is a gerund. Fix it by making them all infinitives: "My goals are to save money, to get healthy, and to spend time with family." Or make them all gerunds: "My goals are saving money, getting healthy, and spending time with family.
Inconsistent Comparisons
Wrong: "The new phone is easier to use than the old one was." Right: "The new phone is easier to use than the old one was to use."
Or simpler: "The new phone is easier to use than the old one."
Correlative Pairs That Don't Match
Wrong: "Not only does she study, but she also gets good grades consistently." Right: "She not only studies but also gets good grades consistently."
Or: "She studies not only hard but also consistently gets good grades."
The key is that "not only" and "also" need to be followed by the same grammatical structure on both sides That alone is useful..
Fragmented Thoughts in Series
Wrong: "We need to consider the budget, the timeline, and we should think about the resources." Right: "We need to consider the budget, the timeline, and the resources."
Or: "We need to consider the budget, timeline, and resources."
What Actually Works: A Practical Approach
Here's my system for catching and fixing parallel structure issues:
1. The Scanning Method
When you're editing, scan for these red flags:
- Commas separating items in a list
- "And," "but," "or" connecting similar ideas
- "Like," "as," "such as" introducing comparisons
- "Both," "either," "neither" starting phrases
2. The Element Matching Game
For each item in your list or series, ask yourself: what part of speech is this?
- Is it a verb? An adjective? A noun? - Does it match the others in form and function?
3. The Rewriting Test
If you're still unsure, try rewriting the sentence two different ways:
- One with all infinitives ("to do this")
- One with all gerunds ("doing this") See which sounds more natural.
4. The Peer Review Hack
Have someone else read it. Day to day, seriously. Most parallel structure errors are so obvious to other people because we get blind to our own sentences after reading them too many times That's the whole idea..
Real Examples from Actual Writing
Let's look at some real-world examples where parallel structure makes a huge difference.
Marketing copy that gets it wrong: "Our service is fast, reliable, and we have great customer support."
Fixed: "Our service is fast, reliable, and provides great customer support."
Academic writing that trips up: "The study examined social media usage, how it affects mental health, and looked at generational differences."
Fixed: "The study examined social media usage, its effects on mental health, and generational differences."
Business communication gone wrong: "We need to improve customer service, reduce costs, and we should increase employee satisfaction."
Fixed: "We need to improve customer service, reduce costs, and increase employee satisfaction."
FAQ: Parallel Structure Questions People Actually Ask
Q: Is parallel structure only for formal writing? A: Not at all. You'll notice it matters most in formal contexts because that's where precision is expected. But it improves any writing—emails, texts, social media posts. Anything where clarity matters Took long enough..
Q: How do I fix parallel structure when I'm not sure what's wrong? A: Read it aloud slowly. Try substituting synonyms that change the part of speech. If the sentence sounds better with a different word form, that's your clue And that's really what it comes down to..
Q: Can I mix verb forms if the meaning is clear? A: Technically you can, but why make life harder? Clear parallel structure means your reader doesn't have to work to understand you. That's always worth the extra effort.
Q: What about sentences with more than three elements? A: The longer the series, the more important parallel structure becomes. With four or more items, mismatched forms become exponentially more confusing That's the part that actually makes a difference..
