Joining Parallel Structure

 What is Parallelism?

Parallel structures consist of two or more of the same grammatical form  joined by a conjunction.  Two or more of any grammatical structure can be combined.  Note the examples below.

ADJECTIVES physical and mental physical, emotional, and behavioral
NOUNS stresses and strains headaches, backaches, and stomachaches
VERBS capture and detain seek advice and follow it
ADVERBS emotionally and physically exhausted quickly, safely, and effectively contain the spread of anthrax
PHRASES exhausted from the ordeal but happy to be alive close to ground zero but outside the perimeter
CLAUSES Millions of dollars have been spent on the investigation, but the terrorists remain elusive. A huge sum of money has been collected for victims' families, and soon it will be distributed.

Understanding parts of speech and their functions in sentences is essential for reading comprehension and written expression.  

Listening Dictation: Click the Listening Dictation link to hear five sentences.  Write out the sentences you hear.  Underline the parallel structures in the sentences and identify their parts of speech. To hear a sentence a second time, click and hold the back button on real player.  To pause in order to write, click the pause button.  Click the green arrow to proceed to the next sentence.

Listening Dictation

Check Dictation

More on Parallel Structures   http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_parallel.html

Find the Parallel Structures in Your Time 

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