UWF WRITING LAB RULES OF THUMB FOR PARALLELISM

							      UWF WRITING LAB
   RULES OF THUMB FOR
          PARALLELISM

From Real Good Grammar, Too
       by Mamie Webb Hixon




             Created by April Turner
            PARALLELISM


   The secret to
    the parallelism
    test: make
    sure
    everything is
    the same.
   WRONG:        Did         RIGHT: Did you know
    you know that you          that you have a
    have a purpose, that       purpose, that you are
    you are needed, and        needed, and that you
    we love you?               are loved?
   WRONG:          A good      RIGHT: Having a
    attitude, being on           good attitude, being on
    time, and speaking           time, and speaking
    effectively are her          effectively are her
    attributes.                  attributes.
   WRONG:          This          RIGHT: This proposal
    proposal is profitable,        is profitable, timely, and
    timely, and it helps us.       helpful.
A FEW REMINDERS…
   “not only” NEEDS “but
    also” NOT JUST “but”
   EXAMPLE:
   Vitamin A is found not only in
    vegetables, but eggs and
    butter have it.
   Vitamin A is found not only in
    vegetables, but also in eggs
    and butter.
A FEW REMINDERS…
   “either” NEEDS             “neither” NEEDS
    “or” NOT “nor”              “nor” NOT “or”
   EXAMPLE:                   EXAMPLE:
   The shirt must be          I found neither his
    either red nor black.       bongo playing or his
   The shirt must be           glockenspiel practicing
    either red or black.        objectionable.
                               I found neither his
                                bongo playing nor his
                                glockenspiel practicing
                                objectionable.
    QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
   Does anyone
    have any
    questions
    regarding
    parallelism?

   PLEASE
    ASK!!!
        LET’S PRACTICE!!!
 Many gases are invisible, odorless, and they
  have no taste.
    Many gases are invisible, odorless, and
                     tasteless.
 Mr. Foster is not only an excellent barber but
  also sings well.
 Mr. Foster is not only an excellent barber but
                also a good singer.
    LET’S PRACTICE A LITTLE
            MORE!!!
 Three of the steps in filing are to code, to
  sort, and storing.
   Three of the steps in filing are to code, to
                 sort, and to store.
 Without federal taxes, we would have neither
  an army or a navy.
 Without federal taxes, we would have neither
                an army nor a navy.