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SAT Parallelism
SAT Parallelism
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These sentences all have the same basic structure. In the first sentence, pizza is the object of the verb like. In
the next two sentences, to swim (an infinitive) and swimming (a gerund) play the same role. Therefore, they
must also be nouns. Gerunds and infinitives are often interchangeable. For instance, saying I like to swim is
very much like saying I like swimming. But the sentences aren’t identical. If you are unable to swim, but
enjoy watching swim meets, then I like swimming conveys your sentiment but not I like to swim.
Although infinitives and gerunds are often interchangeable, here are some simple rules to help you to choose
between them in certain situations.
The gerund is usually better for indicating a general class of activity, while the infinitive is often better
for indicating a specific activity in which someone actively participates.
Kayaking is a healthful sport, but can sometimes be dangerous.
Curtis and Dan want to kayak this afternoon.
The first sentence discusses a general activity, but the second discusses a specific activity.
The infinitive often indicates purpose more strongly than does the gerund.
Maia went to the store to buy groceries.
Notice that the gerund buying could not logically replace the infinitive to buy, because Maia had a purpose in
going to the store, and this purpose is conveyed by an infinitive and not by a gerund.
3. Parallel constructions
The English language contains many parallel constructions, which are the common ways of phrasing
comparisons.
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When you use any of these parallel constructions, you must make sure of two things: that you use the
correct phrasing, and that A and B are parallel. To improve your use of parallelism, practice underlining
the A’s and B’s when you see any of these parallel constructions, and making sure that they have the
same form.
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8. I have always loved (dance) ____________ although my condition has always prevented me from
doing it myself.
9. Is it better (study) ___________ a little each night, or a lot the night before?
10. The director called a meeting (discuss) __________ the coordination of the marketing phase.
Correct any infinitive/gerund problems in the sentences below.
11. The defendant was unwilling to give up his right of having his lawyer present at all questioning.
12. I would not dream to try out for the team until I have learned to throw a football.
13. Within the next three weeks, we plan having all of the work on the roof completed.
Fix the parallelism errors in the following sentences.
14. I like working with Miss Bennett because she is very supportive and has a lot of knowledge.
15. I can’t decide whether I should give Maria the tickets or Caitlyn.
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Pay attention to underlined words or phrases that are part of a list or comparison, particularly if one part
of the list is not underlined. The underlined portion may need to be changed to maintain parallelism.
Although parallelism problems show up occasionally in Identifying Sentence Errors questions, they are
more common in Improving Sentences questions.
My father is not one to raise his voice and also he does not like to lose his composure.
(A) and also he does not like to
(B) or
(C) nor
(D) and not
(E) nor does he like to
The portion of the sentence that follows the underlined portion, lose his composure, is already parallel to
raise his voice. The underlined portion of the original sentence destroys the parallelism. Choice (B) does the
best job of restoring it. Choice (C) is incorrect because nor should not be used without neither.
Answer Key
Parallelism practice
1. by mail; by phone; on the web
prepositional phrases
2. having; working
gerunds
3. you get to know her; you will like her
independent clauses
4. exceptionally fresh; reasonably priced
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adverb-adjective phrases
5. concert; three-hour nightmare
nouns
6. Exercising is essential but so is eating intelligently. The sentence discusses general activities, so gerunds
are more appropriate.
7. The purpose of this trip is to show you what life was like in the 18th century. The infinitive shows purpose
more effectively than does the gerund.
8. I have always loved dancing although my condition has always prevented me from doing it myself. Since
the speaker cannot dance, the infinitive is inappropriate.
9. Is it better to study a little each night, or a lot the night before? The infinitive shows a clearer link
between the action and a particular subject.
10. The director called a meeting to discuss the coordination of the marketing phase. The infinitive shows
purpose more effectively than does the gerund.
11. The defendant was unwilling to give up his right to have his lawyer present at all questioning.
12. I would not dream of trying out for the team until I have learned to throw a football.
13. Within the next three weeks, we plan to have all of the work on the roof completed.
14. I like working with Miss Bennett because she is very supportive and knowledgeable.
15. I can’t decide whether I should give the tickets to Maria or to Caitlyn.
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