Parallel Structure Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: L.9-10.1.A

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

In many forms of literature, you will often find a continually repetition of word or phrases within the same passage. This is done to build or adhere importance to those ideas or subjects. This often focuses the reader to better understand the significance of those thoughts and ideas. When authors use this method, it helps form a grammatical balance for the reader. It is often helpful to use when working on creating well-constructed sentences. When it is used consistently it result in greater readability and provides the audience with a better sense of clarity. This technique is also a dead give away that something is important and needs to be driven towards within a body of work. These worksheets will help students identify and write using the parallel structure technique.

Parallel Structure Worksheets To Print:

Joining Elements - Choose words to fill in the blank that give the correct parallel sentence structure.

Incorporating Coordinating Conjunctions - Each sentence below uses a coordinating conjunction, but it does not use parallel structure. Rewrite each sentence making sure to use this technique when writing.

Check It or X It! - Read each sentence, if it uses parallel structure, put a check mark on the line. If it doesn't, put an X mark on the line.

Parallel Use in Sentences - This technique means that you are using the same construction for elements in a sentence that have the same function.

Using It With Items in a Series - In a series, we list three or more common things that serve a purpose within a sentence.

Pencil Me In! - Identify which sentences have parallel construction and which don't. Rewrite the ones that don't so that they have parallel construction.

Complete Each Sentence - You will need to evaluate each sentence and make sure to that when complete the sentences you involve the use of this technique.

What's The Reason? - Study the reasons for using parallel construction. For each reason, Write two original sentences using parallel construction.

Parallel Construction with Comparison - Each of the following sentences contains a comparison. Rewrite each sentence so that it uses parallel construction.

Using It in Writing - Write six original sentences using parallel construction to formulate your creation. Follow the prompts to guide you along on your journey.

Formal Re-Writes - Rewrite each sentence so that it uses the technique that we have been discussing. You will do that five times and then create your own original sentences.

Side-by-Side Sentences - Evaluate all of the different sentences and make sure that you consider what you will write before you completely rewrite each of them.

Sentence Revision - Revise each sentence so that it reflects what we have been exploring. Be creative here and use good judgement.

The Great Word Switch - Rewrite each sentence. Change the wording as necessary, so as to retain the meaning and create parallel construction.

Use of Structure - These sentences are much more wordy and will take more time for you to fully evaluate.


Parallelism Worksheets

Many teachers would see this as some form of grammatical repetition or a cyclic process in speech or writing. It is not just the mechanical process of manipulating the flow of the words and phrases, parallelism has a significant impact on thoughts and ideas that are being brought forth. It can be used as a literary device in many different ways. You can use it as a simple figure of speech or smash the entire grammatical structure of a sentence with it. When used properly it often repeats a word or phrase in order to place an emphasis on that term. It can also be used to create a parallel position between opposite thoughts, concept, or ideas. These worksheets will help students better understand how this literary device is used and help them learn to use it in their own writing.


Parallelism Answers - These are the answer keys to the five worksheets below.

The Basics - We examine why this technique is used and how to use it better.

True or False - See what you know about this literary device and how it is used properly.

Sentences - Complete the sentences to make them work best from your flow when reading.

What Is It? - Put a check mark next to each sentence that has parallelism.

Repetition - How does this concept differ?

Simple Uses - Read through a series of sentences and determine if it exhibits a sense of parallelism.

Structuring Sentences - We work on this tactic a bit more. Example: That's one step for man, one giant leap for mankind.

In Poetry - You will read E.E. Cummings' poem and identify how this tactic is used.

Famous Speech - We look at Dr. King's most famous speech and how parallelism lays the foundation.

Live Text - Read the assigned text. When you find instances of parallelism, write down the sentence that uses it. Then identify the parallel grammatical structure of each example.

Active Sentences - Answer each prompt to demonstrate this literary device in action.

Paul Revere's Ride - Identify instances of this tool used in the famous Henry Wordsworth Longfellow poem.

Psalm 24 - As you can see this device has been used back at the time of the composition of the bible.

Letter from a Birmingham Jail. - Dr. King demonstrates the use of this literary device in writing as well.

Examples - It is time for you display what you have learned so far.

Dr. King 2 - We identify how this provides balance, clarity, and a smooth patten.

A Tale of Two Cities - From the classic Charles Dickens work. Read the passage. Answer the questions.

Anaphora - Anaphora is a specific form of parallelism which is created by repeating a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses, or sentences in order to create emphasis.

Epistrophe - Epistrophe is a specific form of parallelism which is created by repeating a certain word or phrase at the end of sentences or clauses that follow each other. The repetition is both rhythmic and serves to emphasize what is being repeated.

Check It - A nice review sheet on this concept for you.

Rewrites - Take a sentence and rewrite it using what you have learned about this tactic.

Composition - You will create sentences from scratch and then analyze them.

Technique - See what you understand about the uses of this technique.

The Concept - How would you explain this concept if you were a teacher?

Versus Repetition - Compare and contrast these closely related concepts.

True or False - A different version of the previous sheet that you can use as a short quiz for your students.

Fundamentals - What are the core fundamental ideas behind this concept?

Writing With It - Can you compose your own sentences using this technique.

Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address - See how Lincoln used anaphora in his speech.

Persuasive Parallel - Write a persuasive paragraph about something you feel passionate about.

What is Parallel Word Structure?


Parallel words structure is a specific way of adding and sequencing the words within a statement or different statements interrelated to one another within a paragraph. Such a words structure adds clarity to the meaning of a statement and also makes the statement easy and interesting to read. The sentences following parallel words' structure are more likely to be preferred by the readers and writers both because of the order and simplicity of the style in which they are written.


Parallel word structure or the phenomenon of parallelism uses a repetitive format of chosen and specified grammatical forms within the sentences. The author compares the related ideas and elements in the sentences by parallelizing the structure of some specific unit that is conveying the idea about those ideas and elements. Some good examples of parallel sentence structure could be the statements given below:


"Daisy is a lively girl who likes to eat, attend different concerts, and take a lot of naps."

"Daisy is a lively girl who likes eating, attending different concerts, and taking a lot of naps."


There are a variety of ways in which you can use and form these parallel word structures within a variety of statements. Some of the most common and preferable occasion to use a parallel word structure are as follows:


Coordinating Conjunctions

Parallel word structure is preferred to be used whenever there is coordinating conjunction in a statement connecting two or more phrases or clauses.


Correlative Conjunctions

The use of parallel word structure is also preferred whenever you are using a correlative pair of conjunctions in a statement to connect the ideas in the form of two or more phrases or clauses.


Other Occasions to Use This Technique

Parallel word structure is also used in phrases or clauses that are used for comparison, and with the lists that are used for the comparison.


What Is Parallelism in Writing?


Most people think of writing as a solitary task. You sit down at your desk, put your fingers to the keyboard, and the words flow out one by one. But good writing is not just an activity - it's a conversation. A writer needs to speak with clarity and precision, using language that engages the reader and pulls them into the text.


One of the most important tools in a writer's toolbox is parallelism. Parallelism (also called parallel structure or parallel form) is a literary device used to create balance or equality within a sentence or paragraph. This technique can be used to compare or contrast ideas or emphasize specific words or phrases. Let's take a closer look at this technique and some examples of how we can use it in writing!


What Is Parallelism?


It is the similarity of grammatical form in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses. This means that each item in the series must use the same grammatical form. For example, if the first item is a noun, the second item must also be a noun. If the first item is a verb, the second item must also be a verb.


The Main Types: The two main types of parallelism are structure and form.


Structure


Parallel structure is when two or more elements in a sentence are grammatically similar. This means they have the same tense, mood, voice, etc.


Form


Form parallelism is when the syntactic form of two or more elements is similar. This could be having the same number of syllables or words or using the same type of words (e.g., nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.).


Here are some examples of this used in writing:


"She likes to read, write, and sing." (structure)


"He was exhausted from work, but he still went for a run." (Form)


"I asked for a raise, and they gave me a promotion." (Comparing and contrasting)


The purpose of parallelism is to create balance and symmetry within a sentence or paragraph. We can also use this tactic to emphasize certain ideas, words, or phrases. PaThis literary device can make your writing more concise and easier to read when used effectively. It can also add emphasis or clarity to your ideas.


Different Ways to Use This


There are many different ways to use parallelism in writing. Let's take a look at a few examples of it:


Compare and Contrast


One of the most common uses for parallelism is to compare and contrast two or more ideas. For example, take a look at the following sentence:


The cat slept soundly through the storm while the dog cowered under the bed.


In this sentence, this device creates a contrast in the actions of the cat and the dog. Both animals are sleeping, but the cat is doing so peacefully while the dog is afraid.


Emphasize Ideas


We can also use this technique to emphasize certain ideas or words. For example, take a look at the following sentence:


I love spending time with my family, but I also need time alone


In this sentence, this device caters for the need to emphasize the idea of balance. The author loves spending time with their family, but they also recognize the importance of alone time. This use of parallelism creates a sense of harmony and peace.


Final Thoughts


As you can see, this is a versatile tool that can be used in many different ways. Now that you know about this tool you can use it, you can start incorporating it into your writing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Parallel Structure with Coordinating Conjunctions Preview