Introduction to Parallel Structure in Essay Writing
Parallel structure is a writing technique used to create smooth, coherent, and seamless prose. It involves using similar grammatical structures to connect and link together corresponding points, phrases, clauses, or sentences. Using parallel construction helps emphasize key ideas and makes writing more cohesive, logical, and impactful. This article will examine the concept of parallel structure in greater depth and provide examples to illustrate its effective use in essay writing.
What is Parallel Structure?
Parallel structure refers to using consistent grammatical forms to link together comparable elements in a sentence, phrase, or series of sentences. The basic principles are to employ coordinating conjunctions like ‘and’, ‘or’, ‘but’ between elements and to maintain consistency in verb tenses, grammatical voices (active or passive), and parts of speech. Some key aspects of parallel structure include:
Using the same grammatical form (verb, adjective, noun, etc.) on either side of coordinating conjunctions. For example, “I walked to school and ran back home” instead of “I walked to school and ran home.”
Maintaining consistency in verb tenses when connecting clauses. For example, “I studied hard and passed the exam” not “I studied hard and pass the exam.”
Keeping grammatical voice (active or passive) consistent on both sides of coordinating conjunctions. For example, “We ordered pizza and ate dinner” not “We ordered pizza and dinner was eaten.”
Maintaining parallelism in sentence structure when joining independent clauses with coordinating conjunctions. For example, “I went to class early but you arrived late” not “I went to class early but late was your arrival.”
The goal is to link corresponding grammatical elements for a coherent, balanced flow without abrupt changes in syntax. Proper use of parallel structure enhances readability, comprehension, and rhetorical impact.
Why is Parallel Structure Important in Essay Writing?
There are several reasons why employing parallel structure is important in academic and persuasive essay writing:
Clarity and Cohesion: Parallel construction ties ideas together cohesively for smooth reading. It eliminates syntactic friction that could confuse or distract readers. Ideas flow in a logical progression without abrupt shifts in syntax.
Emphasis and Rhetorical Effect: Parallelism emphasizes key points by highlighting the relationships between corresponding elements. It creates a rhythmic, memorable pattern that reinforces your message and arguments effectively.
Logical Consistency: Maintaining parallel grammatical form connects ideas and examples in a logically consistent way. It shows relationships are analogous and conclusions follow systematically from premises given. This strengthens the logic and credibility of your analysis.
Concision and Economy: Parallel structure enables more concise expression as fewer words are required to effectively link related concepts. Eliminating repetitive elements like subjects and verbs promotes clearer, more focused writing.
Flow and Cadence: Well-executed parallelism gives writing a lyrical, almost musical flow and cadence that engages readers and makes complex ideas more digestible. It creates cohesion between sentence structures for a smoother reading experience.
Overall, thoughtful use of parallel structure is a hallmark of clear, articulate, and rhetorically compelling essay writing. It strengthens logic, emphasis, cohesion and reader engagement – all important qualities in persuasive academic writing.
Examples of Effective Parallel Structure
To better understand how parallel structure works in practice, consider some examples:
“We came, we saw, we conquered.” – Julius Caesar’s famous parallel construction effectively captures the swift, fluid progression of events.
“An early start meant arriving on time; careful preparation equated to achieving high scores.” – Maintaining parallel grammatical form (infinitive phrase + past tense verb) clearly shows the relationship between the pairs of actions.
“Some students choose to socialize and ignore their studies; others decide to focus and excel in their classes.” – Verb phrases (“choose to socialize” and “decide to focus”) aligned with gerund forms (“ignoring” and “exceling”) creates parallelism and emphasizes opposing choices and outcomes.
“We fixed broken chairs, swept dusty floors, and organized cluttered shelves.” – Using the same grammatical form (“-ed” past tense verbs) in a sentence structured as a list effectively conveys the completion of multiple tasks.
“My task involved observing procedures, analyzing data, and reporting findings.” – Consistent use of “-ing” verb forms maintains parallelism between the sequential steps of a process or project.
As these examples demonstrate, parallel structure provides clear, logical connections between analogous concepts while also enhancing writing through rhythm, emphasis and concision. Thoughtful application of parallel techniques will strengthen overall rhetorical impact and flow in academic essays.
When Parallel Structure Should be Avoided
While parallelism is highly beneficial when used properly, there are some cases where non-parallel constructions may be preferable:
Very long or complex series: Long chains of parallel elements can become monotonous or difficult to digest. Varying syntax occasionally breaks up dense passages.
Emphasizing unique elements: At times, drawing attention to an item by making it non-parallel can be useful rhetorically when a single point requires differentiation.
Grammar or style considerations: Strict parallelism should not override more important matters of grammar, clarity, logic or style. Variety maintains reader interest.
Idioms and colloquialisms: Sayings like “easier said than done” rely on natural non-parallel syntax for rhetorical and linguistic effect. Forced parallelism may corrupt idioms.
Overall, a balanced approach integrating parallel and non-parallel constructions as needed yields the strongest results. Writers should thoughtfully apply parallelism where it logically and rhetorically matches your communicative goals, trusting readers to discern meaning even amid some well-placed syntactic variations.
Conclusion
Mastering and applying parallel structure technique is an invaluable skill for producing clear, cohesive, and compelling academic writing. By creating strategic syntactic linkages that reinforce logical connections and emphasize key ideas, parallelism strengthens analysis, explanations and arguments. Thoughtfully applying the principles of maintaining consistent grammatical form, tense, voice and structure between corresponding elements helps produce writing that flows smoothly and retains reader engagement. While some non-parallel constructions have rhetorical uses, essayists and students alike will benefit from learning to recognize opportunities to apply parallel structure effectively as an important tool for expression and persuasion.
Andrew Stroud