Parallel Structure

It’s not just for gymnasts

A Bit of History

Earliest examples

Classical Greek Lit

Herodotus

Homer

Ancient Middle Eastern Text

Hebrew Poetry- The Bible, esp. Psalms

Bhagavad-Gita

Parallel Structure...

Is the use of the same pattern of words to show that

two or more ideas have the same level of

importance. Parallel structure adds both clout and clarity to your writing.

When you use parallel structure, you increase the

readability of your writing by creating word patterns

readers can follow easily.

This happens at the word, phrase, clause, sentence,

and paragraph level

Parallelism...

is a useful rhetoric and style tool in both

prose, and poetry in which coordinate

ideas are arranged in phrases,

sentences, and paragraphs, that

balance one element with another of

equal importance and similar wording.

this includes the repetition of sounds,

meanings, and structures serves to

order, emphasize, and point out

relations.

In Technical Writing

Genre

Structural and Rhetorical

Conventions

Organization and Presentation

Goals and Function

W.E.B. DuBois: So parallel on so many levels

The Souls of Black Folk has chapters that

maintain parallel structure over the course

of pages.

Parallelism occurs at multiple levelsLexical/semantic

Syntactic (main clause, sub-clause, phrase)

Paragraph

Extended

Winston Churchill:Won a War with

Parallel Structure

“Be Ye Men of Valour”-

May 19th, 1940

Listen for parallel structure

Repetition in style or word choice

Use of opposites to create structure

Note what stands out or captivates your attention

Note pauses and emphasized words

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMtx6hWPH70

Rewrite History:

Be a Parallel Structure Champion

Use Your Skills: Put Parallelism to Work

How is this text already parallel?

What needs improved?

Where would a more parallel structure be less

effective?

How nostalgic does looking at these instruction

books make you?

Be a Champion:

Use Parallel

Structure