Parallelism for Dummies

Parallelism is a term that we often hear in language arts or literature, and it refers to a specific way of structuring sentences or phrases so that they are balanced and have a similar form or pattern. It's almost like creating a harmony or rhythm in our writing. Let me break it down for you in a simple and engaging way.

Imagine you are putting together a puzzle, and each piece has a different shape, size, and color. It would be challenging to create a beautiful picture if the puzzle pieces didn't fit together nicely, right? Well, the same goes for writing. When we use parallelism, we are arranging our words, phrases, or clauses in a way that creates a pleasant and balanced effect for our reader.

Let's say we want to describe our favorite activities using parallelism. Instead of simply saying, "I like swimming and to read books," we can make it more parallel by saying, "I like swimming and reading books." Do you see how the verbs "swimming" and "reading" have the same -ing form? That's parallelism at work.

Another way to utilize parallelism is by using similar sentence structures. For example, instead of saying, "I enjoy running in the park. I also going to the movies," we can make it parallel by saying, "I enjoy running in the park, and I also enjoy going to the movies." We keep the structure consistent by starting each sentence with "I enjoy" and connecting the two ideas with the word "and."

Now, parallelism isn't just about making things sound fancy and pleasing to the ear. It also helps us communicate our ideas more effectively. When we use parallelism, we make it easier for our reader to follow along and understand our message. It adds clarity and emphasis to our writing, making it more engaging and memorable.

In summary, parallelism is a technique we use in writing to create balance, rhythm, and clarity. It involves arranging words, phrases, or clauses in a way that they have a similar form or structure. Whether it's using matching verbs, repeating certain sentence patterns, or maintaining consistent word order, parallelism helps us make our writing flow smoothly and effectively communicates our ideas. So, the next time you write something, give parallelism a try, and see how it elevates your writing to a whole new level!