Have you heard of the term "parallel structure" when it comes to writing? It's certainly not something you hear of every day, but is an important part of good (and correct) writing!If you're a fan of the Olympics and gymnastics, you've heard of and seen the parallel bars. Think about those for a minute.
What do you notice about those bars? Well, you could say that they are very similar to each other. They have the same form, style, and layout as each other. Believe it or not, this is true of good writing! Let's take a closer look at how sometimes you may have a sentence that has multiple verbs in it. Just like those parallel bars, you want those verbs to be in the same format as each other and to follow the same layout. So if one verb is in the past tense, they all should be!
If one verb is using the present participle form, they all should be! Below are some examples.
My sister was running, jumping, and playing all over the soccer field.
Verona ate dinner, slept for a bit, and then jogged.
The baby eats and sleeps throughout the day.
Did you see how each sentence had multiple verbs, but they were all similar in format and tense? That's something to pay attention to the next time you write!
Now you try it!
Write three different sentences that use two or three verbs and has correct parallel structure.
I know you can do it!
11 comments:
1.She leaped, ran, and dashed to make it on time.
2.The cat sleeps, eats, and plays every day.
3.The baby sobbed, whined, and squalled because she didn’t get her way.
Maria C. Torres
1. The guinea pigs squeal, run around the cage, and climb up on the cage whenever I pass by.
2. The kids are running, screaming, and laughing as they play ball in the yard.
3. I'm getting ready to wash the dishes, clean the bathroom, and do the laundry.
The children were having a good time at the party, they were running, jumping, bouncing.
The young lady became impatient waiting in the long line; she started yelling, shouting, and screaming.
The stylist washed, dried, and styled the clients' hair.
Angela B.
Ashley laughed, clapped and cheered when Emily received an award.
Everybody is thirsty, tired and hungry after racing in the relay.
The girl grunted, moaned and screamed when she fell off the chair.
1.The children ranned, screamed,laughed the whole time at chuckie cheese.
2.The gold fishes eat,pooped, and play all day.
3.My daughter crawls,walk,and run when she wants something and can't get it.
ANgela Richardson
1.The little girl was running,and jumping around at the park.
2.I was clapping,and jumping up and down at the basketball game.
3. At the flea market the owner of the store was,bying,selling and exchanging things in his store.
Simpson
Today I am baby sitting my nephew, and we watched movies, colored books, and played tag outside.
I`m going to study for an hour, eat lunch, and then take a nap.
I can’t wait for this weekend, I’m going to go fishing first, and then go swimming!
Nicole Cunningham
We visited the park, played games, and ate lunch.
The boy ran, jumped, and played at the park.
We were walking, running, skipping and jumping all over the field.
Verona H
1.The dolphin swimmed,splashed,and made noises to the audience.
2. The subsitute teacher talked ,laughed, and screamed at the kids.
3.The dog barked, rolled, and slept all day.
Angela Richardson
1.Emma bounced, spun, and danced fiercely on the dance floor.
2.He twisted, turned, and shook the bottle so it can open.
3.When the alarmed went off, she tossed, turned, and snoozed a bit more, before she finally woke up.
Maria C. Torres
July 8,2010
1.My brother cried,smiled,and laughed when he saw his new drum set.
2.My mom yelled,cried ,and ranned; when she founded out she had a birthday cake.
3.The baby played,kicked, and broke the new toy.
Angela Richardson
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