Parallel Structure: It's a Matter of Style!

Watch this 5-minute video on parallel structure:

The rules for parallel structure are simple. When listing 2 or more items in a sentence, those items should all use the same structure. Parallel structure means the order of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs for each item in a series is the same.

Example (correct): The habits that are most likely to lead to student success are asking for help when necessary, managing time effectively, and reading actively.

In the above example, there are 3 items in a series:

asking for help when necessary
managing time effectively
reading actively

Notice that in each of these items, the verb comes first. Also, the verbs are all in the same form (they all end in -ing).

The following example is NOT in parallel structure because the verb/noun forms vary from item to item:

Example (not correct): The habits that are most likely to lead to student success are asking for help when necessary, time management, and active reading.

Try to use parallel structure whenever you list items in a series in one sentence.

Transcript available here.