There are two types of parallel structure problems that you need to be aware when taking the SAT writing section. If you know what to look out for, it is often one of the easiest problems to spot and correct.
Type 1: sentences which certain pairs of connecting words that require parallel construction. Examples of pairs are “neither…nor”, “either…or”, “not only…but also”, “the better…the better”, “the less…the less”. The phrases following each word (in italics) must be parallel in grammatical structure. Take a look at the faulty sentences in the left column below.
| faulty parallel structure | parallel structure |
| The professor’s speech focused on neither his recent scholarly work nor how he discovered the new bacteria strain. | The professor’s speech focused on neither his recent scholarly work or his discovery of the new bacteria strain. |
| Not only does Michael play the piano, but he also enjoying cooking. | Not only does Michael play the piano, but he also enjoys cooking. |
In the first example, the phrase that follows neither is ‘his recent scholarly work” but the phrase that follows nor is “how he discovered the new bacteria strain”. The first is a noun clause while the second is not and should be changed accordingly from “how he discovered” to “the discovery of”. In this way, the two phrases will be parallel because it both refers to nouns – his work and the discovery.
In the second example, the verb form is not parallel. The phrase “play the piano” should be matched by “enjoys cooking” instead of “enjoying cooking.”
Type 2: the easier parallel structure to identify is when there is a list of two or more items. Can you spot the error in the example below?
To be considered for the Dean’s list, a student must have achieved a 3.9 GPA, written an honors thesis and to be a student government member.
The list here comprises three things: “achieved a 3.9 GPA”, “written an honors thesis” and “to be a student government member”. The first two phrases have the verbs “to achieve” and “to write” in the past participle form whereas the third leaves “to be” in the infinitive form. To maintain the parallel verb structure, you would have to change “to be” to “been”.
The correct sentence should read: To be considered for the Dean’s list, a student must have achieved a 3.9 GPA, written an honors thesis and been a student government member.
Remember that each item in the list must be grammatically parallel. If most are adverbs, they should all be adverbs. If most are in the present tense, they should all be in the present tense. Keep these rules in mind and check to see if the sentence satisfies them. If not, look for other mistakes such as misplaced modifiers or incorrect idioms. More posts on those types of errors to come! Practice SAT verbal on Grockit.
