To use parallelism in writing, ensure clear structure and appropriate subjects. Parallelism can improve sentence flow, but excessive repetition should be avoided. Proper parallelism allows subsequent clauses to function outside the initial clause. When using parallelism to compare or connect ideas, ensure clear and logical connections. Avoid unnecessary confusion by comparing similar things along identical terms.
To use parallelism in writing, you should make sure that the structure of the sentence or sentences is such that the meaning remains clear and you do not make stylistic errors. This means that you should be sure to correctly set up a single subject for the parallel structure or to indicate new subjects or subjects for each clause in a sentence if necessary. You should also make sure you use appropriate subjects and parallel structures that don’t create confusion, comparing two things that don’t make sense. If you’re using parallelism in writing between multiple sentences, then you should structure each of them similarly to ensure that readers pick up on the parallel.
Parallelism in writing can be used in a variety of different ways for a variety of reasons, though typically you could use it to make sentences flow more smoothly. For example, you could write a sentence like “The man was short, had a poor complexion, his feet were too big, and he always wore dark clothes.” The repetition of the subject in each sentence of the sentence, however, becomes excessive and unpleasant to read. While repetition isn’t inherently harmful, it can get boring in some cases.
When you use parallelism in your writing, you can make this type of sentence flow better by rewriting it as “The short man has a poor complexion, large feet, and a penchant for dark clothes.” Proper parallelism allows each subsequent clause to function outside the verb or predicate used in the initial clause. In this example, the word “has” in the first sentence applies to everyone who follows it. An improper structure, which you should avoid, would be a statement like, “The man is short, has big feet, and prefers to wear dark clothes.” While this is not grammatically incorrect, the need for a verb in each following sentence inhibits the effectiveness of the parallel.
If you are using parallelism in writing between two or more clauses, to create a comparison or connection between two ideas, then you should make sure you structure them in a way that creates clear parallelism. Two sentences like “The dog was happy” and “The clouds were fluffy” could be considered parallel, but the connection is rather vague. A more pronounced parallel between these ideas could be constructed as “Happiness is the natural order of dogs, as softness is the natural order of clouds.” This demonstrates a much more pronounced parallel through repetition of keywords, and while such repetition is not required, it can make two sentences connect and stand out more strongly within a text.
However, you should be careful when using parallelism in writing this way, to make sure a connection makes sense. A statement like “My house, my salary and my family are numerous” has some inherent logical problems. The size of the house is measured in terms of its spatial capacity, while a paycheck is measured in terms of numerical quantity, and a household is measured in relation to the number of people in it. While this type of sentence can be used for irony or comedy, to compare dissimilar things along seemingly identical terms, you should avoid unnecessary confusion when using parallelism.
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