PARALLEL STRUCTURE

EXPRESS SIMILAR IDEAS IN SIMILAR GRAMMATICAL FORM

NOT parallel: Jane is tall, blonde, and with blue eyes. Parallel: Jane is tall, blonde, and  blue-eyed.

Use similar grammatical form for:

1. Items in a series:

1. NOT parallel: In spincasting, your stance, how you hold the rod, and the way in which you swing may affect distance and accuracy.
2. Parallel: In spincasting, your stance, your manner of holding the rod, and your swing may affect distance and accuracy.
3. NOT parallel: He asked me to return his bike and that I should lock it up.
4. Parallel: He asked me to return his bike and to lock it up. OR He asked that I return his bike and that I lock it up.  

2. Items to be compared:

1. NOT parallel: I like tennis better than to play indoor games. 
2. Parallel: I like tennis better than indoor games.

3. Sentence parts separated by double conjunctions (either...or, neither...nor, both...and, not only...but, also not...nor): 

1. NOT parallel: I like either football or taking part in  track events.

2. Parallel: I like either football or track events.