Sentence Structure:  Parallel Structure

Solving Problems

 

#1  Solution:       You have to try to forget him and to be happy.

 #2 Solution:       Asking the court for help is better and safer than hurting another person and
                           then feeling guilty for what you've done.


Try It Yourself!

 

Here are some sentences which lack parallelism.  Can you fix them?  What type of problem did the original sentence have? 

WHERE'S THE ERROR?

1.  Solution:       The best thing to do is to ask for help or (to) call the police.
     Explanation: infinitive phrase, infinitive phrase

2. Solution:     I believe that Japanese cars last longer than American cars.
                       I believe that a Japanese car lasts longer than an American car. (Remember to
                        change the verb to 3rd person singular.)
    Explanation: either all plural, or all singular.

3.  Solution:       My name, Du Chao, reminds me to be successful and courageous.
     Explanation:  two adjectives

4.   Solution:       We were talking and trying to understand each other.
      Explanation:  Use of past progressive is required for both main verbs.

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