Parallel Structure and Phrases
Aligned to L.9-10.1 — Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.
What this lesson teaches
Command of grammar includes parallel structure — matching the grammatical form of items in a series — and the deliberate use of phrases and clauses to vary sentences. Parallelism makes complex ideas read cleanly.
Worked example
'She likes hiking, swimming, and to bike' breaks parallel form; 'hiking, swimming, and biking' keeps every item the same shape, so the sentence lands evenly.
Practice questions
- Fix a sentence whose list items do not share the same grammatical form.
- Write one sentence that uses a phrase and a clause to add detail.
- Combine two short sentences using parallel structure for emphasis.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Estructura Paralela y Frases
El dominio de la gramática incluye la estructura paralela — igualar la forma gramatical de los elementos de una serie — y el uso deliberado de frases y cláusulas para variar las oraciones. El paralelismo hace que las ideas complejas se lean con claridad.
Ejemplo: 'Le gusta caminar, nadar y andar en bici' mantiene la forma paralela; si dijeras 'caminar, nadar y el ciclismo', romperías el paralelismo y la oración se desequilibraría.
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