Faulty parallelism, also known as parallel structure or parallel construction, occurs when the elements within a sentence or a series of sentences are not grammatically or structurally parallel. In parallelism, similar ideas or elements should be expressed in the same grammatical form to create balance and clarity in writing.
Here's an example of faulty parallelism:
"I enjoy swimming, hiking, and to ride a bike."
In this sentence, the verbs used to express the activities are not in the same form. "Swimming" and "hiking" are in the gerund form (noun form of the verb), but "to ride" is in the infinitive form. To fix this, we need to ensure that all the activities are presented in the same grammatical form.
Corrected version:
"I enjoy swimming, hiking, and biking."
In the revised sentence, all the activities are now in the gerund form, maintaining parallelism and creating a more balanced structure.
Here are some strategies to fix faulty parallelism:
1. Use consistent verb forms: Ensure that verbs in a series are in the same tense and form (e.g., all gerunds, all infinitives, all present participles).
2. Maintain consistent sentence structure: Keep the same grammatical structure for items in a list or a series. For example, if using noun phrases, continue using noun phrases; if using full sentences, continue using full sentences.
3. Balance conjunctions: When using conjunctions like "and," "or," or "but," make sure that the sentence elements connected by these conjunctions are parallel in structure.
4. Repeat necessary words: If a word or phrase is necessary for parallelism, make sure to include it in all elements of the series. This helps maintain consistency and clarity.
5. Check verb tense and voice: Ensure that verbs within a series or a comparison are in the same tense and voice. This applies to both main verbs and helping verbs.
By applying these strategies, writers can correct faulty parallelism and create sentences that are more balanced, coherent, and grammatically correct.