Parallel Construction Practice
A Grade 8 ELA worksheet focusing on identifying and correcting errors in parallel construction.
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Parallel Construction Practice
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Read each section carefully and follow the instructions to complete the exercises on parallel construction.
Understanding Parallel Construction
Parallel construction (also called parallelism) is the repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence. By making sure that phrases, clauses, or words in a series are grammatically similar, you create a sense of balance and rhythm in your writing, making it clearer and more impactful.
For example: "She likes to hike, to swim, and to ride a bicycle." is parallel. "She likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle." is not parallel.
1. Which of the following sentences demonstrates correct parallel construction?
He enjoys running, swimming, and to bike.
He enjoys running, swimming, and biking.
He enjoys to run, swimming, and biking.
He enjoys to run, to swim, and biking.
2. Which sentence uses parallel structure correctly?
My goals are to graduate, getting a good job, and to travel.
My goals are graduating, to get a good job, and travel.
My goals are to graduate, to get a good job, and to travel.
My goals are graduating, getting a good job, and to travel.
Rewrite the following sentences to correct errors in parallel construction.
1. My dog loves barking, chasing squirrels, and to dig holes.
My dog loves .
2. She is an excellent student, a talented artist, and always working hard.
She is an excellent student, a talented artist, and .
3. The recipe requires mixing the flour, adding the sugar, and to bake for thirty minutes.
The recipe requires .
Write three sentences about your favorite hobby, making sure to use parallel construction in each sentence.
Determine whether the following statements about parallel construction are True or False.
1. Parallelism only applies to lists of three or more items.
True
False
2. Using parallel structure makes sentences harder to read.
True
False