198  Grammatical Parallelism

Use Grammatically Parallel Structures

Word repetition can be a powerful approach to reinforce understanding. You can repeat the same words or phrases in a sentence if this creates grammatically parallel structures. Parallel structures can be used by the writer to “drive a point home”. Without parallel structures, the reader often needs to do more work to understand a sentence.

Grammatically parallel structures use the same sentence structure to highlight informative comparisons. You can create a parallel structure by repeating either the subject, the verb or the completing phrase.

Use Consistent Language to Create Continuity

In the first sentence , the writer attempted to vary word choice, using belong to and reside in. This variety of word choice comes at the cost of understanding. The reader briefly struggles with the fact that the parallel structure they expected is absent. Without this, the reader needs to know that reside in and belong to mean the same thing.

👎 Although there is agreement that humans and chimpanzees reside in the same taxonomic order, there is controversy regarding whether they belong to the same taxonomic family.

👍 Although there is agreement that humans and chimpanzees reside in the same taxonomic order, there is controversy regarding whether they reside in the same taxonomic family.

👎 Instead, the question is whether culture, learning, and language play a minor role in complex emotional responses (basic emotion theory) or a substantial one (constructionist theory).

👍 Instead, the question is whether culture, learning, and language play a minor role (basic emotion theory) or a major role (constructionist theory) in complex emotional responses.

👍 Instead, the question is whether the role of culture, learning, and language in complex emotional responses is small (basic emotion theory) or large (constructionist theory).

In the first paragraph, the differential response of the mutant lines is not clearly expressed. The “take-home” message from the comparison is not clear until it is stated at the end of the paragraph.

👎 Treatment with Reagent X inhibits filopodia extensions by down-regulating yfg1 in wild-type mice. In yfg1\(^{-/-}\) and yfg2\(^{-/-}\) mice, filopodia extensions are inhibited only after prolonged exposure to Reagent X. However, Reagent Y is needed in addition to Reagent X to inhibit filopodia extensions in yfg3\(^{-/-}\) and yfg4\(^{-/-}\) mice. These findings indicate that mutant backgrounds have different responses to Reagent X.

In the second, improved, paragraph a parallel sentence structure is used to make the comparison easier.

👍 Treatment with Reagent X inhibits filopodia extensions by down-regulating yfg1 in wild-type mice. However, mutant backgrounds have different responses: yfg1\(^{-/-}\) and yfg2\(^{-/-}\) _mice lack filopodia only} after prolonged exposure to Reagent X, yfg3\(^{-/-}\) and yfg2\(^{-/-}\) mice lack filopodia only in the presence of both Reagent X and Y.