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WRITING GLOSSARY

What is Parallelism?

Parallelism uses matching grammatical structure in a series of words, phrases, or clauses.

Definition

Parallelism uses matching grammatical structure in a series of words, phrases, or clauses. It creates balance, clarity, and rhetorical force.

Example

She wanted safety, respect, and a room of her own repeats noun phrases in parallel form.

Related terms

Common mistakes

  • Mixing structures in a list so the sentence feels lopsided.
  • Using parallelism so rigidly that prose sounds like a template.
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