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The Power of Parallelism |
Parallelism is the repetition of similar grammatical
forms. It is a powerful tool in public speaking and
writing.
You may have heard this quote attributed to Julius
Caesar:
I came, I saw, I conquered.
The repetition of I followed by a verb makes this an
example of parallel structure. Parallelism helps make an
idea or argument clear and easy to remember. It also
shows that each repeated structure is of equal
importance. And, it is a powerful tool for public
speaking.
Throughout history, many famous leaders have used
parallel structure to communicate with the public. Here
is a famous saying by Abraham Lincoln:
You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the
people all the time,
but you cannot fool all the people all the time.
Lincoln repeats people and time in all three clauses.
But he changes the order of the words some and all. The
28-word quotation is easy to memorize because of its
rhythm and parallel structure.
Antithesis
One common type of parallelism is called antithesis.
Antithesis simply means the “opposite” of something.
Let’s take a look at the first two lines of the Charles
Dickens novel A Tale of Two Cities.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was
the age of wisdom, it was
the age of foolishness . . .
Notice how Dickens uses pairs of opposite words: best
and worst; wisdom and foolishness. Writers and poets
have long used antithesis to show the paradoxical – or
opposing – nature of life.
English poet John Milton contrasted heaven and hell in
this passage from Paradise Lost:
The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of
hell, a hell of
heaven.
“I Have a Dream”
Some of the most famous speeches in history also have
examples of parallelism.
Martin Luther King fought for racial equality in the
United States in the 1950s and 60s. In 1963, he gave an
unforgettable speech on the National Mall in Washington,
D.C. King and his supporters were pushing the U.S.
Congress to pass a civil rights law. In his famous “I
Have a Dream” speech, King uses several forms of
parallel structure to communicate an uplifting message.
Listen for repetitions and opposites.
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia
the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave
owners will be able to sit down together at a table of
brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state
of Mississippi, a state, sweltering with the heat of
injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will
be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I
have a dream that my four little children will one day
live in a nation where they will not be judged by the
color of their skin but by the content of their
character. I have a dream today.
In the speech, King made many contrasts. King contrasts
the sons of slaves and the sons of slave owners. Those
were the people who made up most of his audience that
day. He also contrasts heat with oasis, and injustice
and oppression with freedom and justice.
The speech led to major changes in U.S. laws. Congress
passed the Civil Rights Act the following year, which
outlawed racial discrimination.
Parallelism in Academic Writing
Parallel structure is a useful tool for student writers.
College professors expect a student paper to have a
thesis statement. A thesis statement is a one-sentence
summary of a paper’s main argument. A first-year student
might write something like this:
Proposal X is not good.
A better thesis, using parallel structure, might look
like this:
Voters should reject Proposal X because it is unfair to
minorities, impossible to enforce, and unnecessary.
In this parallel thesis statement, the writer has set up
a series of three adjectives: unfair, impossible, and
unnecessary. These three adjectives can organize the
structure of the entire paper — with one section for
each adjective. A strong parallel thesis statement makes
it easier for students to organize their thoughts and
write their papers.
Problems with Parallelism
English learners and native speakers alike have
difficulty with parallelism. Some writers mix different
grammatical structures. For example,
I like running, biking and to swim.
The gerunds running and biking are mixed with the
infinitive to swim. The mix breaks the rhythm of
parallel structure. This is known as false parallelism.
A better choice, then, is to use three gerunds in a
series.
I like running, swimming and biking.
Another option is to use three infinitives in a series.
I like to run, to swim and to bike.
Let’s look at an example of a more complex sentence.
My supervisor asked me to write my report quickly, in way
that is accurate and he also wants plenty of details.
To improve this sentence, try to use a series of adverbs
ending in –ly. Do not be too attached to the original
words. Here is an improved version of the sentence:
My supervisor asked me to write my report quickly,
accurately, and thoroughly.
The original phrase “with plenty of details” was changed
to “thoroughly” with no change in meaning. The change
creates a smooth series of three adverbs ending in –ly.
Keep in mind that most people do not use long parallel
structures in casual conversation. It would sound a bit
unnatural and overly formal. But in writing and speeches
it is hard to go wrong with parallel structure. It is
the best way to make your writing more concise, clear,
and memorable.
I’m John Russell.
I’m Ashley Thompson.
And I’m Adam Brock.
["Turn, Turn, Turn" by The Byrds]
A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it's not too late
Adam Brock wrote this article for VOA Learning English.
Ashley Thompson was the editor. |
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