Upper-Intermediate ๐Ÿ“ Grammar ยท #176 of 305

Parallel Structure

Keep lists grammatically balanced.

Examples

  • She likes reading, writing, and painting.

Key rules

  • Keep the same grammatical form in lists and pairs
  • Verb-ing with verb-ing, noun with noun
  • Applies to both ... and and not only ... but also
  • Repeating the preposition or article maintains balance

Common mistakes

  • I like swimming, to run and cycling โ†’ I like swimming, running and cycling
  • She is smart and with kindness โ†’ She is smart and kind
๐Ÿ’ก Tip: Read your list aloud and check the rhythm.

Related Upper-Intermediate topics

See all Upper-Intermediate grammar lessons โ†’