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1. Parallel structure
Parallel structure is the expression used to describe grammatical balance in sentences. In a well-written sentence, all structures including nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases, infinitives, gerunds, and clauses are balanced with one another. An out of balance sentence uses nouns with adjectives or verbs with nouns while a balanced sentence uses nouns with nouns and verbs with verbs.
Incorrect verb example:
I live and working in San Francisco.
Correct verb example:
I live and work in San Francisco.
Incorrect gerund/infinitive example:
When I was a child, I could not understand the idea that giving was as much a joy as to receive.
Correct gerund example:
When I was a child, I could not understand the idea that giving was as much a joy as receiving.
One way to check for balance is to look at the words before connecting words such as ‘and,’ ‘but,’ and ‘or.’ If the same structures are on both sides of the connecting words, the sentence is in balance.
Nouns with nouns
Avoid: Apples, picking oranges, and bananas
Use: Apples, oranges, and bananas
Adjectives with adjectives
Avoid: red pens, colored blue erasers, or sort of green markers
Use: red pens, blue erasers, or green markers
Gerunds with gerunds
Avoid: coming and gone
Use: coming and going
The examples above may look very obvious. Indeed, they are very obvious and you probably will not make mistakes like this unless you are tired. However, if you write with longer sentences, it becomes harder to see and maintain the balance. This is one more reason why it is better not to use sentences with more than 20 or so words and avoid sentences with more than 30 words.
2. Thesaurus II
In the last Aaron Says, we discussed the thesaurus. In this Aaron Says, we continue the previous discussion.
Suppose I realize that I have used the word guarantee too many times in the same paragraph. To reduce the number of times I’ve used guarantee, I check my thesaurus for synonyms. My thesaurus suggests obligation, ensure, insure, secure, and warrant. An informal option, cinch, is also listed.
If I prefer using my Word thesaurus, I see a different set of synonyms: assurance, promise, pledge, agreement, and security. However, looking for a synonym does not end with either thesaurus because none of the words in either thesaurus is an exact match for guarantee.
My paragraph is a discussion of the six-month manufacturer guarantee that a camera has. None of the synonyms suggested by either thesaurus was appropriate. Warranty, the only match, was not included in either thesaurus list.
That is not to say that a thesaurus is a useless tool because it is not. The process of looking for a synonym is simply more complicated than checking a thesaurus, substituting a word, and continuing through the text. Double-checking that the other words are appropriate synonyms is also necessary.
To show that a thesaurus is useful in this case, I went to the bookstore and checked the thesauruses. I found that another thesaurus, one that I did not own, included warranty. Just like having several dictionaries is not enough to be thorough, having several thesauruses is not enough either.
Thesaurus III in a future volume of Aaron Says will discuss an approach to checking
synonyms.
3. Letters to the editor
Most newspapers in the United States have a section for letters to the editor. In such a section, people write to disagree with, agree with, or add to previously printed articles, columns, and letters to the editor. Below is an example of a letter to the editor:
Dear Editor:
In the November 26 editorial about the reopening of the Cliff House, you neglected to provide an adequate history of the Cliff House and its previous neighbor, Sutro Baths. As a child, I remember Sutro Baths as a wonderful place to swim and dive. One pool was heated and another had cold ocean water. A third was just for diving. In addition to the pools, I remember the museum displays of toothpicks and the Egyptian mummies that so scared me when I looked into the display cases. Plus, I remember the fun I had at the ice skating rink.
For those of us who remember the charm of Sutro Baths, I would appreciate your being accurate in future articles about San Francisco’s past.
Jane R. Smith
You may have read articles or columns recently in an English newspaper that you’d like to respond to. Maybe you agree with the writer. Maybe you have another perspective that you’d like to share with the writer. Writing a letter to the editor in English to express your reaction might be something you’d like to do. If you
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