SKILL 26: USE PARALLEL STRUCTURE WITH COMPARISONS

STRUCTURE AND WRITTEN EXPRESSION

SKILL 26: USE PARALLEL STRUCTURE WITH COMPARISONS

When you make a comparison, you point out the similarities or differences between two things, and those similarities or differences must be in parallel form. You can recognize a comparison showing how two things are different from the –er…than or the more…than.  A comparison showing how two things are the same might contain as … as or expressions such as the same as or similar to.

examples

ü My school is farther that your school. ü To be rich is better than to be poor ü What is written is more easily understood than what is spoken. ü Their car is as big as a small house. ü Renting those apartments costs about the same as leasing them.

EXERCISE 26: Each of the following sentences contains one of the words or groups of words that should be parallel. Circle the word that indicates that the sentence should have parallel parts. Underline the parts that should be parallel. Then indicate if the sentences are correct (C) or incorrect (I).

 

_______	3	I want a new secretary who is as efficient as the previous one.
_______	4	What you do today should be the same as did yesterday.
_______	5	This lesson is more difficult than we had before.
_______	6	You have less homework than they do.
_______	7	What you do has more effect than what you say.
_______	8	Music in your country is quite similar to my country.
_______	9	The collection of foreign journals in the university library is more extensive than the high school library.
_______	10	How to buy a used car be as difficult as buying a new car.

ANSWER KEY

1	C
2	I	(to eat should be eating)
3	C
4	I	(should be what you did yesterday)
5	I	(should be the one we had before)
6	C
7	C
8	I	(should be music in my country)
9	I	(should be the one in the high school)
10	I	(How to buy should be Buying)