Parallel Structure for ACT English Grammar Rule

Parallel Structure for ACT English Grammar Rule SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Parallel structure is a grammar rule that is often referenced yet often misunderstood. After reading this article, you’ll comprehend parallel structure and be able to correctly answer ACT English questions that test your knowledge of parallel structure. Because you will most likely see parallel structure questions on the ACT, let’s learn this rule and raise your ACT English score. In this post, I'll do the following: Explain parallel structure. Detail the types of parallel structure questions on the ACT English section. Offer strategies to correctly answer parallel structure questions. Provide additional practice questions to test you on what you've learned. What Is Parallel Structure? Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words for two or more words or ideas in a sentence. Using parallel structure shows that the words or ideas have the same level of importance and makes the sentence easier to understand. The basic parallel structure rule is that the things in a list should be in the same grammatical form. If you're listing three things, the construction of that list should benoun, noun, noun,orverb, verb, verb,orgerund, gerund, gerund,etc. Any inconsistency within the list is an error in parallel structure. Here's an example of a sentence with an error in parallel structure: LeBron James often dunks, steals, and blocking the basketball. The sentence is listing three things that LeBron James does with the basketball. The first two things are verbs. The last thing, "blocking," is in the gerund form. A gerund is a verb that acts like a noun and ends in "ing." All three things should be in the same grammatical form. To correct the error in parallel structure, the last item in the list should be in the verb form, too. Here's what the sentence looks life after it's corrected: LeBron James often dunks, steals, and blocks the basketball. Now all the items on the list match. Excellent! So how does the ACT English section test your knowledge of parallel structure? Parallel Structure on the ACT There are two primary types of parallel structure questions that appear in ACT English. Parallelism Type #1: Lists The example from above was a parallel structure list sentence. Generally, in list questions, three things are listed and you have to verify that all the items in the list are in the same grammatical form. This is another "list" sentence that contains a parallel structure error: Martin Luther King is admired for his courage, his dedication, and being intelligent. Can you recognize the parallel structure error? The first two items are nouns, traits that people admire in MLK. In the last item, "being intelligent," the word "being" is a gerund and "intelligent" is an adjective that describes MLK. We want all three items in the list to have the same construction. After fixing the parallel structure error, this is our sentence: Martin Luther King is admired for his courage, his dedication, and his intelligence. All of the list items are in the same form. The sentence reads better and the structure is parallel. Let's go over some tips for how to figure out parallel structure list questions on the ACT. ACT English Strategy To correctly answer parallel structure list questions, first identify that there is a list of items. Usually the list will look like this: x, y, and z. Make sure that the commas are separating items in a list and are not just separating clauses. Once you have identified the list, determine whether the items in the list are as consistent with the other items in the list as possible. How do we do that? Break down each item in the list by identifying the parts of speech of the words and make sure that all the items match. We want each item to be in the same grammatical form. After breaking down the list items, there should be no inconsistencies. Once we fixed our previous example sentence, the items in the list included "courage" (noun), "dedication" (noun), and "intelligence" (noun). While the list questions are relatively basic, there's a second type of parallel structure question that can be a bit more challenging. ParallelismType #2: Phrases Parallel structure phrase questions are slightly more complicated than list questions, but they follow the same principle. The parallel structure rule regarding phrases is that the construction of a phrase on one side of a conjunction must match the construction of the phrase on the other side of the conjunction as closely as possible. Definition of a Conjunction Conjunctions are words that connect phrases or clauses. Examples of common conjunctions includeand, or, but,andso.Some of you may be familiar with the acronym FANBOYS. It stands for For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So. Those are all conjunctions. Additionally, there are correlative conjunctions, also known as word pairs. Literally, these words come in pairs. The items correlative conjunctions compare follow each half of the word pair. Examples of word pairs include either...or, not only...but also, as...as, and both...and. Conjunctions!! Example Sentences Now that we know the rule and the definition of a conjunction, we can learn how this rule should be applied. This is a sentence with a parallel structure error: The ACT English section challenges students and frustration is found in them. There are two items in the sentence: the two things that the ACT English section does. The two items are connected by the conjunction "and." Let's break down each item by the parts of speech of the words in each item. The first item, "challenges students," is VERB+ NOUN. The second item that follows the conjunction is "frustration is found in them." That phrase's construction is NOUN + VERB + ADJECTIVE + PREPOSITION + PRONOUN. Even if you struggle identifying the parts of speech of certain words, you should be able to immediately recognize that the phrases are not consistent and the sentence has a parallel structure error. So how do we correct the sentence? We change the wording in the phrase following "and" to match the VERB + NOUN construction of the first phrase. This is the corrected version of the sentence: The ACT English section challenges students and frustrates them. The corrected sentence should appear more consistent and read better to you. Now the phrases have the same construction and there's no longer a parallel structure error. Also, it's perfectly acceptable to use a pronoun in the place of a noun as long as the pronoun has a clear antecedent. In case there's any lingering confusion, let's go over another example: Kanye West displays both reprehensible behavior at awards showsandon late night talk shows behaving bizarrely. The two items in the sentence are two things that Kanye West displays. Those things are connected by the word pair "both..and." Again, let's break down the parts of speech of the words in those things. Phrase #1 is "reprehensible behavior at awards shows," and "reprehensible"=ADJECTIVE, "behavior"=NOUN, and "at awards shows"=PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE. The basic construction of phrase #1 is ADJECTIVE + NOUN + PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE. Phrase #2 is "on late night talk shows behaving bizarrely." What is the construction of phrase #2? Well, "on late night talk shows"=PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE, "behaving"=GERUND, and "bizarrely"=ADVERB. The construction of phrase #2 is PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE + GERUND + ADVERB. We want the constructions of the phrases to match as closely as possible. Think about how you could change the sentence to fix the parallel structure error. Here's the corrected version of the sentence: Kanye West displays both reprehensible behavior at awards shows and bizarre behavior on late night talk shows. I changed phrase #2 to match the construction of phrase #1. Both phrases are now in the form of ADJECTIVE + NOUN + PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE. Check it out: "bizarre"=ADJECTIVE, "behavior"=NOUN, and "on late night talk shows"=PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE.Success! The constructions of the phrases match and the sentence is easier to understand. ACT EnglishStrategy If you see a conjunction connecting or comparing two items, identify the items. Then, break down the words in each item by their parts of speech and determine each phrase's construction. Make sure that the phrases are parallel. The construction of the phrases should match as closely as possible. Also, a preposition used on one side of a conjunction or word pair must appear on the other side. Look at this example with a parallel structure error: The mixed martial artist was complimented not only for his tenacity but also in his technique. In the above sentences, the prepositions "for" and "in" correspond with "complimented." The sentence is saying that the mixed martial artist was "complimented for" this and "complimented in" that. Hopefully, your knowledge of idioms would tell you that it's incorrect to use the expression "complimented in." Even if you weren't aware of the idiom error, to keep the sentence consistent and follow parallel structure rules, use the same preposition before and after "but also." This is how the sentence should look: The mixed martial artist was complimented not only for his tenacity but also for his technique. Let's apply these strategies and our knowledge of parallel structure to actual examples from the ACT English section. Actual ACT Examples Look at the following question from a real ACT and determine if there is an error in parallel structure. As a young woman, she wrote of pining for a valentine and of visiting the Chinese museum in Boston. F. NO CHANGE G. visiting to H. of her visiting to J. of her visiting at Explanation: There is nothing grammatically incorrect within the phrase "of visiting." Let's look at the phrase's function within the sentence. It follows the conjunction "and," and it's one of two things that she wrote about. For the sentence to be parallel in structure, the phrases before and after the conjunction should have as close to the same construction as possible. Phrase #1 is "of pining." After breaking down the words in the phrase, we can determine that the construction of that phrase is "OF" + GERUND. Phrase #2, "of visiting," also has the construction "OF" + GERUND. The phrases are parallel. The answer is F. If you're wondering why I didn't include "for a valentine" and "the Chinese museum in Boston," those phrases just provide descriptive information about what she pined for and where she visited; they do not alter the basic construction of the sentence. Here's another parallel structure phrase question from an ACT. Others, salt-encrusted, "sleep" in ancient caverns, waking after centuries to feed and to be bred. A. NO CHANGE B. for breeding C. to breed D. breeding Explanation: There's nothing wrong within the phrase "to be bred," but what's the phrase's function within the sentence? It's one of two listed reasons why the others wake after centuries. The reasons are connected by the conjunction "and." Reason #1 is "to feed." The construction of that phrase is simply an INFINITIVE ("to" + verb). Reason #2's construction is INFINITIVE + PAST PARTICIPLE. Even if you were unsure of the part of speech of "bred," you should notice that the construction of reason #2 is inconsistent with that of reason #1. To make the phrases parallel, reason #2 should be in the infinitive form. The answer is C. Here are some general tips to help you correctly answer parallel structure questions on the ACT. General Strategies for Parallel Structure SAT Writing Questions #1: Any Word or Phrase Underlined Within a List Indicates a Possible Error in Parallel Structure When you see a list of items, make sure that all those items are in the same grammatical form. #2: Make Sure Phrases that Appear Before and After Conjunctions are Parallel The "phrase" parallel structure questions tend to be more difficult. Common conjunctions and correlative conjunctions (word pairs) include and, but, not only...but also, so...that, at once...and, both...and, either...or, as...as #3: Break Down the Construction of Items Within a List or Phrase Identify the parts of speech of words within a list or phrases that precede and succeed a conjunction. Make sure the construction of the items matches as closely as possible. I've created some realistic practice problems to test you on your knowledge of parallel structure. Additional Practice Apply what you've learned in this article to help answer the following realistic ACT parallel structure questions. 1. More than twice as many people inhabit Nigeria as Ethiopia. A. NO CHANGE B. as in Ethiopia C. than Ethiopia D. as inhabit Ethiopia 2. Unsurprisingly, the diligent student completed his homework punctually, studied the material thoroughly, and his presentations were delivered well. A. NO CHANGE B. his presentations were well delivered C. delivered his presentations well. D. his delivery was good on his presentations. 3. Greg reached his dream not only of having a family but also of becoming a successful entrepreneur. A. NO CHANGE B. to become C. becoming D. became 4. Before leaving your house on the morning of the ACT, make sure you have pencils, a snack, and remembering a calculator. A. NO CHANGE B. a calculator C. to remember a calculator D. have had remembered a calculator 5. Because Matt does not get enough sleep, he has difficulty focusing and to stay alert. A. NO CHANGE B. stays C. staying D. OMIT the underlined portion Answers: 1. D, 2. C, 3. A, 4. B, 5. C What's Next? I commend you for putting in the effort to improve your ACT scores. Your investment should pay off. As you continue to study for the ACT English section, make sure you check out this post on 5 critical concepts to ace ACT English. Also, I highly recommend that you read this article about commas on the ACT. For those of you wondering whether the SAT or ACT is better for you, review this thorough breakdown of SAT Writing vs. ACT English. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep program. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our program is entirely online, and it customizes what you study to your strengths and weaknesses. If you liked this English lesson, you'll love our program.Along with more detailed lessons, you'll get thousands ofpractice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Check out our 5-day free trial:

Doctor Organism and Layer Glowing Core Essay

Doctor Organism and Layer Glowing Core Essay Doctor: Organism and Layer Glowing Core Essay A COMPANIAN FIT FOR DARKNESS GLOWING CORE OF ENERGY Timeline – Time after extinction from dinosaurs, the single cell organism grows within 2 years to full size which has a circumference of almost 25 feet circumference, but evolved to a much efficient form of glowing energy at 3 feet circumference, it can also be a source of fuel, but itself produces much more energy than the sun can produce. Its heat is concealed in a tiny core. It can transform itself into liquid when fuel is needed to be used. It is also having an ability to glow at night to keep you for seeing demons or scary beings. It eats dead matter, dirt, stale food, or mosquitoes, but it does not like to eat fresh food. Later it started developing tastes for any type of food, but it now mostly functions best on batteries – Liquid ion laptop battery. It had to mate with another glowing core of energy but it had evolved to self-reproduction. Since its offspring were almost going to destroy this universe, if it had continued to do dual reproduction. The cause of th e destruction was two types of fuels were going to be united that were used as a formula for a nuclear bomb 700 times more powerful. And how we knew this, because it had been creating major destruction in the core, causing major global warming, and how we prevented it, we destroyed them by cooling them under very high pressure. It can generate many different colors. It can also change its shape from sphere to cuboid to diamond. It is mostly

UNIFICATION IN GERMANY&IN ITALY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

UNIFICATION IN GERMANY&IN ITALY - Essay Example A cobbler can serve his people but he cannot dominate them in any way. In his speech, Otto von Bismarck laments on the Socialist Law. He said that socialist law should ensure the lives of workers are improved and protected. Citizens should be allowed to self-defense themselves and also help them when they are dissatisfied. Bismarck blamed the social democratic leaders for anxiety to rule citizens without satisfying them. He said his stand is to support absolutist government. He also laments that, it is the responsibility of the state to workers from any accidents that may occur. The state should also protect the workers when they become old. The state should control the private stock companies in order to ensure that workers are not exploited by the employers. Another objective of the state according to Bismarck is to protect the helpless citizens in the society. Bismarck also talked about the way people understand freedom. He said that people have used freedom to mean dominance of the free people over others. He gave an example of freedom of speech which he said that it gives the speaker freedom to dominate. He also said that freedom of church gives priests chances to dominate. He urged that freedom perspective should be changed for the better. This is one of the unifying factors that Bismarck used to unify Germany. John Leighton talks about commune in Paris. In this document, he talks about the centralized nation state that Otto von Bismarck and Lincoln had proposed. A revolt occurred in this nation and French National Guard was sent to suppress but they did it differently. They murdered some of their officers and joined. They later decentralized the area. John talks about the commune. He is complaining to the landlord concerning their responsibilities. He says that without a tenant, landlord would not be gaining any more. Therefore, landlord should be aware of the status of his or her tenants and treat them correctly. Tenants were

Interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Interview - Essay Example Therefore, he is a dear friend to me. He has a 73 years old wife and three children, and six grand children and one great grandchild. I invited Mike over and we walked to a community park fifteen minutes away from our neighborhood. As I conducted the interview and asked him personal questions and other information necessary for this interview, we watched as children played all over the park. Families frequent this park to relax especially during the weekends for its cool nature brought about by the many trees around the park. This interview was not distracted by anything; Mike seemed calm regardless of the activities within the park. Interview Questions 1. What do you like best about being your age? Being 81 years old is not an easy thing as it seems. There are some good things in life for being my age though. The fact that I am active at this age makes me happy. Many individuals my age are incapable of doing the things and work I do each and every day. For instance, I have to tend f or my garden so I can have an unending supply of fresh vegetables. I like being active. Furthermore, I was employed for very many years in my life. I was able to save a substantial amount of money. This makes me happy as I am able to support myself and my wife without having to depend on our children. All these, coupled with the fact that I have a loving wife, children, and grandchildren, and a great grandchild are what makes me happy for being age. There is nothing a good as having a loving and caring family. 2. What do you like least about being your age? I miss those days I would go to the office every morning as I had a chance to socialize with a lot of people. Many of my age mates have already left this world. People at my age experience a lot of loneliness regardless of whether you wife is still around or not. Though I can socialize with people younger than me, I find it difficult relating with them. To elaborate this, you are aware of the fact that a teenager like you can onl y relate well with another teenager as you are going through the same stages in your life. You are able to relate well based on your similar needs and challenges in life. Likewise, being 81 years old means that I am at the final stages of my life. Therefore, I would like it if I could have more friends my age. 3. What changes do you foresee in your life in the next few years? At 81, I cannot predict what will happen tomorrow. Tomorrow I might be gone! However, given a chance I will still be alive couple of years from now, there is a possibility I will not be able to be active as I would want. Age comes with a lot of physical and mental difficulties. 4. What do you think are the three most important things in your life at this time? The three most important things in my life at this time are my family, my walking stick, and my vegetable garden. My family gives me a reason to live and they will always be there for me for better or for worse. Walking would be next to impossible without my walking stick. I credit it for the things I accomplish each and every day as it enables me to move around. My vegetable garden makes it certain that I have a balanced meal every day. My wife ensures that she includes fresh vegetables in every meal she prepares. Analysis Theory 1 To analyze issues associated with late adulthood, it is important to relate it to disengagement and activity theories. Old age has been explained through a number

Hammer Wines Business Report Essay Example for Free

Hammer Wines Business Report Essay Introduction Colin Hammer, after arranging an independent review, has found that many of his employees have been avoiding work and other responsibilities by searching the Internet for non-work related amusements. This act is known as cyber slacking and it is said to cost companies billions of dollars each year and often results in managers blocking or limiting access to certain websites. Concerned for productivity, this report will outline the current usage and array of sites potentially being used by the Hammer Wines employees. The sites include those for entertainment or work purposes, and restrictions based on these findings should be implemented. These restrictions must be forever changing and expanding, as each website has a different effect on the varying departments its respective employees. These modifications will also affect the productivity of Hammer Wines and will be discussed in the report by making an â€Å"internet use† policy. Findings Department Spending Most Time on the Internet Cyberslacking is a prominent occurrence amongst the Hammer Wines employees. However, of all employees, the Receptionists spent the longest time on the Internet throughout the one-week trial (see figure 1.0 below). This may or may not be detrimental to Hammer Wines. Often, receptionists complete their work before their set time, meaning that if they’re browsing the Internet, still answering their phone and have completed required work, productivity will remain normal. Studies also show productivity can increase when employees are less restricted with the Internet. This productivity can swing both ways. Negative productivity will be detrimental to Hammer Wines if the receptionist fails to multitask and therefore ineffectively completes required jobs. Internet Productivity and Cyberslacking From the array of websites (see figure 1.1 below) it is difficult to tell if Cyberslacking is present at Hammer Wines. This is because many websites, such as facebook.com and twitter.com, are huge social marketing websites, but can also used as a cost effective methods for company awareness and advertising. These sites, however, can also be misused for personal use. Unless the employee is caught directly misusing these sites, it is hard to tell weather they are cyberslacking or not. Facebook.com is one example of Cyberslacking. It is Hammer Wines’ second most visited Internet site, being used by Sales and Marketing, Reception, Manufacturing and Distribution, Human Resources @ Training and IT Services. Sales and Marketing are the only employees likely to need the site for work purposes. For all other departments, employees must use Facebook.com for personal interests. Websites, including deals.com are often used for both work and leisure. Reception, Human Resources @ Training, Manufacturing and Distribution, Sales and Marketing are all using this site. Assumptions cannot be made in relation to website use. Human Resources @ Training, Manufacturing and Distributing, and Sales and Marketing departments all have valid work-related grounds to use Deals.com, as it is great for promotional and comparative purposes. IT Services were found to be using Games.com. A total of 120 minutes was recorded throughout the week. This is a website purely dedicated to fun and games. This is the seventh most used website recorded. Although it is only a small fraction of the Internet usage, it is clear that productivity has decreased in the IT department, and through the given statistics, Cyberslacking is present. Similarly, Tatts.com was used by the Sales and Marketing department, for up to 80 minutes throughout the recorded week. Tatts.com is a betting website and has nothing to do with the Sales and Marketing of Hammer Wines. However, productivity can be increased in the workplace, with employees having some freedom on the Internet. The use of social media and other personal websites can release stress and tension, thus not wholly being to the determent of Hammer Wines. Conclusion Hammer Wines has a vast array of websites being used by employees for both personal and work use. Cyberslacking is present amongst all employees, with websites aimed at socialization and productivity which both highly used. This, however, is hard to monitor as some sites – such as Facebook.com or Deals.com are used in the companies Sales and Marketing department, but also used in recreational down time by most, if not all, other departments. It is important for Hammer Wines to implement a strategy to monitor all Internet usage. Receptionist work productivity remained high in correlation to time spent on internet, however, it was obvious the Cyberslacking was overruling the IT department, as they spent 120 hours over the duration of the week on a games and entertainment website. Solution Internet Use Policy Hammer Wines should enforce an â€Å"Internet User Policy† in the employees contract, defining the terms of use for recreational Internet. Any employee found misusing the Internet for purposes strictly other than work, may lead to disciplinary action, and their position at the company may be compromised. Blocking Sites Permanently blocking all Internet sites at Hammer Wines could result in a drop in productivity. Alternatively, a system that allows employees to have an allocated time throughout the day, to specifically visit sites such as Facebook.com and Twitter.com will allow staff members to have high productivity through compromise and strategy. One example of strategic blocking is unblocking all websites for 15 minutes every 3 hours, enabling employees to use restricted sites that coincide with structured break times (lunch, snack and end-of-day). A second option for Hammer Wines is to block all websites, only allowing those who hold a position of authority (manager) or employee that has spoken to someone in a position of authority, to get a specific code to access a blocked website. This code then unblocks all sites and remains unblocked until the page is exited. This could be implemented when departments wish to use sites such as Facebook.com for marketing or promotional purposes.

Misery by Stephen King :: Misery Stephen King Book Report

Misery by Stephen King Book Report The stories setting takes place in Western Colorado. In Western Colorado in a home of a retired nurse named Annie is where the whole story takes place. Annie's home is a two story log cabin out in the middle of nowhere. The closest neighbors are miles away. It takes place in the middle of winter snow storms. The story is about Paul Sheldon who is the author of a best-selling series of romance novels featuring its popular character Misery Chastain. Since 1974, he has finished the first drafts of all his books in the Silver Creek Lodge in Colorado. Finishing his new novel, ‘Fast Cars' he drives to L.A. unaware that the Western Slope of Colorado is going to be hit with one of the biggest snowstorms of the year in a few hours. Determined to drive through this, he loses control of his car, and drives off the road, tumbling down the steep hill and falling unconscious. Paul is rescued from the car wreck by a woman named Annie Wilkes, an experienced nurse who lives nearby. As Paul waves in and out of consciousness, he hears a voice telling him that she's his "number one fan". Annie takes him not to a hospital, but to her home, putting him in a spare bedroom. As Paul regains consciousness, he lies there completely helpless, being unable to move anything from his waist down. She feeds and bathes him and splints his broken legs, giving him Novril for his pain. Paul comes to like Annie; even letting her read his new manuscript. Annie doesn't like it. It's around this time that Misery's Child, the latest and final book starring Misery Chastain, hits the shelves.

Intuitive Decision Making Theory Essay

The intuitive decision making theory can be described as the process of receiving input and ideas without knowing exactly how and where they came from.Intuitive decision making is far more than using common sense because it involves additional sensors to perceive and get aware of the information from outside. Sometimes it is referred to as gut feeling, sixth sense, inner sense, instinct, or inner voice. Information acquired through associated learning and stored in long-term memory is accessed subconsciously to form the basis of a judgment or decision. Our ability to make hunch decisions varies considerably; therefore, intuition can either be a useful ally or it can lead to costly and dangerous mistakes. Intuition may be just as effective in decision-making as an analytical approach, and sometimes more efficient and effective, depending on the decision-maker’s level of expertise on the subject at hand. Analytic decisions are great for breaking things down into smaller parts, which is necessary for a math problem. But intuition is about looking at patterns and wholes, which is needed when making quick decisions about whether something is right or wrong. For example, if one works in an industry where rising up the ranks occurred, his expertise will likely serve an intuitive approach. On the other hand, if one gains expertise in another field, he may not have the background to rely as strongly on intuition. Analytical thinking has always been viewed as a more effective means to critical reasoning compared to the intuitive approach. Yet as businesses place a greater emphasis on the speed and effectiveness of decision making, the intuitive approach has been identified as an increasingly important tool.