Parallel lines are two lines always the same distance apart, like railroad tracks. Parallel structure in writing is a little different. We use parallel structure in a sentence when we list three phrases or three clauses evenly.
If we wanted to write about a hero, we might say “he has a noble birth, an immense gift, and he goes on a journey.”
Two groups of words are clauses with action: he has a noble birth, he goes on a journey
One group of words is just a phrase with no action: an immense gift.
To write parallel structure, we must make all three word groups into clauses or all three into phrases.
Here’s how we could write this with clauses: “he is born into a noble family, he has an immense gift, and he goes on a journey.”
Now we have action in each group of words, so we have three clauses and that makes parallel structure.
We can also write this as three phrases by using just one verb for the three phrases: “he has a noble family, an immense gift, and an epic journey.”
The verb has comes right before the three phrases.
Here are some other examples of parallel structure:
I walked a mile, ran a marathon, and slept for eight hours. The three action clauses make the structure parallel.
This book has photos of galloping giraffes, wallowing rhinos, and sleeping sloths. The three phrases in this parallel structure each have an adjective and a noun.
Parallel structure can make your writing stronger. Use three action clauses or three descriptive phrases to add parallel structure to your sentences.