Parallel Structures

Ellipsis in parallel structures

In Exercise 1, we learned about not repeating certain words in a series. This is called Ellipsis, and it makes our sentences briefer and clearer. However, if you don’t understand the rules, it can also confuse you, making sentences appear to be non-parallel:

Example 1: Ellipsis of the verb have in perfect tenses.

He has worked in many jobs, lived in many countries and had many interesting experiences.

This sentence might appear to be non-parallel because the first verb is in the Present Perfect “has worked” and the following verbs look like the Past Simple. However, all three verbs are in the Present Perfect. The verb have has been ellipsed (left out) to avoid repetition. The following sentence is the same, with the verb have put back in:

He has worked in many jobs, has lived in many countries and has had many interesting experiences.

The sentence above is also correct, but it’s repetitive.

Example 2:

He has worked in many jobs, has lived in many countries and had many interesting experiences.

Example 2 is not parallel because we decided with the second verb NOT to leave out the verb have and with the third verb we left it out.

Example 3: Ellipsis of the verb be in passives.

The murderer was found, was arrested, was tried and was hung.

Example 3 is parallel but is very repetitive because the verb be is continually repeated. The sentence below is better, and is still parallel:

The murderer was found, arrested, tried and hung.

Example 4: Let’s look at a non-parallel version of the sentence:

The murderer was found, was arrested, tried and hung.

The sentence is not parallel because was arrested establishes a rule that was will be repeated for each verb, but in the following two verbs it is left out.