Sentence Patterns

Sentence patterns are made up of phrases and clauses.

A phrase is a group of connected words, but it is not a complete sentence
because it is missing a subject and/or a verb. Phrases are just one
component that makes up a complete sentence.
A clause contains a subject (actor) and a verb (action). There are two types
of clauses:
1. An independent clause is a complete thought. It can stand alone as a
complete sentence.
2. A dependent clause (a.k.a. subordinate clause) cannot stand alone as a
complete sentence (even though it may contain a subject and a verb).
It begins with a subordinating conjunction (because, when, while,
after… and many more).

The possibilities are endless for different types of sentences patterns. Here
are the most common and basic sentence patterns:
1. The chef cooked.
Pattern: Subject + Verb
2. The creative chef cooked.
Pattern: Adjective + Subject + Verb
3. The creative chef methodically cooked.
Pattern: Adjective + Subject + Adverb + Verb
4. The creative chef methodically cooked in the kitchen.
Pattern: Adjective + Subject + Adverb + Verb + Prepositional Phrase

The Basic Elements of a Sentence

A sentence has two basic elements: the subject and the predicate. The subject
is always a noun, a pronoun, or a group of words acting as a noun. It is what the
entire sentence is about. Meanwhile, the predicate contains a verb that
describes the subject. Take note, verbs do not always have to be action verbs.
Lastly, subjects and predicates can be either simple or compound.

A sentence is a group of words that usually contain a subject (S) and a verb (V)
and expresses a complete idea.
The subject is a noun, noun phrases, or pronoun that usually comes before the
main verb. It also represents the person or thing that acts as the verb, or about
which something is stated.
Verb, on the other hand, is a word or group of words that describes an action
or state.
A transitive verb has an object.
An intransitive verb does not have an object.
In the following examples, the subjects are in bold, while the predicates are
italicized:

Grandma is awake.
He makes cakes and cookies.
Aside from the subject and predicate, sentences also contain objects. We have
two kinds of objects in English grammar: Direct and Indirect object.
A Direct Object refers to the person or thing affected by the action of the verb.
(He bought a ball.)
An Indirect Object usually refers to the person who ‘benefits’ from the action
of the verb. (He bought her a ball.)
Additionally, we have the complement. A complement tells us something about
the nature of the Subject or Object. There are two types of complements:
Subject Complement and Object Complement.
Subject Complement = She is happy. S=C
Object Complement = He made her happy. O=C
And lastly, we have the modifier. A modifier is a word or group of words that
modifies another word or group.
Now that we’re done with this recap, it is time to proceed to the lesson properly.

The 5 Basic Sentence Patterns in

English
You might have not noticed this one, but English sentences may present
themselves in varying patterns. These patterns refer to the arrangements of the
elements of a sentence. It starts from the most basic, to the most complex. As
mentioned, there are five basic sentence patterns in Engli sh. Among
them are:
1. Subject + Linking Verb +
Complement ( S – LV – C)
2. Subject + Intransitive Verb ( S –
IV )
3. Subject + Transitive Verb +
Direct Object ( S – TV – DO )
 4. Subject + Transitive Verb +
Indirect Object + Direct Object ( S
– TV – IO – DO )
5. Subject + Transitive Verb +
Direct Object + Object
Complement ( S – TV – DO – OC)
1. Subject + Linking Verb + Complement
( S - LV - C)
The first basic sentence pattern in English we
have the S–LV–C. This includes a subject, a
linking verb, and a complement. Linking verbs
are the types of verbs that join the subject
with an adjective or another noun. Some
commonly used linking verbs include be, am,
are, is, was, were, and seem.
Apart from linking verbs, we can also use sense
verbs to make this type of sentence pattern.
A sense verb is a verb that describes one of the
five senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste.
On the other hand, a subjective complement is a
word or a group of words that often follow a
linking/sense verb. Subjective complements can
either be nouns, pronouns, or adjectives.
Consider the order of the subject,
linking/sense verb, and complements in the
following sentences:
1. She looks happy.
S: She
LV: looks
C: happy
2. Orange and Yellow are bright colors.
S: Orange and Yellow
LV: are
C: bright colors
3. The food tastes bad.
S: The food
LV: tastes
C: bad
2. Subject + Intransitive Verb ( S - IV )
When learning the basic sentence patterns, the S–
IV pattern is the simplest sentence type. It includes
just a subject and an intransitive verb.
Grammatically, intransitive verbs do not need a
direct object. Unlike transitive verbs, verbs
belonging to this type don’t answer the question
“what?”. In most cases, dynamic and locomotive
verbs (or verbs that express movement) belong to
this sentence pattern.
Also, this pattern uses verbs that are in the base
form and doesn’t need supporting information. This
means that the thought of the sentence was
already completed by the action of the verb.
Below are sample sentences with the S-IV
sentence pattern.
1. She swims.
2. The book fell.
3. Peter marches.
4. Peter sneezed.
5. Evil exists.
3. Subject + Transitive Verb + Direct Object
( S - TV - DO )
This time let’s move on to the third basic sentence
patterns in English we all are familiar with: the S–
TV–DO pattern. This pattern includes a subject, a
transitive verb, and a direct object. Here, we use
transitive verbs, which means that we need a
direct object. The trick here is to make sure our
verb answers the question “what?”
Moreover, this pattern uses a verb that is in the =s
form, most especially the stative verbs. The S-TV-
DO pattern, unlike the S-IV pattern, needs
supporting information, especially the object
pointed about in the sentence (noun).
In the sample sentences we have below, the
subject, transitive verb, and direct object are
placed in a fixed order.
1. They are baking cookies and cakes.
S: they
TV: are baking
DO: cookies and cakes
2. The batter hit the ball.
S: The batter
TV: hit
DO: the ball
3. She teaches English.
S: She
TV: teaches
DO: English
4. Subject + Transitive Verb + Indirect Object
+ Direct Object ( S - TV - IO - DO )
Next in the list of basic sentence patterns is the S–
TV–IO–DO sentence. This type includes a subject, a
transitive verb, an indirect object, and a direct
object. If you have forgotten what indirect and
direct objects are, CLICK here for a refresher.
In the sentences below, you’ll notice that the
subject, the transitive verb, the indirect
object, and the direct object are placed in
the correct order.
1. Mary lent Josh money.
S: Mary
TV: lent
IO: Josh
DO: money
2. Ana taught her the answer.
S: Ana
TV: taught
IO: her
DO: the answer
3. He gave him the money.
S: He
TV: gave
IO: him
DO: the money
Interestingly, there are instances where the Direct
Objects come first before Indirect Object in the
sentences. And although some grammarians insist
on its correctness, some consider the pattern
acceptable in English. So, instead of S–TV–IO–
DO, the pattern then becomes S–TV–DO-IO.
For example:
He gave him the money. (S–TV–IO-DO)
He gave the money to him. (S–TV–DO-IO)
5. Subject + Transitive Verb + Direct Object +
Object Complement ( S - TV - DO - OC)
The last basic sentence pattern we have in English
is the S–TV–DO–OC sentence type. This sentence
pattern includes a subject, transitive verb, direct
object, and an objective complement. Unlike
subjective complements, objective complements
describe a direct object.
The object complement in this sentence pattern
refers to a specific description of the direct object
being done by the subject, with the use of the verb.
Generally, the OC in this pattern could be a noun,
an adjective, or an adverb.
Check out the examples we have below.
1. She called the boy attractive.
S: She
TV: called
DO: the boy
OC: attractive
2. They painted the house blue.
S: They
TV: painted
DO: the house
OC: blue
Basic Sentence Patterns in English:
Important notes to learn
As you move forward in learning English grammar,
understanding the basic sentence patterns in
English is essential. Although there are over 10
sentence patterns in English, the five basic
sentence patterns that we discussed are the most
common. They are the following.
1. Subject + Linking Verb + Complement ( S –
LV – C)
For example:
I am happy.
2. Subject + Intransitive Verb ( S – IV )
For example:
Horses run.
3. Subject + Transitive Verb + Direct
Object ( S – TV – DO )
For example:
Amy tutors Chris.
4. Subject + Transitive Verb + Indirect Object
+ Direct Object ( S – TV – IO – DO )
For example:
The instructor assigned Steve poetry.
5. Subject + Transitive Verb + Direct Object +
Object Complement ( S – TV – DO – OC)
For example:
Mary considered Ana her friend.

entence Structure - Components, Types and

Examples
Having learnt the parts of speech in the English language, not
knowing how to use them and where to place each part of
speech to form a sentence would not be ideal. Right? In fact,
sentence structure is one among the most important grammatical
components that acts as the foundation of a language. So here is
what you need to know. In this article, you will learn what a
sentence structure is and the different sentence structures. You
will also find examples for every sentence structure that you can
refer to. Also, try out the practice questions given.
The Different Types of Sentence Structures in English
Grammar
Examples of Sentence Structure
 SV
 SVO
  SVC
 SVA
 SVOC
 SVOA
 SVIODO
 ASVC
 ASVO
 ASVIODO
 SVAA
 ASVAA

What Do You Mean by Sentence Structure?

Sentence structure is a grammatical component that tells you
exactly where and how each component of a sentence should be
placed in order to blend and make sense. The Collins Dictionary
defines sentence structure as “the grammatical arrangement of
words in sentences.” In other words, the sentence structure is
what defines the way a sentence will look and sound.

Basic Parts and Components of a Sentence

Before we look into how sentence structure works, we will have
to first learn about the basic structure of a sentence and the
components that make up a sentence.
Parts of a Sentence
A sentence, in the English language, consists of at least
a subject and a predicate. In other words, a sentence should have
a subject and a verb.
Subject
The subject can be a noun or a pronoun that does the action.
For example:
 The sun is shining.
 The sky is clear.
 Today is Wednesday.
Predicate
The verb is the action performed by the particular subject in the
sentence.
For example:
 I love macaroni and cheese.
 Merin has a pet.
 Anusha can draw.
Components of a Sentence
Like a sentence has two parts, it has five main components that
make up the structure of a sentence, and they are,
 Subject
 Verb
 Object
  Complement
 Adjunct

Now, let us look at each of these components in detail.

Subject
A noun that performs the action in a sentence is considered as
the subject. It answers the question ‘who’ or in other words, a
subject can be identified by asking the question ‘who’. A subject
takes the first place in most cases, especially in declarative or
assertive sentences.
For example:
 The child kept crying.
 Our school team won the match.
 My son is in the eighth grade.
 Hard work pays.
 No one came to the wedding.
Verb
In every sentence the most important word can be said to be the
verb. A verb shows action or activity or work done by the
subject. Remember that all verbs including main verbs, helping
verbs, stative verbs and action verbs come under this category.
Most often, verbs appear immediately after the subject.
For example:
 Neena is writing a letter.
 It was too dark.
 I feel tired.
  My phone is not working.
 Tarun’s dog ran away.
Object
An object is a noun or pronoun that receives the action done by
the subject. Objects are of two types and they are,
 Direct Object
 Indirect Object
Direct Object
A noun or pronoun that receives the action directly is the direct
object in the sentence. It answers the question ‘what’. Direct
objects mostly appear immediately after the verb and are the
primary objects in the sentence.
For example:
 Harry bought a new car.
 My mom made a cake.
 I met my friend.
 She knows all the songs.
 We watched a movie.
Indirect Object
An indirect object is a noun or pronoun that is a secondary
object. It can be identified by asking the question ‘whom’. When
there is an indirect object in a sentence, it is mostly placed after
the verb and before the direct object.
For example:
  Vandhana gave Keerthana a cake.
 My mom bought me a new dress.
 I gave him a chocolate.
 They gave us coffee with breakfast.
 He lent his friend a pen.
Complement
The words required to complete the meaning of a sentence can
be referred to as the complement of the sentence. A complement
can be an adjective, a name, a position or a profession.
For example:
 It grew dark.
 He is a dentist.

 That’s her dog, Bruno.

Complements are further divided into two types based on which

component it speaks about. The two types of complement are,
 Subject Complement
 Object Complement
Subject Complement
The complement which expresses the quality or identity or
condition of the subject is called Subject Complement.
For example:
 She is a doctor.
 I am Sindhu.
 Nandhu is clever.
  The students are very excited.
 My brother is a teacher.
Object Complement
The complement which expresses the quality or identity or
condition of an object is called Object Complement.
For example:
 They made her angry.
 The students elected Sreya the class leader.
 They named their daughter, Thara.
 Marley met her friend, Ryan.
 Nobody found the movie interesting.
Adjunct
An adjunct is a word or a phrase that gives more information
about an action, an event, a quality and so on. In short, it can be
said that these words can include adverbs and adverb clauses.
Adjuncts can be identified by asking questions ‘when’, ‘where’,
‘why’, ‘how’, ‘how often’ and ‘to what extent’. When using
adjuncts, keep in mind that adjuncts can be used in the
beginning, middle or end of the sentence and that there can be
more than one adjunct in a sentence.
Take a look at the following examples to understand how
adjuncts can be used.
 Yesterday, we met at the park.
 He is very tired.
 Due to his ill-health, he could not come home for
Christmas.
  My father reads the newspaper everyday.
 This workout routine is extremely exhausting.

The Different Types of Sentence Structures in

English Grammar
In English grammar, there are a number of sentence structures
that you can use to make your speech or writing sound or look a
lot more organised, interesting and professional. Some of the
commonly used sentence structures are as follows.
 Subject + Verb (SV)
 Subject + Verb + Object (SVO)
 Subject + Verb + Complement (SVC)
 Subject + Verb + Adjunct (SVA)
 Subject + Verb + Object + Complement (SVOC)
 Subject + Verb + Object + Adjunct (SVOA)
 Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object
(SVIODO)
 Adjunct + Subject + Verb + Complement (ASVC)
 Adjunct + Subject + Verb + Object (ASVO)
 Adjunct + Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object
(ASVIODO)
 Subject + Verb + Adjunct + Adjunct (SVAA)
 Adjunct + Subject + Verb + Adjunct + Adjunct (ASVAA)

Examples of Sentence Structure

Looking at examples will help you understand how each
sentence structure works. So, here are a few examples for you.
1.SV
 The stars / are shining.
Subject / Verb
 The birds / are chirping.
Subject / Verb
 It / is raining.
Subject / Verb
2.SVO
 Children / love / ice creams.
Subject / Verb / Object
 Noah / does not like / bitter gourd.
Subject / Verb / Object
 I / have / a pencil.
Subject / Verb / Object
3.SVC
 I / am / an Indian.
Subject + Verb + Complement
 Carol / is / a nurse.
Subject + Verb + Complement
 My name / is / Gina.
Subject + Verb + Complement
4.SVA
 Madhu / reached / early.
Subject / Verb / Adjunct
 All of us / are leaving / for Tokyo.
Subject / Verb / Adjunct
 He / went / upstairs.
Subject / Verb / Adjunct
5.SVOC
 We / lost / out cat, / Quinny.
Subject / Verb / Object / Complement
 My friends / make / me / happy.
Subject / Verb / Object / Complement
 Everyone / found / the book / controversial.
Subject / Verb / Object / Complement
6.SVOA
 It / is / my birthday / next month.
Subject / Verb / Object / Adjunct
 Lakshmi / reached / school / after 9 a.m.
Subject / Verb / Object / Adjunct
 My brother / plays / football / everyday.
Subject / Verb / Object / Adjunct
7.SVIODO
 The Board / offered / me / the job.
Subject / Verb / Indirect Object / Direct Object
 Rohit / gave / Reshmi / his favourite book.
Subject / Verb / Indirect Object / Direct Object
 Neetu / bought / herself / a hat.
Subject / Verb / Indirect Object / Direct Object
8.ASVC
 Suddenly, / it / grew / dark.
Adjunct / Subject / Verb / Complement
 Normally, / the weather / is / good.
Adjunct / Subject / Verb / Complement
 Occassionally, / my dog / gets / restless.
Adjunct / Subject / Verb / Complement
9.ASVO
 Last week, / we / celebrated / Holy.
Adjunct / Subject / Verb / Object
 Usually, / we / get / a token.
Adjunct / Subject / Verb / Object
 Every year, / we / visit / the orphanage.
Adjunct / Subject / Verb / Object
10.ASVIODO
 Today, / the teacher / gave / us / our papers.
Adjunct / Subject / Verb / Indirect Object / Direct Object
 Yesterday, / my mom / bought / me / a bicycle.
Adjunct / Subject / Verb / Indirect Object / Direct Object
 Every time he comes home, / my brother / gets / my mom /
her favourite chocolates.
Adjunct / Subject / Verb / Indirect Object / Direct Object
11.SVAA
 They / go / to work / by bus.
Subject / Verb / Adjunct / Adjunct
 We / meet / every evening / on the way back home.
Subject / Verb / Adjunct / Adjunct
 Jancy / went / to the grocery store / last Saturday.
Subject / Verb / Adjunct / Adjunct
12.ASVAA
 Normally, / my parents / come / by bus / to Pondicherry.
Adjunct / Subject / Verb / Adjunct / Adjunct
 Last year, / my friends and I / went / to Meghalaya / for a
month.
Adjunct / Subject / Verb / Adjunct / Adjunct
  Usually, / Finn’s parents / would come / to the airport / as
soon as his flight lands.
Adjunct / Subject / Verb / Adjunct / Adjunct

Check Your Understanding of Sentence

Structure
Now that you have gone through a number of examples, apply
your knowledge to identify the sentence structure of the
following sentences. Make sure you split the sentences
according to the sentence structure.
1. My dog is acting weird lately.
2. It is getting too cold here.
3. The sky is blue.
4. Every year, the company updates its registry.
5. Brittany bought me a pair of shoes.
6. Nobody knows the answer.
7. The movie was great.
8. I will come home as soon as I finish work.
9. In September, she will be travelling to New York.
10. My brother’s phone is not working.
Check if you got it right from the answers given below.
1. My dog / is acting / weird / lately.
Subject / Verb / Complement / Adjunct (SVCA)
2. It / is getting / too /cold / here.
Subject / Verb / Adjunct / Complement / Adjunct (SVACA)
3. The sky / is / blue.
Subject / Verb / Complement (SVC)
4. Every year, / the company / updates / its registry.
Adjunct / Subject / Verb / Object (ASVO)
5. Brittany / bought / me / a pair of shoes.
Subject / Verb / Indirect Object / Direct Object (SVIODO)
6. Nobody / knows / the answer.
Subject / Verb / Object (SVO)
7. The movie / was / great.
Subject / Verb / Complement (SVC)
8. I / will come / home / as soon as I finish work.
Subject / Verb / Adjunct / Adjunct (SVAA)
9. In September, / she / will be travelling / to New York.
Adjunct / Subject / Verb / Adjunct (ASVA)
10. My brother’s phone / is not working.
Subject / Verb (SV)
Frequently Asked Questions on Sentence
Structure
Q1
What is sentence structure?
Sentence structure is a grammatical component that tells you
exactly where and how each component of a sentence should be
placed in order to blend and make sense. The Collins Dictionary
defines sentence structure as “the grammatical arrangement of
words in sentences.”
Q2
What are the parts of a sentence?
A sentence has two parts namely, a subject and a predicate. For
example: In the sentence, I watched a movie, ‘I’ is the subject
and ‘watched a movie’ is the predicate.
Q3
What are the components of a sentence?
There are five main components that make up the structure of a
sentence, and they are,
 Subject
 Verb
 Object
 Complement
 Adjunct
Q4
Give some examples of sentence structure.
SVO – The students completed their assignments.
SVC –My mom is a teacher.
ASVO – Last week, we watched a movie.
ASVA – Normally, I don’t go to the hospital.
SVOAA – The boys were playing football on the turf all day.
Sentence fragments
usually lack either main verb or subject (or both). If
you're not sure if a sentence is a fragment, check
that it has at least one main verb and subject. Run-
on sentences consist of at least two independent
clauses that are connected in one sentence without
proper punctuation.

A sentence fragment refers to a sentence that is

not a complete thought; it doesn't make sense on
its own and lacks one of the key components of a
complete sentence, making it ''fragmented'' or
an incomplete sentence.

Run-On Sentences
A run-on sentence occurs when two or more independent
clauses (also known as complete sentences) are
connected improperly.
Example: I love to write papers I would write one every
day if I had the time.
There are two complete sentences in the above example:
Sentence 1: I love to write papers.

Sentence 2: I would write one every day if I had the time.

One common type of run-on sentence is a comma splice.

A comma splice occurs when two independent clauses are
joined with just a comma.
Example of a comma splice: Participants could leave the
study at any time, they needed to indicate their
preference.
Sentence 1: Participants could leave the study at any
time.

Sentence 2: They needed to indicate their preference.

Some comma splices occur when a writer attempts to use

a transitional expression in the middle of a sentence.
Example of a comma splice: The results of the study
were inconclusive, therefore more research needs to be
done on the topic.
Sentence 1: The results of the study were inconclusive

Transitional expression (conjunctive adverb): therefore

Sentence 2: More research needs to be done on the topic

To fix this type of comma splice, use a semicolon before
the transitional expression and add a comma after it. See
more examples of this on the semicolon page.
Revision: The results of the study were
inconclusive; therefore, more research needs to be done
on the topic.

You can correct a run-on sentence by connecting or

separating its parts correctly. There are several easy ways
to connect independent clauses.
Correcting Run-On Sentences
A run-on sentence can be fixed by connecting its parts
correctly. There are several ways to connect independent
clauses.
1. Use a period. The easiest way to fix a run-on is to
split the sentence into smaller sentences using a
period. This revision works especially well with longer
sentences. Check, however, to make sure that this
solution does not result in short, choppy sentences.
Revision example: I love to write papers. I would
write one every day if I had the time.
2. Use a semicolon. Inserting a semicolon between
independent clauses creates a grammatically correct
sentence. Using a semicolon is a stylistic choice that
establishes a close relationship between the two
sentences.
 Revision example: I love to write papers; I would
write one every day if I had the time.
3. Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction. A
comma, paired with a coordinating conjunction (e.g.,
"and," "but," or "or"), corrects a run-on sentence. This
method emphasizes the relationship between the two
clauses.
Revision example: I love to write papers, and I
would write one every day if I had the time.
4. Use a subordinating conjunction. Turn one of the
independent clauses into a dependent clause. A
subordinating conjunction (e.g., "because," "unless,"
and "although") connects two clauses to create
a complex sentence. This option works to cement the
relationship between the two parts of the sentence
and may improve the flow of the clauses.
Example: Because I love to write papers, I would
write one every day if I had the time.
However you decide to revise for run-on sentences,
remember that maintaining sentence variety helps to keep
the writing clear and interesting for your readers.
Sentence Fragments
A sentence fragment is a string of words that does not
form a complete sentence; there is a necessary
component of a complete sentence missing. This missing
component may be a subject (usually a noun) or a
predicate (verb or verb phrase) and/or when the sentence
does not express a complete idea.
Here is an example of a fragment with a missing subject.
Example of a fragment: Shows no improvement in any of
the vital signs.
The sentence above is a fragment since there is no
subject (Who shows no improvement?). Fragments can be
corrected by identifying the missing element and including
it.
Revision: The patient shows no improvement in any of
the vital signs.
Here is an example of a fragment with a missing
predicate, or action:
Example of a fragment: The doctors, who were using
peer-reviewed research articles that contributed to the
body of knowledge in their fields, which was obstetrics.
Notice here that although the sentence is quite long, it still
contains no action (What are the doctors doing?). Once
identified, the sentence can be corrected easily.
Revision: The doctors, who were using peer-reviewed
research articles that contributed to the body of knowledge
in their field, improved their knowledge of obstetrics.

What is Parallelism in Grammar?

Parallel sentence elements in grammar are just like
parallel lines in geometry: they face the same direction
and never meet.

More precisely, in grammar, it’s less about meeting and

more about balance. Parallelism in grammar is defined as
two or more phrases or clauses in a sentence that have
the same grammatical structure.

The purpose of parallelism

A sentence with parallel construction makes your writing

effective, classy, and certain to impress anyone who reads
your work.

How to create parallelism

Here’s a handy trick for testing parallelism: rewrite the

sentence for each element that should be parallel. For
example:

A sentence with parallel construction makes your

writing effective.

A sentence with parallel construction makes your

writing classy.
A sentence with parallel construction makes your
writing certain to impress anyone who reads your work.

Effective, classy, and certain are all adjectives. Even

though “certain to impress anyone who reads your work” is
a mouthful compared to the other two, each sentence
element is the same part of speech. That makes the
sentence balanced, and therefore, parallel.

Parallelism mistakes

Lack of parallelism can happen in a lot of ways, but the

mistake is usually clear enough to make you wince when
you hear it. Read on for the most common parallelism
problems you’ll encounter—and how to avoid them.

Verb forms
Olympic athletes usually like practicing, competing, and to
eat ice cream sandwiches.
In this
sentence, practicing and competing are gerunds (verbs
functioning as nouns) and “to eat” is an infinitive. It sounds
pretty awkward—just like being an athlete with a sweet
tooth.

Instead:
Olympic athletes usually like practicing, competing, and
eating ice cream sandwiches.
or
Olympic athletes usually like to practice, compete, and eat
ice cream sandwiches.
Note that you don’t need to repeat the “to” in each
instance of the infinitive form of the verb. As long as the
form of the verb is the same in all three cases, you’re good
to go.

Nouns vs. verbs

For dinner we like lamb chops and to fry brussels sprouts.
Lamb chops is a noun. Brussels sprouts is a noun too,
but to fry is a verb.
For dinner we like lamb chops and brussels sprouts.
or
For dinner we like to grill lamb chops and fry brussels
sprouts.
Delicious.

Noun number
Public transit such as buses or a train can help reduce air
pollution.
Multiple buses, one train? That’s not going to solve any
environmental issues. Here’s a better solution:
Public transit such as buses or trains can help reduce air
pollution.

More mismatched parts of speech

The detective deftly and with pizzazz outlined how the
crime had been committed.
What’s the adverb of “pizzazz”? Great question.
Both deftly (adverb) and with pizzazz (a prepositional
phrase) need to be the same part of speech for this
sentence to be properly parallel. And if “pizzazzilly” isn’t a
word, that means two nouns are needed.
With deftness and pizzazz, the detective outlined how the
crime had been committed.

Subject matter
He decided to cover the gown in sequins, and had a steak
for dinner.
Huh? Unless being a fabulous designer is a recipe for
steak, these two actions don’t seem to have much in
common. Parallelism in subject matter means that
everything discussed in a sentence should have at least
some amount of clarity and relatedness.
He decided to cover the gown in sequins, and to
celebrate, he had a steak for dinner.
or
He was hungry after he covered the gown in sequins, so
he had a steak for dinner.
The possible connections are endless, but for proper
parallelism, that connection must be clear to the reader.

Parallelism in rhetoric

In rhetoric—that is, in the world of literature and speeches,

or anytime you want to sound extra fancy—
parallelism involves one or more sentences with similar
structures to produce a pattern of repetition and balance.

I celebrate myself, and sing myself,

And what I assume you shall assume,

For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.

—Walt Whitman, “Song of Myself”

Love me, love me, say that you love me,

Fool me, fool me, go on and fool me.

—The Cardigans, “Lovefool”

Easy come, easy go.

—Common saying

Parallelism helps make your writing as neat as a geometry

equation. Specifically, one with parallel lines. To keep your
writing lined up straight, don’t forget to keep your eyes
peeled for these elements:

 Matching parts of speech

 Noun number
 Subject matter

 Rhetoric