PRACTICE ON PARALLELISM

PART A: MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS

I. Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.
1. A study found that suicides increase after earthquakes, hurricanes, and _______.
A. is flooding B. it happens after a flood C. floods D.
to flood
2. Spiders stay out of each other’s way by partitioning off their hunting grounds and
______ different strategies for catching food.
A. the use of B. to use C. usefulness D. using
3. In small companies, the same human resource workers may interview and hire as well as
______ employees.
A. training B. train C. to train D. they
train
4. ______ a unicycle usually requires more practice than learning to swim.
A. To learn riding B. When you learn to ride C. Learning to ride D. That
riding
5. Blood from the veins, high in carbon dioxide but _______, returns to the right atrium of
the heart.
A. being low in oxygen B. low in oxygen it is C. is it low in oxygen D.
low in oxygen
6. Professional gardeners appreciate flowers for their ______, gorgeous colors, and pleasant
fragrance.
A. attractively shaped B. shape and attract C. shaped attractively
D. attractive shape
7. In the 1980s there was a tremendous expansion of the Western economies and the
emergence ______.
A. of a global economy B. global economy
C. globally economic D. there is now a global economy
8. Nuclear fusion not only powers the sun ______ in the thermonuclear weapons.
A. but also occurs B. also does it occur C. but it also occurs D. it also
has occurred
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9. Marilyn Monroe’s story is well-known: an unhappy childhood, ______, several marriages
and divorces, and eventual suicide.
A. a struggle to become a star B. she was struggling to become a
star
C. she became a star D. then a star she became
10. California has not only ______ but also the most productive economy of any state in the
United States.
A. the larger a population B. population that is very large
C. it has the largest population D. the largest population
11. Store layout and merchandise presentation, as well as ______, help shoppers find items
more quickly.
A. to have appropriate signs B. appropriate signs are necessary
C. appropriate signs which D. appropriate signs
12. Customs influence ______ and how they prepare, serve, and eat foods.
A. people eat that B. people eat it C. what people eat D. what do people eat
13. Students of economics take courses in such related fields as history, political science, and
______.
A. statistical B. statistics C. statistic D. statistician
14. Free electrons are not tightly bound to their atoms and ______ from one to another.
A. can move easily B. can easily move C. can move more easily D. easy move
15. Good manners should always govern the way people ______.
A. driving and parking B. drive and park C. to drive and to park D. driven and
parked
16. The brain centers of ______ and hearing enable a person to understand written and
spoken language.
A. vision B. visual C. the vision D. a visual
17. Most of the Cajun French who live in Louisiana can neither read _____ the French
variety that they speak fluently.
A. nor they write B. nor write C. or writing D. neither write
18. A vacuum will neither conduct heat nor _____.
A. transmit sound waves B. transmitting sound waves
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C. sound waves are transmitted D. the transmission of sound waves
19. The artisans of the southwestern United States are famous for their beautiful art work,
especially handmade jewelry cast from silver, carved from stones, or ______ with beads and
feathers.
A. decorations B. decorating C. decorated D.
decorate
20. To bake fish, ______ butter and place it in a generously greased rectangular pan.
A. it brushes with B. with its brushes C. brushing it with D. brush it with
21. Classical ballet dancers perform their movements with an ______ bearing.
A. openly and directly B. openness and direction C. open and direct D.
opening and directly
22. The D’Aulaires were the ______ team who wrote and illustrated children’s books.
A. husband and wife B. husband and a wife
C. husband and the wife D. husbands and wifes
23. Microwaves are used for cooking, telecommunications, and ______.
A. to diagnose medically B. medical diagnosing
C. diagnosed medically D. medical diagnosis
24. The color of a star depends on the heat and _____.
A. how much energy produced B. the energy it produces
C. production of the energy D. producing energy.
25. The Cabinet consists of secretaries of departments who report to the president, give him
advice, and ______ decisions.
A. helping him making B. helping him make
C. help him making D. help him make
26. Insects provide many beneficial services, such as ______, breaking down deadwood, and
pollinating plants.
A. they condition soil B. to condition soil
C. conditioning the soil D. soil conditioned
27. If you are seated when a newcomer enters the room, stand up to be greeted or ______.
A. introduce himself B. introduce C. introduction D.
introduced
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28. In 1900 electricity powered cars were more popular than gasoline powered cars because
they were quiet, operated smoothly, and ______.
A. handled easily B. ease of handling C. handling easily D. easy
to handle
29. Roger Williams was a clergyman, ______ the colony of Rhode Island, and an outspoken
advocate of religious and political freedom.
A. founded B. the founder of C. was the founder of D. he
founded
30. Paint can be applied to a surface with rollers, ______, or spray guns.
A. brushes B. brushes can be used C. with brushes D. by brush
31. The use of labor-saving devices into homes, ______, and in factories added to the
amount of leisure time people had.
A. at office B. used in offices C. offices D. in offices
32. A dulcimer can be played by either striking its strings with a hammer or ______.
A. to pluck them with the fingers B. fingers are used to pluck them
C. they are plucked with the fingers D. plucking them with the fingers
33. Throughout history, trade routes have increased contact between people, ______, and
greatly affected the growth of civilization.
A. have resulted in an exchange of ideas B. an exchange of ideas has
resulted
C. resulted in an exchange of ideas D. resulting in an exchange of
ideas
34. Frozen orange juice must be packed, ______, and stored when the fruit is ripe.
A. be frozen B. must be frozen C. frozen D. it must be frozen
35. The Sioux language is spoken by not only ______ Sioux but also by the Crow and Osage
tribes.
A. by the B. the C. do the D. and the
36. Walt Disney made many technical advances in the use of sound, color, and ______ in
animated films.
A. photographing B. using photography C. photography D. use of
photography
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37. Artist Paul Kane traveled throughout Northwest Canada on foot, by canoe, and ______ to
sketch Native Canadians going about their ordinary lives.
A. on horseback B. riding a horse C. was on horseback D. by a horse
38. Even after the Revolutionary War, American importers obtained merchandise from
Britain because British merchants understood American tastes, offered attractive prices, and
______.
A. easy credit was provided B. because of easy credit
C. easy credit D. provided easy credit
39. Photographers’ choice of a camera depends on what kind of picture they want to take,
how much control they want over exposure, and ______ they want to spend.
A. the amount of money B. what money
C. how much money D. so much money that
40. Atlanta is the commercial, financial, and ______ of Georgia.
A. center of administration B. administrative center
C. center for administering D. administering center
II. Choose the one underlined part that needs to be changed for the sentence to be correct.
1. Walking reduces depression and anxiety, lessens stress, self-esteem is raised, and
increases energy.
2. Every organization that produces goods or services needs a wide variety of people
managing the operation and handle the clerical work.
3. An emergency campfire not only for providing warmth but also has a calming effect on
most people.
4. The electronics technology program prepares students for employment in industries that
involve the repair, fabrication, to install, and maintenance of electronic systems.
5. Garlic has been hailed for its ability to lower cholesterol, reducing the risk of cancer,
boost immunity, and curb high blood pressure.
6. Contract law determines which contracts are enforceable in court and defines the steps
must be taken to comply with the obligations of a contract.
7. A balanced diet contains all of the essential nutrients in adequate amounts needed by the
body for growth, energy, to repair, and maintenance of normal health.

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8. For the waterwheel is basically the same machine was the windmill, but it is driven by
air instead of water.
9. The north magnetic pole is where the magnetic force is vertically downward, and the
magnetic pole for the south is where the magnetic force is vertically upward.
10. Entry-level jobs in retail sales include marking prices, stocking shelves, to operate a
cash register, and some types of selling.
11. Rock music is not only popular in the United States but also abroad.
12. To conduct quality and making decisions about production are among the many
responsibilities of an industrial engineer.
13. The six main parts of a business letter are the address, the inside address, the
salutation, the body, the closing, and signing your name. signature(s)
14. Ice skating and to go skiing are popular winter sports in the northern United States.
15. To treat minor diarrhea, drink plenty of liquids, especially tea, water, and carbonated
beverages, eat soup, yogurt, salty crackers, and bananas, and avoiding milk, butter, eggs,
and meat for twenty-four hours.
16. The Smithsonian Institute is famous because it contains such interesting exhibits as the
flag that was raised over Fort McHenry in 1812, the airplane that the Wright brothers built
for their first flight at Kitty Hawk, and there are gowns worn by every first lady since
Martha Washington.
17. In order to become a law, a bill must be passed not only by the Senate but also the
House of Representatives.
18. The cloverleaf is a common engineering design for expressways that permits traffic
between two intersecting highways to move more safely, efficiently, and with ease.
19. A new product should be judged not by the promises made in commercials and
advertisements, but also by their results demonstrated in actual use.
20. Snakes stick out their tongues, move them around, and also they retract them quickly to
pick up odor molecules that aid in detecting direction.
21. The bellflower is a wildflower that grows in shady fields, in marshes, and mountain
slopes.
22. Computers are often used to control, adjustment, and correct complex industrial
operations.
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23. Many places of history, scientific, cultural, or scenic importance have been designated
national monuments.
24. R. Buckminster Fuller was a design, an architect, an inventor, and an engineer.
25. Modern motorcycles are lighter, faster, and specialized than motorcycles of twenty-
five years ago.
26. Many people who live near the ocean depend on it as a source of food, recreation, and
to have economic opportunities.
27. Large commercial fishing vessels are equipped to clean, packaging, and freeze the fish
that they catch at sea.
28. As a breed, golden retrievers are intelligent, loyally, and friendly dogs.
29. Mathematics can be considered a language, an art, a science, a tool, or playing a game.
30. Paper may contain vegetable, minerals, or man-made fibers.
31. According to Susan Sontag, our concepts of art, beauty, and natural have been
changed by photography.
32. The economist Kenneth Boulding proposed a single social science that would unify
economic, sociology, and political science.
33. The front teeth are used to bite food, the canines tearing it, and the molars to grind it.
34. An ant’s antennae provide it with the senses of hear, smell, touch, and taste.
SECTION B: SELF-CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE
I. Improve the following sentences by using parallelism
1. First of all, pursuing a career they are genuinely interested in would make students
more satisfied and lower tension, as the chances to lose interest or getting into bad
habits is lower.
2. As large and industrial cities already suffer from poor air quality because of traffic
fumes and air is contaminated with carbon emissions.
3. Factories emit toxic gases into the air, which destroys the ozone layer and also causing
air pollution.
4. Modern art and music can cause conflicts in existing cultural values and can cause
misinterpretation or even losing their originality in cultural identity.
5. Before being ready for sale, the final set of stages include a quality check, packaging
and storage of the product.
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 6. Freedom of speech is one of the hottest and largely debated topic in recent times.
7. Humans pollute animal habitats, poisoning rivers with toxic wastes and increasing the
concentration of harmful gases in the Earth`s atmosphere. 
8. Adding negative points to driver’s license, filing charge sheets against
people frequently traffic rules violating, and temporary cancellation of driver’s license
would be a great solution.
9. His social interaction with other people is less, consequently reducing his socializing
skills that may lead to isolation and be distant from others.
10.Many people are addicted to various bad habits such
as smoking, alcohol and recreational-drugs which not only cause various diseases but
also make them financially weak.
11. Credit cards are accepted by department stores, airlines, and they can be used in some
gas stations.
12.You do not need to risk carrying cash or to risk to miss a sale.
13.With credit cards, you can either pay your bill with one check, or you can stretch out
your payments.
14.You can charge both at restaurants and when you stay at hotels.
15. Many people carry not only credit cards but they also carry cash.
16. Many people want neither to pay off their balance monthly nor do they like paying
interest.
17. Not making any payment or to send in only the minimum payment every month is
poor money management.
II. Identify faulty parallelism in the following essay and suggest improvement.
The line graph shows the unemployment rates in both the United States and also Japan
between March, 1993, and March, 1999. It compares changes in the percentage of people
who were unemployed in these countries over a six-year period.
The line graph shows the employment rates in both the United States and also Japan between
March, 1993, and 1999.
As a general trend, the chart shows that while the unemployment rate in the United States
gradually decreased over the period shown, in Japan there was a significant increase.

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As a general trend, the chart shows that while the unemployment rate in the United States
gradually decreased over the period shown, in Japan it significantly increased.
According to the data from the graph, in March, 1993, 7% of Americans were unemployed,
whereas the unemployment rate in Japan was just 2.4%.
III. Edit the following paragraphs for errors in parallel structure and other sentence
problems. Identify the problem sentences and correct them. Rewrite the paragraphs on a
separate sheet of paper. (Note: Not every sentence has a problem.)
The United States: Melting Pot or Salad Bowl?
The United States counts its population every 10 years, and each census! reveals that the
racial and ethnic mix is changing dramatically, so by the year 2050, the "average" person in
the United States will not be descended from Europeans, but the majority of U.S. residents
will trace their ancestry to Africa, Asia, the Hispanic world, the Pacific Islands, or the
Middle East. 20nce the United States was a microcosm of European nationalities, today the
United States is a microcosm of the world. The United States is no longer considereda
"melting pot" society by many of its residents. Instead, many people prefer the term "salad
bowl." They use this term to describe U.S. society. U.S. society will soon be predominantly
nonwhite. "Melting pot" implies that the different ethnic groups blend together into one
homogeneous mixture, "salad bowl" implies that nationalities, like the ingredients in a mixed
green salad, retain their cultural identities.
Earlier generations of immigrants believed that they had to learn English quickly not only to
survive but also for success. Now, many immigrant groups do not feel the same need.
Because there are many places in the United States where you can work, shop, get medical
care, marry, divorce, and die without knowing English. For example, Chinatown in San
Francisco and New York. Also, Los Angeles has many Vietnamese immigrants and
immigrants from Mexico. In addition, many immigrant groups want their children to know
their own culture. Many Hispanics, for instance, want their children to learn both English
and study the Spanish language in school. They are fighting for the right to bilingual
education in many communities. In many communities they are in the majority.