Easy ACT Parallelism Practice Questions

Concept Explanation

Parallelism is a grammatical rule requiring that items in a list or comparison maintain the same grammatical form to ensure clarity and rhythm. When you use Easy ACT Parallelism Practice Questions to study, you learn to identify when verbs, nouns, or phrases are mismatched in a series. For example, if a sentence lists three activities, all three must be in the same format: "running, swimming, and hiking" is correct, whereas "running, swimming, and to hike" is incorrect. This consistency helps the reader follow the logic of the sentence without distraction.

On the ACT English section, parallelism typically appears in three specific scenarios: lists of three or more items, binary pairs connected by conjunctions (like and, but, or or), and comparisons using words like than or as. Maintaining parallel structure is a fundamental part of ACT Prep because it directly impacts the "Conventions of Standard English" score category. According to ProWritingAid, parallel structure not only improves readability but also adds a sense of balance and professional polish to writing. To identify these errors, look for the first item in a series and ensure every subsequent item matches its part of speech, tense, and structure.

Solved Examples

Review these examples to see how parallelism errors are identified and corrected in standard test formats.

1. Incorrect: The internship involved filing papers, answering phones, and to organize the mail.
   Correct: The internship involved filing papers, answering phones, and organizing the mail.
   Explanation: The first two items use the gerund form (-ing). The third item must also use the gerund form "organizing" instead of the infinitive "to organize" to maintain consistency.
2. Incorrect: She prefers the quiet of the library over the cafeteria's noise.
   Correct: She prefers the quiet of the library over the noise of the cafeteria.
   Explanation: This is a comparison. The first part is "the quiet of the [noun]." To be parallel, the second part should follow the same pattern: "the noise of the [noun]."
3. Incorrect: The coach told the players that they should warm up, they should hydrate, and to stay focused.
   Correct: The coach told the players that they should warm up, hydrate, and stay focused.
   Explanation: The list follows the modal verb "should." Each item in the list should be a base-form verb (warm up, hydrate, stay focused) without repeating "they should" or switching to an infinitive.

Practice Questions

Apply what you have learned to these practice questions. Choose the option that best maintains parallel structure.

1. To prepare for the marathon, Sarah began eating a balanced diet, sleeping eight hours a night, and she ran every morning.

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. running
• C. to run
• D. she would run

2. The new software is not only faster than the old version but also it is more reliable.

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. more reliable
• C. reliability is increased
• D. having more reliability

3. At the summer camp, students can choose between swimming in the lake, to hike through the woods, or crafting in the lodge.

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. they can hike through the woods
• C. hiking through the woods
• D. a hike through the woods

4. The professor’s lecture was informative, engaging, and it was helpful.

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. helpfully
• C. helped
• D. helpful

5. Modern smartphones are used for sending messages, taking photographs, and navigation of the streets.

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. to navigate the streets
• C. navigating the streets
• D. street navigation

6. It is often easier to forgive a mistake than forgetting it entirely.

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. to forget it entirely
• C. forget it entirely
• D. you forget it entirely

7. The job requirements include a college degree, three years of experience, and you must have a valid driver's license.

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. having a valid driver's license
• C. a valid driver's license
• D. to have a valid driver's license

8. Many tourists visit the city to see the historic monuments, to eat at world-class restaurants, and shopping at the local boutiques.

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. shop
• C. to shop
• D. they shop

9. The success of the project depended on the team’s dedication, the budget’s flexibility, and how the manager supported them.

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. the manager’s support
• C. supporting the manager
• D. the support of the manager

10. Before the guest arrived, Jason vacuumed the rug, dusted the shelves, and the table was set.

• A. NO CHANGE
• B. sets the table
• C. setting the table
• D. set the table

Answers & Explanations

1. B. The list items are "eating..." and "sleeping..." (gerunds). To match, the third item must be "running."
2. B. The correlative conjunction "not only... but also" requires parallel elements. "Faster" is an adjective, so the second part should be the adjective "more reliable" without the extra subject and verb.
3. C. The list consists of activities: "swimming" and "crafting." The middle item must be "hiking" to maintain the -ing form. You can use our AI Question Generator to practice more list-based parallelism.
4. D. The first two descriptors are simple adjectives ("informative," "engaging"). The third should be the simple adjective "helpful."
5. C. The sentence lists uses for smartphones: "sending" and "taking." The third item must be "navigating."
6. B. The sentence compares two infinitives. "To forgive" is the first part, so "to forget" must be the second.
7. C. The list contains noun phrases: "a college degree" and "three years of experience." The third item should be the noun phrase "a valid driver's license."
8. C. The list uses the infinitive form "to see" and "to eat." To match, use "to shop." For more grammar practice, check out ACT Grammar Practice Questions with Answers.
9. B. The items are possessive noun phrases: "team's dedication" and "budget's flexibility." The parallel choice is "manager's support."
10. D. The verbs are in the past tense: "vacuumed" and "dusted." The final verb must also be in the simple past tense: "set."

1. Which of the following sentences demonstrates correct parallel structure?

• AHe likes to fish, to boat, and swimming.
• BHe likes fishing, boating, and to swim.
• CHe likes to fish, to boat, and to swim.
• DHe likes fishing, to boat, and swimming.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common parallelism error on the ACT?

The most frequent error involves mixing verb forms in a list, such as combining a gerund (-ing) with an infinitive (to [verb]). Students often overlook these because the sentence still makes logical sense, but it fails the formal grammatical requirement for consistency.

Does parallelism apply to more than just lists?

Yes, parallelism also applies to comparisons and correlative conjunctions like "either/or," "neither/nor," and "not only/but also." Elements on both sides of these connectors must be in the same grammatical category, such as two nouns or two prepositional phrases.

How can I quickly spot parallelism errors during the test?

When you see a list or a comparison, underline the first item and identify its part of speech. Check every other item in the sequence against that first one to ensure they match exactly in form and tense.

Why does the ACT test parallelism?

The ACT tests parallelism because it is a key component of clear, effective communication in college-level writing. Proper structure prevents ambiguity and ensures that the weight and importance of different ideas are balanced within a sentence.

Can parallelism involve entire clauses?

Parallelism frequently involves entire clauses, especially when starting multiple sentences or phrases with the same introductory word. If one part of a complex sentence starts with "because the...," the parallel part should also follow a similar structural rhythm.

Is it always wrong to repeat words for parallelism?

Repeating words like "to" or "that" in a list is actually often required for clarity and strict parallelism. For example, "He promised that he would arrive on time and that he would bring the supplies" is more formally parallel than dropping the second "that."