Hard ACT Parallelism Practice Questions

Concept Explanation

Parallelism is a grammatical principle requiring that multiple items in a list or components of a comparison share the same grammatical form. On the ACT, this ensures that the structure of a sentence is balanced and consistent, making it easier for readers to follow complex ideas. When you encounter ACT parallelism practice questions, you must identify whether the verbs, nouns, or phrases in a series match. For example, if a list begins with two gerunds (words ending in -ing), the third item must also be a gerund. This rule applies to simple lists, correlative conjunctions (like "either/or" or "not only/but also"), and comparisons using "than" or "as."

According to the Purdue Online Writing Lab, parallel structure improves clarity and adds a sense of rhythm to writing. On the more difficult sections of the ACT Prep exam, parallelism often hides within long, descriptive sentences. You might find a sentence where the first two items are prepositional phrases, while the third is a full clause; this is a common trap. To solve these, strip away the "fluff" and look at the core structure of each part of the list to ensure they align perfectly.

Solved Examples

1. Incorrect: The committee's goals are to increase funding, reducing waste, and the improvement of communication.
   Correct: The committee's goals are to increase funding, to reduce waste, and to improve communication.
   1. Identify the list: "increase funding," "reducing waste," and "improvement of communication."
   2. Check the forms: The first is an infinitive, the second is a gerund, and the third is a noun phrase.
   3. Standardize: Convert all to the infinitive form to match the first item.
2. Incorrect: Not only did the athlete break the world record, but also she was winning the gold medal.
   Correct: Not only did the athlete break the world record, but she also won the gold medal.
   1. Identify the correlative conjunction: "Not only... but also."
   2. Analyze the first part: "did... break" is simple past tense.
   3. Analyze the second part: "was winning" is past progressive.
   4. Standardize: Change the second part to simple past "won" to match the first.
3. Incorrect: The professor's lecture was as insightful as it was a challenge.
   Correct: The professor's lecture was as insightful as it was challenging.
   1. Identify the comparison: "as [adjective] as [noun/adjective]."
   2. Analyze the first term: "insightful" is an adjective.
   3. Analyze the second term: "a challenge" is a noun phrase.
   4. Standardize: Change the noun to an adjective ("challenging") to maintain balance.

Practice Questions

1. The chef spent the morning chopping vegetables, kneading dough, and he prepared the sauce for the evening service.

2. To succeed in the competitive world of finance, one must possess a keen analytical mind, have a strong work ethic, and a willingness to adapt.

3. The restoration of the historical landmark required not only a significant financial investment but also it needed meticulous attention to detail.

4. Many students find that studying in groups is more effective than when they are studying alone in the library.

5. The CEO's speech focused on the importance of innovation, the necessity of global expansion, and why we need to prioritize sustainability.

6. Whether you are traveling by plane, by train, or if you take a car, the journey across the mountains is breathtaking.

7. The novel was criticized for its slow pacing, its lack of character development, and because the ending was predictable.

8. Either the university must lower tuition costs or it has to be increasing the amount of financial aid provided to low-income students.

9. The research assistant was responsible for collecting the samples, the data entry, and writing the final report.

10. Having a healthy diet involves eating plenty of fruits, to avoid processed sugars, and drinking enough water every day.

Answers & Explanations

1. Answer: preparing the sauce. The list consists of gerunds ("chopping," "kneading"). The final item "he prepared" is a clause, which breaks the pattern. Replacing it with "preparing" restores parallelism.
2. Answer: possessing a willingness. The list follows the pattern of [verb phrase], [verb phrase], [noun]. To fix this, change "a willingness" to "possessing a willingness" or change the previous items to nouns: "keen mind, strong work ethic, and willingness."
3. Answer: meticulous attention to detail. The phrase "not only [noun phrase] but also [clause]" is unbalanced. Removing "it needed" makes both sides noun phrases.
4. Answer: than studying alone. The comparison is between "studying in groups" and "when they are studying alone." To make them parallel, compare the gerund phrase "studying in groups" directly to the gerund phrase "studying alone."
5. Answer: the priority of sustainability. The first two items are [noun] + [prepositional phrase]. The third is a "why" clause. Changing it to a noun phrase like "the prioritization of sustainability" fixes the error.
6. Answer: by car. The list uses the prepositional phrase "by [noun]." The third item "if you take a car" is a conditional clause. Change it to "by car" to match "by plane" and "by train."
7. Answer: its predictable ending. The list uses possessive noun phrases ("its slow pacing," "its lack..."). The third item is a "because" clause. Changing it to "its predictable ending" maintains the possessive noun phrase structure.
8. Answer: increasing the amount. The structure "Either [clause] or [clause]" should match in tense. "must lower" is simple present/modal. "has to be increasing" is progressive. Use "must increase" or "increase" for better flow.
9. Answer: entering the data. The list starts with a gerund ("collecting") and ends with a gerund ("writing"). The middle item "the data entry" is a noun phrase. Change it to "entering the data" to match.
10. Answer: avoiding processed sugars. The list uses gerunds ("eating," "drinking"). The middle item "to avoid" is an infinitive. Changing it to "avoiding" creates a consistent list of gerunds.

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

• AShe likes to swim, hiking, and to run.
• BThe report was long, detailed, and it was informative.
• CThe team needs to practice more, to focus better, and to play harder.
• DHe is talented at singing and he can dance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common parallelism error on the ACT?

The most common error involves mixing different verb forms within a single list, such as combining an infinitive ("to run") with a gerund ("swimming"). Students often fail to notice these shifts when the sentence is long or contains several prepositional phrases. Using a AI Question Generator can help you practice identifying these subtle shifts in complex sentence structures.

Do correlative conjunctions always require parallelism?

Yes, pairs like "either/or," "neither/nor," "not only/but also," and "both/and" must connect grammatically identical elements. If you follow "either" with a verb, you must follow "or" with a verb. This rule is a frequent target of ACT Grammar Practice Questions because it tests both logic and structure.

Can parallelism apply to entire clauses?

Parallelism frequently applies to clauses, especially when using "that" or "which" to start a series of descriptions. If a sentence says, "The scientist claimed that the data was flawed and that the results were skewed," both "that" clauses are parallel. For more on complex sentence construction, check out our guide on ACT Sentence Structure Practice Questions.

How can I spot parallelism errors in long sentences?

The best strategy is to locate the conjunctions like "and," "or," or "but" and then isolate the items being connected. Read each item individually with the stem of the sentence to see if they all make sense. This technique is especially useful for ACT English Practice Questions where sentences are intentionally wordy.

Is parallelism tested in the ACT Math section?

While the term "parallelism" in English refers to grammar, it refers to lines that never intersect in geometry. For help with the mathematical version of this concept, you should review Hard ACT Geometry Practice Questions. In the English section, it remains strictly a matter of grammatical balance.