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Grammar
Course: Grammar > Unit 9
Lesson 3: Dangling modifiers and parallel structureParallel structure
Parallel structure maintains a pattern across a sentence: it isn't a grammar choice so much as it is a matter of rhythm or style. This is a very special episode because it’s Paige’s last video with us as a KA intern! We will miss having Paige as a contributor to the Grammar Team.
Want to join the conversation?
- What is passive and active voice?(27 votes)
- ACTIVE: Jimmy ate the pizza.
PASSIVE: The pizza was eaten by Jimmy.(57 votes)
- why is paige leaving she's the best?(25 votes)
- Please understand. When Paige helped David make these videos (in 2016) she was an undergraduate student at the University of California learning the video production skills that David was using. She had not yet finished university. When the summer of 2016 drew to an end, she went back to Berkeley and finished her degree. She's been gone for more than 3 years. Look her up on the googles. That's how I found her a couple years ago.(21 votes)
She was always the first to volunteer, the loud supporter screaming “YOU GOT THIS!”, and the advocate who ensured others’ perspectives were heard and respected.
Is this structure appropriate? Can it be better phrased somehow?(16 votes)- Oh no, Paige is leaving?!(10 votes)
- Paige left the curriculum in September of 2016, when she finished her Khan Academy internship. She returned to the University of California, where she was a young student. We wish her well.(22 votes)
- at, what is an infinitive verb? 2:09(8 votes)
- An infinitive verb is a verb that is usually preceded by "to."
If you wanted to write the infinitive form of the verb "be," you would write "to be," where "to" is part of the verb.
Examples:
To be
To think
To dance
To run
To err
[Often times you will see the infinitive form noted in a dictionary definition of a verb.]To err is human.
It is important to realize:
a) That the "to" in the infinitive form of a verb is part of the verb
b) "To" in a sentence is not always part of a verb; it may be a preposition. Example:She went from kissing him to slapping him in no time.
In this case, the "to" is a preposition (there is no infinitive verb). You can tell that this is not an infinitive verb because of the gerund (the '-ing' ending).
You can look at more examples and study further using the following links and elsewhere:
https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/parts-of-speech/verbs/infinitive-verb.html
https://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/infinitive_form.htm(9 votes)
- They should have these team-ups (like Rosie, Paige, and David) on other videos like Math or Physics or whatever else. I like these videos.(7 votes)
- Try the Art History course. There are a LOT of team-up videos.
Dr. Harris and Dr. Zucker have a very good time over there.(7 votes)
- Paige why! it was out of nowhere!(9 votes)
- Paige was 19 years old back in 2016 when these videos were made. After the summer she spent at Khan Academy, she returned to the University of California, from which she graduated in 2018, then went on to other adventures. We get to hear her 19-year-old self even now that she's 26. Wasn't she cute back then?(8 votes)
- We'll miss you Paige!(6 votes)
- Paige was good!(6 votes)
Video transcript
- [Voiceover] Hello, grammarians. Hello, Rosie. Hello, Paige. - [Voiceover] Hi, David. - [Voiceover] Hi, David. - [Voiceover] Today, all three of us are gonna be talking
about parallel structure. And I've always had trouble
spelling the word parallel, but Rosie pointed out something just before we started recording that is blowing my mind. Rosie, how do you spell parallel? - [Voiceover] Well, it's
fun because the two ls that are together in the word are together in the middle of the word. - [Voiceover] Look at
that, they're parallel! That's all. - [Voiceover] It's fun. - [Voiceover] That's just, that's amazing. Parallel structure is less
a consideration of grammar, it's really more about style, right. Parallel structure basically
means that when you're making some kind of list in a sentence, if you're using a series of verbs or if you're using a series
of nouns, any series of words, they should all roughly
line up with one another. So let's say I was an outdoorsman and I said, "I love fishing,
skiing and rock climbing." Now each one of these is a gerund, right, it the ing form of a verb
we're using as a noun. And this sentence exhibits
parallel structure, but, you know, sometimes
you'll see a sentence that'll mess that up, right? So let's say you were editing
someone's personal statement, an athlete's personal
statement and they said, "I love fishing, skiing,
and to climb rocks." Now, there's nothing
grammatically incorrect about this sentence, it makes sense, it is legal in the way
that it is composed, but stylistically, it
just doesn't harmonize. So this is not parallel, but this is. - [Voiceover] Some other
things to look out for to make sure you're
making a sentence parallel is if everything is active
voice or passive voice, infinitive verbs versus
other forms of verbs, like to eat versus eating, and a string of individual
modifiers like adjectives versus larger phrases. - [Voiceover] Let's put that into action. Okay, so active versus passive voice. - [Voiceover] So an example
if we're not gonna have parallel structure would be something like the cake was baked, frosted,
and I put sprinkles on it. - [Voiceover] So what we're saying here is that here is a passive thing
that happened to the cake, the cake was baked. Here's another passive thing
that happens to the cake, the cake was frosted by someone else. And then that someone else
comes in and Paige says, "I put sprinkles on it." But, if we're going to assume
that sprinkled is now a verb that means to be covered
in sugary cake decorations, we would say the cake was
baked, frosted, and sprinkled, or decorated with sprinkles, but I kind of like sprinkled. So that's active versus passive. We've already covered infinitive
versus other verb forms, so that's, you know, skiing, well, that's to ski versus skiing, so this is what we call
an infinitive form, and this is another form
that's called a gerund. So make sure to keep those
separate in your lists. And then lists of individual
terms versus longer phrases. So if you are describing something with a string of adjectives, be careful when you follow
it up with a longer phrase. - [Voiceover] For
example, sharks are large, damp, and dangerous. Those are all just short,
individual modifiers, as opposed to sharks are large, damp, and not to be trifled with. - [Voiceover] And look,
again, we're not saying this is not a grammatical sentence. It is. And sometimes you may want
to break parallel structure in order to have some
sort of particular effect. If you are trying to draw
attention to this last element, then, yeah, you might want
to break parallel structure, but we want to make you aware that there is just a sort
of general tendency towards making your sentences
harmonious in this way. Baked, frosted and sprinkled,
large, damp, and dangerous, you know, and then when
you want to have access to that ability, to really draw attention to that last element, then you can say, "Oh, you know what? "I'm gonna make this perpendicular." (girls chuckle) Now, is perpendicularity, is that a thing that I
just made up right now? Yes. Are we going with it? Maybe. (girls chuckle) - [Voiceover] Yeah, I like it. - [Voiceover] Yeah. - [Voiceover] It's not parallel. - [Voiceover] It's not parallel. - [Voiceover] It's not parallel. - [Voiceover] Well, I suppose that just about covers parallel structure. So, for one last time with Paige, you can learn anything, David out. - [Voiceover] Rosie out. - [Voiceover] Paige out. - [Voiceover] You've
been a wonderful intern, Paige, we'll miss you. - [Voiceover] We'll miss you. - [Voiceover] Thank
you, I'll miss you, too.