WRITING WITH PARALLEL STRUCTURES FOR THE TOEFL ESSAY WRITING TASK (WRITING 7)

WELCOME TO THIS POST!

A LOVELY BOUQUET FOR MY READERS! 

Click to enlarge

 

Source: Pixabay, Public Domain

This post refers to some more specific uses of parallel structures, namely Case 3 and Case 4, as a continuation of my previous post on this topic, which was Writing 6.

CASE 3.

When we compare things, we often use words such as more, less, better, worse.

In addition, we improve the connection between the items being compared, with words like as and than.

We also need to use parallel structures in these situations so that our ideas will be written correctly.

Here are some examples that show how this works.

• We enjoyed water skiing much more than when we swam in the lake  

That’s great! Enjoyed and swam are both simple past tense

• Driving to New York can actually take less time than flying there. 

Correct! Driving and flying are both gerunds!

• Children are more likely to enjoy eating ice cream than drinking milk 

Also great! Eating and drinking are both gerunds!

• To write English is just as important as to speak it

Yes! To write and to speak are both infinitives!

However, the following examples all include expressions that do not comply with the concept of parallel structures

• Driving will get you there more quickly than to walk. (- than walking)

• She said that being a good listener was just as important as to talk well. ( - as talking well)

• Her excuses bothered me more than she was absent (- than her absence)

• A big house is not necessarily better than one that is small (-than a small one)

CASE 4.

Series or Lists.

A series is a group of three or more elements in a row. The last element is connected to the others with one of these words: and, or, but (not) or yet (not).

Commas should be placed between each element in the series and before the coordinating conjunction.

It is important to note that the elements of a list or a series should be in a parallel format; otherwise they will sound very awkward.

Here are some examples to show how this works.

• He found cleaning supplies in the closet, under the sink, but not in the outside store-room.

This is good, the elements are all phrases that start with prepositions: in the closet, under the sink, in the outside store-room.

• The janitor’s duties were to keep the cleaning supplies stocked, to sweep the entrance and to distribute things in the show-room.

This is great, the list is base on infinities: to keep, to sweep, to distribute

However, the following examples all include expressions that do not comply with the concept of parallel structures

• The frustrated customer wanted to exchange the article, to obtain a refund, or she wanted to speak to the manager. ( - or to speak to the manager)

• My brother enjoys three activities: checkers, welding, and he collects baseball cards (- playing checkers, - collecting baseball cards)

• Reading mystery novels, exercising in the park and crossword puzzles occupy a good deal of my retirement time. (- completing crossword puzzles)

• Mike went to the lake, caught several fish, and he fell asleep (-and fell asleep)

CONCLUDING WORDS

I’ve said it before and I will say it again: the TOEFL Independent Writing Task does need some effort on the part of the test taker.

I would suggest the following:

Read my previous posts, Writing 5 and Writing 6, at these links.

http://joveron.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-toefl-independent-writing-task.html 

http://joveron.blogspot.com/2013/10/using-parallel-structures-when-writing.html

Search for more examples on this topic.

Ask a native speaker to review your work, but preferably one with some experience on the TOEFL. 

This task needs to be practiced and it’s really not very realistic to expect to get it right the very first time, unless you are very gifted.

This is the main purpose of this blog! So be sure to visit my future posts on the topic of the TOEFL

So let’s relax and enjoy some beautiful photos, and I do hope to see you on my next posts!

GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING

 

Click to enlarge

Source: Pixabay, Public Domain 

FALL SCENERY.

 

Click to enlarge

 

Source: Pixabay, Public Domain

 

© 2013  joveron  (Joan Robertson)

I will be very happy to receive your comments! Just click the word “comments” lower down.

USING PARALLEL STRUCTURES WHEN WRITING AN ESSAY FOR THE TOEFL INDEPENDENT WRITING TASK (WRITING 6)

WELCOME TO THIS POST!

LOVELY CHRYSANTHEMUMS FOR MY READERS!

Click to enlarge

Source: Picabay, Public Domain

In my previous post on the Essay for the TOEFL Independent Writing Task, I referred to the use of parallel structures to improve your writing style.

In this post I want to include two specific uses of parallel structures.

CASE 1.

Parallel structures should be used when connecting two or more phrases with one of the following words: for, and, but, or, nor, yet, so

Here are some examples that show how this works.

• She likes to talk but not to sing.

In this case, the words but not join two infinitives. That’s perfect!

• The bulbs are in the closet or under the kitchen counter

In this case, the word or joins two phrases that start with prepositions (in and under). The phrases are also similar because they show a noun with the article the. That’s just fine.

• Thinking and running go together.  

In this case, and joins two gerunds, thinking and running.  That’s also very good!

However, the following examples all include expressions that do not comply with the concept of parallel structures.

• My friend never judged me by my words or what I did ( - or my actions)

• I’m paying more for internet facilities but to get less advantages ( - for less advantages)

• The politician’s ideas are usually sound and of use ( - and useful)

• Eating large meals and sedentary habits can lead to illness ( Large meals ---)

• He likes to skateboard and watching others do it ( -- and to watch)

CASE 2.

Parallel structures should be used when connecting two phrases with one of the following expressions: 

(a)    not only…. but also  (b) either… or  (c) neither …. nor   (d) if ….then

Here are some examples that show how this works.

• We were told not only what to do but also what to think

• I told him to either reduce the expenses or sell the materials

• Rosa was neither studying her lessons nor eating her food

However, the following examples all include expressions that do not comply with the concept of parallel structures.

• You are either for us or you are against us  ( -- or against us)

• She is neither a doctor nor is she a dentist  (-- nor a dentist)

• Either ask Sam or Rosa to prepare the food for that trip ( -- or ask Rosa)

                         (You could also say:  Ask either Sam or Rosa…)

• The manager not only visited our office but also the stocks  (-- but also reviewed our stocks)

• Terry will meet us either at the theater or he will be at the restaurant  ( -- or at the restaurant)

CONCLUDING WORDS

I’ve said it before and I will say it again: the TOEFL Independent Writing Task does need some effort on the part of the test taker.

I would suggest the following:

Read my previous post, Writing 5, at this link.


http://joveron.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-toefl-independent-writing-task.html 

Search for more examples on this topic.

Ask a native speaker to review your work, but preferably one with some experience on the TOEFL. 

This task needs to be practiced and it’s really not very realistic to expect to get it right the very first time, unless you are very gifted.

This is the main purpose of this blog! So be sure to visit my future posts on this topic.

So let’s relax and enjoy the beautiful photos. 

YELLOW, YELLOW, EVERYWHERE!

Click to enlarge

 Source: Pixabay, Public Domain

MAPLE TREE, FALL COLORS

Click to enlarge

Source: Pixabay, Public Domain

© 2013  joveron  (Joan Robertson)

I will be very happy to receive your comments! Just click the word “comments” lower down.

THE TOEFL INDEPENDENT WRITING TASK - THE ESSAY (WRITING 5)

WELCOME TO THIS POST!

LOVELY NATURAL SCENERY FOR MY READERS!

Click to enlarge

Source: Pixabay, Public Domain 

In my previous posts on the Essay, I described the elements of the structure, and also a simple technique for planning this structure right. 

 

But we still need to include some elements of good writing in that essay, so that you can hope for a higher score when you do take the test. 

In this post I will refer to the concept of Parallel structures.

WRITING WITH PARALLEL STRUCTURES

This topic is connected to the style in which you write your essay for the independent task on the Toefl.

Is it important? Yes, indeed. This topic appears on a vast number of the texts that are offered on Toefl preparation and it is also in the rubric or list of criteria which tells us what the examiners will be looking for when they correct the essays.

SO WHAT ARE PARALLEL STRUCTURES?

The definitions state that when you write a sentence, you usually choose a certain grammatical structure. If you have a series of similar structures within the same sentence, you need to maintain the same pattern, and in this way, you will have created parallel structures.

Another explanation states that a parallel structure is the repetition of a chosen grammatical form within a sentence. The clue here is the idea that you have a “repetition” of some kind.

AN EXAMPLE OF A PARALLEL STRUCTURE

The easiest example is a sentence that contains a list, like the following:

Sam likes hiking, swimming, jogging and playing tennis.

In this list, the “chosen grammatical structure” is the use of gerunds to describe the elements of the list. Notice that all the parts of the list use the gerund form (-ing words). This is a parallel structure.

The following sentence does NOT use parallel structures properly:

Sam likes hiking, swimming, jogging and to play tennis.

In this case, the first three elements are in the -ing form and the last one has changed to an infinite form using “to”

When you write the TOEFL essay, you are expected to use structures like the first example and not the second example.

You will notice that the ideas are the same, and a person who is relatively fluent in English will understand both sentences, but the examiners really expect to read the first one!

SOME DIFFICULTIES CONNECTED TO PARALLEL STRUCTURES

In my personal experience, I have found that my students have some difficulty in grasping these ideas, and the main cause seems to be that they do not have a clear idea of the “parts of speech”, that is, they don’t easily identify the way words are classified, such as adjectives, nouns, adverbs, gerunds, infinitives, and so on.

If these concepts are not too clear, it is then difficult to know whether you are using the same structures when you write a complex sentence.

What I mean is, roughly, if you start off using adjectives and suddenly switch to adverbs, but you really are not too clear on the difference between an adjective and an adverb, how can you tell that the structure is not parallel?

In my experience when teaching for the TOEFL, I have often found it necessary to go back and review the parts of speech. 

This can cause unnecessary difficulties with the concept of “parallel structures” and we haven’t even started writing essays yet!

As you can see, this is not a topic that can be described in a few easy sentences.

MY PROPOSAL FOR A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THESE IDEAS

I want to break up this up into smaller subtopics, which would be:

• Use parallel structure when you connect two or more phrases with one of the following words: for, and,  but, or, nor, yet, so

• Use parallel structure when you connect two phrases with one of the following expressions:

(a)    not only…. but also  (b) either… or  (c) neither …. nor   (d) if ….then

• Use parallel structure when you connect two phrases with a word used for comparisons, such as than or as.

• Use parallel structure when you are enumerating  items in a list (as in the previous example)

I intend to write a couple of more posts, using these subtopics.

CONCLUDING WORDS

As I wrote in a previous post, the Essay that is obligatory on the TOEFL is considered to be the most difficult part of this test.

However, when working with my students who intend to take this test, I have observed that the first essay they present for my inspection is usually substandard, but by the third or fourth they have often improved tremendously. This makes them very happy and optimistic!

This task needs to be practiced and it’s really not very realistic to expect to get it right the very first time, unless you are very gifted.

This is the main purpose of this blog! So be sure to visit my future posts on this topic.

So let’s relax and enjoy a couple of beautiful photos. 

LOVELY FLOWERS! 

Delicate pink!

 

Click to enlarge

Source: Pixabay, Public Domain

 

Deep pink!

Click to enlarge

 Source: Pixabay, Public Domain

© 2013  joveron  (Joan Robertson)

I will be very happy to receive your comments! Just click the word “comments” lower down.