This is created when similar elements on an outline are written using similar constructions.

Q: Which part of the research paper has the purpose of capturing the audiences attention and introducing the topic?

The attention grabber, also known as a hook”, is the first sentence that the reader will see, and its purpose is to grab the readers attention. A few common attention grabbers are: - A short, meaningful quote that relates to your topic.

An outline should represent a writer's best effort to explore a subject, to break it into parts, to arrange ideas, and to test out possible strategies of organization for the purpose of clarity. For short papers and extemporaneous writing, an informal or so-called scratch outline will generally serve the purpose. Even for long papers, you may find it useful to work informally for some time before committing yourself to a final, detailed plan. However, it is often necessary or required by the assignment to prepare a formal outline in the process of writing your paper.

Inhaltsverzeichnis Show

DEVELOPING AN INFORMAL OUTLINE
Parallel structure in a series
Parallel words
Parallel phrases
Parallel clauses
Lists after a colon
Parallel construction in pairs
Outlines and headings
What are the three methods of gathering information from sources?
Which part of the research paper has the purpose of capturing the audience's attention and introducing the topic?
What is a list of words or topics that relate to the narrowed topic or question?
What outline helps you know what information to look for in your research?

DEVELOPING AN INFORMAL OUTLINE

An informal outline is a series of notes—single words or phrases—jotted down to refresh your memory as you write. An outline of this sort is useful when time is limited, as when you are writing examinations or brief papers in class.

Sample Informal Outline

The following is a sample informal or scratch outline for a full-length paper on telescopes.

Subject: The Development of the Telescope

Galileo and the basic refractor
the multi-element telescopes of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
Newton and the reflecting telescope
the construction of massive reflecting telescopes
the advantages and limitations of refracting and reflecting designs

The list above provides some basic points that pertain to the subject of the paper. This serves as a starting point for the writer in preparing her/his paper. The exact form of an informal or scratch outline is unimportant since ordinarily you will be the only one who sees it. As you move from your subject to a manageably narrow topic (a particular slant or governing question that guides your research), you can modify or rearrange the list in any way to suit your purposes.

Using an informal or scratch outline can help to focus and organize your thoughts while preparing your paper. It can also be further developed to contain more precise information about your position and the form the essay will take. For example, the outline below was written in response to the question whether children are an interference in the lives of men and women.

Sample Informal Outline (Expanded)

Subject: Children are an interference in the lives of men and women. Do you agree or disagree?

Introduction

agree
children are costly
children can destroy parents' relationship
you are stuck with them

Costs of children

clothes, food, necessities
education
support—possibly forever

Destruction of relationship

take away time that parents would spend together
possible disagreements about how to raise the child
example #1

Stuck with them

if you don't like them, you can't ignore them
you always feel responsible for them
example #2

Conclusion

kids are a bad idea

Like the previous sample of an informal outline, in the expanded outline above there are no complete sentences or developed ideas. What is important about this outline is that the writer has a better sense of how to organize her/his paper and how to structure and develop her/his ideas on the topic of discussion.

In essence, the paper is taking shape from the writer’s perspective, and the next step is to use the outline for support and direction in preparing the first draft of the paper.

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Published on May 2, 2019 by Amy Luo. Revised on November 28, 2022.

In English grammar, parallelism (also called parallel structure or parallel construction) is the repetition of the same grammatical form in two or more parts of a sentence.

Not parallel	Parallel
I like to jog, bake, paint, and watching movies.	I like to jog, bake, paint, and watch movies. I like jogging, baking, painting, and watching movies.

Maintaining parallel structure helps you avoid grammatically incorrect sentences and improves your writing style. Although lack of parallelism is not always strictly incorrect, sentences with parallel structure are easier to read and add a sense of balance to your writing.

Parallel construction is most commonly used in sentences containing elements that appear in a series or in a pair. It is also applied to headings and outlines in academic writing.

Parallel structure in a series

Use parallel construction when items in a series have an equal level of importance. These items are usually joined by commas or semicolons along with and or or.

Parallel words

On the word level, a noun should be grouped with other nouns, an adjective with other adjectives, and so on.

Not parallel	Parallel
The company is looking for a candidate who is friendly, organized, meticulous, and is going to arrive to work on time.	The company is looking for a candidate who is friendly, organized, meticulous, and punctual.

When a series is composed of verbs, do not mix forms. For example, mixing an infinitive (a verb beginning with to) with a gerund (a verb form ending in -ing) breaks parallel structure.

Not parallel	Parallel
The participants in the workshop learned how to communicate, negotiate, and working collaboratively for the most effective outcome.	The participants in the workshop learned how to communicate, negotiate, and work collaboratively for the most effective outcome. The participants in the workshop learned about communicating, negotiating, and working collaboratively for the most effective outcome.

Parallel phrases

Parallel structure should be used to balance a series of phrases with the same grammatical structure.

For example, avoid mixing noun phrases with verb phrases.

Not parallel	Parallel
Initial trials showed that exposure to the chemical caused memory problems, intermittent dizziness, and deters sleep.	Initial trials showed that exposure to the chemical caused memory problems, intermittent dizziness, and insomnia.

As with a series of verbs, a series of verb phrases should use parallel forms. Do not mix phrases based on an infinitive with phrases based on -ing verbs.

Not parallel	Parallel
Her main duties were answering phone calls, filing records, and to conduct visitor surveys.	Her main duties were answering phone calls, filing records, and conducting visitor surveys.

Parallel clauses

Parallelism is also applicable to a series of clauses in a sentence.

Not parallel	Parallel
The report card stated that the student often talked in class, that he bullied other students, and rarely finished his homework.	The report card stated that the student often talked in class, that he bullied other students, and that he rarely finished his homework. The report card stated that the student often talked in class, bullied other students, and rarely finished his homework.

Lists after a colon

A list that follows a colon should always have parallel elements.

Not parallel	Parallel
Mainstream economists have attributed the recession to several key causes: deregulation policies, spike in interest rates, manufacturing orders declining, and the emergence of asset bubbles.	Mainstream economists have attributed the recession to several key causes: the enactment of deregulation policies, the spike in interest rates, the decline in manufacturing orders, and the emergence of asset bubbles. Mainstream economists have attributed the recession to several key causes: deregulation policies, high interest rates, low manufacturing orders, and asset bubbles.

Parallel construction in pairs

Use parallel construction when a sentence contains a pair of connected ideas.

Pairs can be connected by coordinating conjunctions, which include and, nor, but, or and yet.

Not parallel	Parallel
She planned to collect data by either using an online survey or phone interviews.	She planned to collect data by either using an online survey or conducting phone interviews. She planned to collect data through either online surveys or phone interviews.

Use parallel structure when a pair of ideas are linked by a correlative conjunction, such as not only…but also, either…or, and neither…nor.

Not parallel	Parallel
His paper argues that the distinctive divergence in the two artists’ styles was not only shaped by their mutual rivalry but also because of the idiosyncratic tastes of patrons.	His paper argues that the distinctive divergence in the two artists’ styles was shaped not only by their mutual rivalry but also by the idiosyncratic tastes of patrons.

The same rule applies to pairs connected by a word of comparison, such as over, than or as.

Not parallel	Parallel
He prefers movie nights at home over going to loud house parties.	He prefers movie nights at home over loud house parties. He prefers hosting movie nights at home over going to loud house parties.

Outlines and headings

Headings that divide a paper into sections should be parallel. Likewise, parallel structure should be applied to elements in paper outlines.

Not parallel	Parallel
Origin of homeopathy Initial reception Rising to popularity in the 19th century Recent studies show lack of evidence	Origin of homeopathy Initial reception Rise to popularity in the 19th century Lack of evidence in recent studies

Sources in this article

We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.

This Scribbr article

Luo, A. (2022, November 28). Parallel Structure & Parallelism | Definition, Use & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://www.scribbr.com/sentence-structure/parallelism/

Sources

Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015). Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Garner, B. A. (2016). Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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What are the three methods of gathering information from sources?

The most commonly used methods are: published literature sources, surveys (email and mail), interviews (telephone, face-to-face or focus group), observations, documents and records, and experiments.

Which part of the research paper has the purpose of capturing the audience's attention and introducing the topic?

The attention grabber, also known as a “hook”, is the first sentence that the reader will see, and its purpose is to grab the reader's attention. A few common attention grabbers are: - A short, meaningful quote that relates to your topic.

What is a list of words or topics that relate to the narrowed topic or question?

Keywords are specific words or phrases that relate to your main idea or research question. They are used in brainstorming to determine search terms to use in finding research or narrowing down a topic.