BlackCitadel, is this still the exercise which requires you to select the correct sentence?
Not it’s another, it says: Re-write the following sentences to have more parallel constructions
[color=red]- Computer languages are either classified as a high level or low level
Computers languages are classified as either high or low level.
What if I answered it this way?
Computers languages are either classified as high or low level.
Or/
Computer languages are classified either as high or low levels.
[color=red]- Lichen bother carries on photosynthesis and respiration.
I can’t solve this one.
[color=red]- Most visitors in New york City spend their time seeing Broadway plays, to visit some of the museums, and going shopping.
- Most visitors in New Your City spend their time seeing Broadway plays, visiting some of the meseums, and going shopping.
Apologies for my previous response then! What Beeesneees said was fine.
Computer languages are either classified as a high level or low level
You shouldn’t use this…:
Because you’ve already stated that they are languages.
Your second solution…
Is also incorrect. When using either, it should be in the form ‘[…] either [THIS] or [THAT]’. In this case, [THIS] is represented by ‘classified as high or low level’ because the verb applies to both items. Basically, you’re missing ‘or [THAT]’.
Your first solution is, by far, the most elegant.
Lichen bother carries on photosynthesis and respiration.
I’m extremely perplexed by this question. It doesn’t make sense to me at all. Despite all, it seems to be already solved.
Most visitors in New york City spend their time seeing Broadway plays, to visit some of the museums, and going shopping.
Your solution seems absolutely fine to me!
So, how can I answer such a question in the exam if it came like that and I feel that it is correct??
Should I type in: It’s correct and doesn’t need any parallel construction repairing??
They’d rarely give you something that doesn’t need to be corrected. Can I just check, did you type the question in right?
Yeah , I am sure it’s aboslutely right. and for making sure I just copied it from the exam paper and pasted it here.
I’ll get back to you on that question in a few minutes, I’m just going to look around the internet. Sorry, which paper is it from by the way?
It was an exam in my faculty in Egypt for this year.
I’ve looked around the internet, I’ve asked a few friends, none of them understand it. I’ll try asking my girlfriend later, she knows something about biology… You might do well to post this as another topic. Sorry for my inability to help there…
BlackCitadel, are the following the exact original sentences? (They all contain mistakes.)
“Computer languages are either classified as a high level or low level.”
“Lichen bother carries on photosynthesis and respiration.”
“Most visitors in New york City spend their time seeing Broadway plays, to visit some of the museums, and going shopping.”
[Edited] Oh, I see it may not have been mentioned before, but I’m assuming that “bother” is an odd mistake for “both”.
[Edited again!] Sorry, looking again, the mistakes in the other two are presumably intentional; i.e. they are the things you are supposed to correct when making “more parallel constructions”.
Sadly, in some countries the standard of English displayed by the examining body (if it’s a local based one rather than an international set-up) is sometimes “a little wanting”.
This applies even more to some of the practice test questions!
So, it doesn’t need correction?
[color=red]- They did not want only a black and white T.V. set, but a color set could not be afforded.
I can’t solve this one…
I must have seemed slightly naive. Do you really think this is the case?
If you’re still talking about “Lichen bother carries on photosynthesis and respiration” then the sentence is nonsense and the question ought to be struck out as invalid. If you figure that “bother” was probably meant to say “both”, then you might come up with the answer “Lichen carries on both photosynthesis and respiration.”
Not at all, it wasn’t immediately obvious.
Remember, the goal is to match the orders within the two clauses. The above goes ‘VERB | NOUN, NOUN | VERB’, we need to change it to ‘VERB | NOUN, VERB | NOUN’:
‘They did not want a black and white T.V.,
but they could not afford a colour set’.
I would like to, quite strongly, bring your attention to my omission of ‘only’; its implication in this sentence is more or less equivalent to saying ‘no more than’ (definition three: bit.ly/pMoX8n ). As we might know from our maths, a double negative is a positive; therefore ‘they did not want no more than […]’ = ‘they did want more than’ […]'. Although I wouldn’t say it’s the worst thing you can do in a sentence, it can confuse readers terribly. I suggest that you TRY not to use them.
I hope this has helped, I’ll be glad to answer any more questions.
Code
OK,
the final revision for this structure…
- [color=red]My income is larger than my wife.
My income is larger than my wife’s.
[b]- [color=red]Supporters of technology say that it solves problems and making life better.
Supporters of technology say that it solves problems and makes life better.
-
[color=red]I have learnt two things since I have been a student: to be patient and perseverance.
I have learnt two things since I have been a student: to be patient and persistent. -
[color=red]I hope to introduce you to Dr. Woods, my advisor, and who chairs the chemistry department.
I hope to introduce you to Dr. Woods, my advisor, and the chemistry department chairman. -
[color=red]When people succeed, it’s because of hard work and perseverant.
When people succeed, it’s because of hard work and perseverance. -
[color=red]His glasses are much newer than you.
His glasses are much newer than yours.
Can I say it: His glasses are much newer than your glasses. -
[color=red]Either you must abide by his rules or lose the job.
You must either abide by his rules or lose the job. -
[color=red]Lola likes wearing soft sweaters, eating exotic food, and to bathe in Calgon bath oil.
Lola likes wearing soft sweaters, eating exotic food, and bathing in Calgon bath oil.
Or/ Lola likes to wear sweaters, to eat exotic food, and to bathe in Calgon bath oil.
Or/ Lola likes to wear sweaters, eat exotic food, and bathe in Calgon bath oil. -
[color=red]Woody Allen’s films are clever, well-acted and have a lot of humor.
Woody Allen’s films are clever, well-acted and humorous. -
[color=red]Completely fatiguing and exhausted, Jim went home early today.
Completely fatigued and exhausted, Jim went home early today. -
[color=red]Mary has wit, charm and she has an extremely pleasing personality.
Mary has wit, charm and an extremely pleasing personality -
[color=red]Sandy’s cat likes to sleep in the dryer, to lie in the bathtub, and chasing mice.
Sandy’s cat likes to sleep in the dryer, lie in the bathtub, and chase mice.
Or/ Sandy’s cat likes sleeping in the dryer, lying in the bathtub, and chasing mice.
Or/ Sandy’s cat likes to sleep in the dryer, to lie in the bathtub, and to chase mice. -
[color=red]According to the syllabus, you can either write a paper or you can take an exam.
According to the syllabus, you can either write a paper or take an exam. -
[color=red]Dining in a restaurant is more fun than to eat at home.
Dining in a restaurant is more fun than eating at home. -
[color=red]There are papers to file, reports to type, and those letters should be answered.
There are papers to file, reports to type, and letters to answer (or letters to be answered?) -
[color=red]Your horse is much better than us.
Your horse is much better than ours.
Or/ Your horse is much better than our horse. -
[color=red]He enjoys jogging and to watch football matches on TV.
He enjoys jogging and watching football matches on TV. -
[color=red]Finding a needle in a haystack would be easier than to try to do this.
Finding a needle in a haystack would be easier than trying to do this.
Or/ To find a needle in a haystack would be easier than to try to do this.
-[/b]
And sorry Code2004 for making you tired giving you a lot of examples…
But I would like to prepare myself before the next college year starts…!
b Error one :)[/b]
The second needs to be fixed to correctly illustrate parallelism. What you’ve written suggests:
He has learnt to be patient. (Grammatically correct)
He has learnt persistent. (Grammatically incorrect)
Additionally, we should say ‘I became’ instead of ‘I have been’. This is simply because ‘since’ will refer to a specific point in time, in this case (if you haven’t noticed already, ‘I have been’ is continuous, and doesn’t give us an exact time reference).
I’m sure you can fix this sentence yourself, but here’s the correct version anyway:
ALSO, however, you may put the infinitive before the list:
b Issue two[/b]
This is almost fine, but instead of ‘the chemistry department chairman’, it sounds much nicer to say ‘the chairman of the chemistry department’. I can’t actually think of the explanation for that right now, I’ll try to get back to you on that…
b Can I say it: His glasses are much newer than your glasses.[/b]
Whilst it is grammatically correct, to my knowledge, we would favour your initial sentence (‘his glasses are much newer than yours’) simply because it’s more concise.
b There are papers to file, reports to type, and letters to answer (or letters to be answered?)[/b]
In this case, because we’re practising perfect parallelism, we use ‘letters to answer’ (PLURAL NOUN | INFINITIVE); however, you may use ‘letters to be answered’ in any other case.
b Your horse is much better than our horse.[/b]
This topic was covered in (3).
b Finding a needle in a haystack would be easier than trying to do this.[/b]
I prefer this sentence over your alternative. The other is messy and, I believe, grammatically incorrect.
And I enjoy helping! Tonight, however, I’ll be taking an early leave of the forums, perchance to sleep :P.
I hope I’ve helped, I apologise for anything I’ve left unclear…
Goodnight, Code.
Yeah, you’re absolutely right. You have my apologies, I was awfully tired :)!
Thanks a lot.
As i have ended this structure I will soon move on to the next one which is in another topic Run-On Sentences.
Just post the questions when you’re ready and I’ll be the first to try and help ;). Good luck :)!