Dear Legal Writer: Always use parallel structure. Here’s how to do (in 3 easy steps)—
Dear Legal Writer: Always use parallel structure. Here’s how to do
(in 3 easy steps)—
You can apply these 3 steps to test if something’s set in parallel structure:
1️⃣ Test with the stem to make sure it would make sense standing alone.
▪️ Ex:
“The tenant must provide proof of income, a photo ID, and sign the lease.”
TEST:
“The tenant must provide… proof of income.” ✔️
“The tenant must provide… a photo ID.” ✔️
“The tenant must provide… sign the lease.” ❌
👉 “Provide… sign the lease” is nonsensical, so the third item cannot stand alone.
Solutions:
“The tenant must provide proof of income, a photo ID, and a signed lease.” (all nouns) ✔️
—OR—
“The tenant must provide proof of income, present a photo ID, and sign the lease.” (all verbs) ✔️
2️⃣ Test that all items start with the same part of speech playing the same role.
▪️ Ex:
“He is tired, weary, and acts like a grouch.”
TEST:
“Tired” = adjective ✔️
“Weary” = adjective ✔️
“Acts” = verb ❌
Solutions:
—“He is tired, weary, and grouchy.” (all adjectives)
OR
—“He feels tired, acts weary, and behaves like a grouch.” (all verbs)
◾️ Ex:
“Jane is smart and the author of a book.”
TEST:
“Smart” = adjective ✔️
“Author” = noun ❌
Solutions:
—“Jane is smart and accomplished (as an author).” (both adjectives)
Or:
—“Jane is a smart lawyer and the author of a book.” (both nouns)
—“Jane is a scholar and the author of a book.” (both nouns)
3️⃣ Test that all verbs are of the same tense and type (i.e. action vs. state-of-being, active vs. passive)
▪️ Ex:
“Jane is the company’s founder and runs its operations.”
TEST:
“is” (=to-be verb) ✔️
“runs” (=action verb) ❌
Solutions:
—“Jane founded the company and runs its operations.” (both action verbs)
OR
—“Jane is the company’s founder and its operations manager.” (both to-be verbs)
▪️ Ex:
“The statute not only limits damages but also is barring punitive awards.”
TEST:
“The statute… limits damages.” (=action verb) ✔️
“The statute… is barring punitive awards.” (to-be verb) ❌
Solutions:
“The statute not only limits damages but also bars punitive awards.” (both simple-present action verbs) ✔️
—OR—
“The statute is not only a damages cap but also a bar on punitive awards.” (both predicate nouns) ✔️
***
Without parallel structure, your writing will feel awkward and sound unprofessional; it certainly will not be persuasive.
So always test by reading each item with the lead-in and checking that your grammatical forms are consistent.
Your writing will be clearer and more persuasive as a result.
💌 Amanda
#DearLegalWriter
P.S. It really helps to line the items up in a column.