Quick Answer
Parallel structure is a grammatical requirement on the Digital SAT where words or phrases in a series must share the same grammatical form. This concept typically appears in the Standard English Conventions questions of the Reading and Writing modules, appearing approximately two to four times per test to ensure syntactical consistency.
Parallel structure, or parallelism, requires that items in a list or comparison maintain the same grammatical form, such as using all gerunds (-ing) or all infinitive phrases. If a sentence begins a series with a specific part of speech, every subsequent item must match that part of speech to maintain balance.
Question: To prepare for the marathon, Sarah spent her mornings running long distances, her afternoons [___], and her evenings stretching. Options: (A) lifting weights, (B) to lift weights, (C) she lifted weights, (D) weightlifting. Solution: The correct answer is (A). The list follows a gerund pattern ('running,' 'stretching'), so 'lifting weights' maintains parallel structure.
Switching verb tenses or forms mid-list, such as mixing gerunds with infinitives.
Ignoring the first element of a comparison, which sets the grammatical precedent for the second element.
Failing to repeat necessary prepositions or articles when required for structural clarity across long phrases.
Students targeting 750+ should know that parallel structure also applies to complex comparisons and correlative conjunctions; ensure that the phrase following 'not only' exactly matches the grammatical structure of the phrase following 'but also' to avoid subtle syntactical errors that the SAT frequently uses to distract high-scoring test-takers.
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