Parallelism - balancing a sentence

A balanced sentence construction, also known as a parallel structure, is essential for syntactically sound writing. It means that the first structural choice you make in a sentence must be maintained as the sentence continues. 

Rather than spending time on explanation, let us look at many examples.

The following sentences fail the parallelism test [the correct form is shown in the brackets after each one]. 

Whisky  must be made from at least 51% corn; it must be aged in charred new oak barrels; only pure water can be added to it; and it must not exceed 125 proof going into the barrel [it can be diluted with pure water only].

The class has one French student, several Italians, Peter who is from England, and Anastasia who is a Russian [...several Italians, an Englishman called Peter, and a Russian called Anastasia].

The students who listen to me, laugh at all my jokes and if they are prepared to follow my instructions will get top marks [...who listen to me, laugh at all my jokes, and are prepared to follow my instructions will get top marks].

John's pronunciation of English is the same as Peter, who is from the same country [...the same as Peter’s...].

The best things to do when learning vocabulary is to choose a few words only, turn off the radio, music, the internet, walk about the room and visualizing the word [...and visualize the word].

The courses are taught by teachers, but the schedules for the classes by the University Administration [...but the schedules for the classes are set by the University Administration].

Eating all the food was selfish enough of you, but to allow my cat to starve too was cruel [...but allowing my cat to starve too was cruel].

It is neither nice or polite to point out grammar mistakes, but alas it is my job [It is neither nice nor polite…].  

I have some books here both for Paul and Maria [I have some books here both for Paul and for Maria OR I have some books here for both Paul and Maria].

I tell people I come either from Ireland or England or, sometimes, America; it depends on who I am talking to and how much I want to confuse them [I tell people I come either from Ireland or from England or, sometimes, from America…].

If we continue burning fossil fuels and to increase the power of computers, the world in 2025 will have loads of iPads and no people in it [If we continue burning fossil fuels and increasing the power of computers…].

I don’t want to bother carrying a suitcase or get a taxi, so I am boarding the plane in jogging gear and will run from the airport to my hotel [I don’t want to bother carrying a suitcase or getting a taxi…].

I can easily eat my fill at the dinner and to run all the way back home [I can easily eat my fill at the dinner and run…].

I am taking plenty of food both for myself and my walking partner [I am taking plenty of food both for myself and for my walking partner OR for both myself and my walking partner].

Either you do what I say or will suffer the consequences [Either you do what I say or you will suffer the consequences].

Her tactic is always to sit in the corner and peering out from there [Her tactic is always to sit in the corner and peer out from there].

The advantages of being a teacher are seeing the light in students’ eyes when they understand something, and you can also use a big stick [The advantages of being a teacher are seeing the light in students’ eyes when they understand something, and being able to use a big stick].

If you have a large debt, you can either pay it or you can run away to another country [If you have a large debt, you can either pay it or run away to another country].

Running marathons and exercising are not as fun as cigars and whiskey [Running marathons  and exercising are not as fun as smoking cigars and drinking whiskey].

Sinead looks bored and like she would rather be anywhere but here [Sinead looks bored and looks like she would rather be anywhere but here].

I have an aptitude to risk, but never gone skydiving [I have an aptitude to risk, but I have never gone skydiving].

Federica has a bath every day, but no friends [Federica has a bath every day, but she has no friends].

It is easier to learn new things than unlearning ingrained bad habits, which is why foreign students often do well in composition [It is easier to learn new things than to unlearn ingrained bad habits…].

Getting married is easy, to stay married is hard [Getting married is easy, staying married is hard].

English grammar is far harder than appears to beginners [English grammar is far harder than it appears to beginners]. 

Try and v. try to

I confess that in the battle between "try and" and "try to" I am on the side of the former.

Try and see it my way  v. Try to see it my way

Try and study tonight v. Try to study tonight

Stop and think a moment v. Stop to think a moment

Come and join the party v. Come to join the party

Go and apologize v. Go to apologize

I prefer all those on the left, but grammar books prefer those on the right, and you are expected to use them in formal writing.

So do.

It is unfortunate that you must (but you must). I feel the try/stop/go/come and construction is packed with subtle meaning that is quite lacking in the officially approved verb + infinitive one.

Ah well.

Grammar v. syntax

What is the difference between them?

Basically, grammar is the main concept. Syntax is part of grammar, as is morphology.

Adjectives

An adjective is a word that describes a noun.

The adjectives below are underlined.

The fast car, the open box, the big loud angry red-faced teacher, the terrified, cowering, weeping student, the stuffy classroom, the difficult relationship, the pretty little face.

English adjectives do not change according to the number or case of the noun.


An adjective may, of course, come after a noun and verb  (in the "predicative" position).

The pot is hot, the sky is blue, the floor is wet, the boy got soaked on his way to school,the day is growing warm.


I have little more to add, except to say that the words a, the, this, that, these, those, another, either, neither, each, every, any, some, few, a few, one, two, three, enough, sufficient and several others are not adjectives but determinatives. Determinatives include the definite and indefinite articles (the and a)

I point this out because the determinatives  look pretty much like adjectives:  they sit in front of the noun and tell you something about it.

Two men, this door, that car, these papers, some people, enough money, a few mistakes, neither book, every student.

But they are not counted as adjectives. An adjective describes;  a determinative determines: it singles out, indicates, identifies or counts.

Another difference is that you can stack up adjectives  and run a whole load of them in front of a noun. The big, bad, hairy, vicious, yellow-eyed, drooling, hungry wolf.

You cannot do this with determinatives. Two is about the limit. The two men, these several years, sufficient money, some people.


Fun fact*

There is a small group of adjectives starting with "a" that can go only in the predicative position (after the verb and  noun): afraid, ablaze, aghast, alike, ashamed, agog, alone, alive, aware, awake (e.g.. we cannot not say the afraid boy, but we can say the boy is afraid).

*I accept that my idea of fun may differ from yours

Reported speech

See sequence of tenses.

Finite verbs

Finite Verbs

 A  finite verb is a verb that expresses (1) a person (I, you, he, she, it, we, they) and (2) a tense (present, past, future, conditional etc).  

 

So rather than saying what a finite verb is, we might more easily say what it is not: 

 

It is not a present participle -- going.

It is not a past participle -- gone

It is not an infinitive with "to" -- to go

It is not an infinitive without "to" (a null infinitive) – go

 

As for deciding if a verb is finite in English, we need the context. For this reason, English grammar books usually talk about finite clauses and finite constructions rather than finite verbs.