3 Examples of Problems with Parallel Structure

3 Examples of Problems with Parallel Structure 3 Examples of Problems with Parallel Structure 3 Examples of Problems with Parallel Structure By Mark Nichol In each of the following sentences, sentence construction obscures the complementary relationship between parallel phrases. Discussion following each example explains the problem, and revisions illustrate solutions. 1. Follow this step with user support and usage monitoring to ensure a smooth transition and optimal user experience during and post-implementation. The phrase â€Å"during and post-implementation† is treated as if it is an instance of suspensive hyphenation, but the sentence is incomplete with a noun after during: â€Å"Follow this step with user support and usage monitoring to ensure a smooth transition and an optimal user experience during implementation and postimplementation.† However, the prefixed word postimplementation is correct but unwieldy, so simply withhold the repetition and replace the prefix with a free-standing conjunction: â€Å"Follow this step with user support and usage monitoring to ensure a smooth transition and an optimal user experience during and after implementation.† 2. There seems to be an idea that blaming the other side for failure is as good, if not better, than getting something done in a bipartisan way. If a parenthetical phrase has been interjected into a sentence, in its absence, the base sentence must be syntactically valid. Here, the result of a test deletion of â€Å"if not better† is â€Å"There seems to be an idea that blaming the other side for failure is as good than getting something done in a bipartisan way.† Obviously, something is wrong- a repetition of as is necessary, and than belongs in the parenthesis: â€Å"There seems to be an idea that blaming the other side for failure is as good as, if not better than, getting something done in a bipartisan way.† 3. This regulation helps guarantee the financial services industry upholds its obligation to protect consumers and ensure that its systems are sufficiently constructed to prevent cyberattacks to the fullest extent possible. The conjunction that is sometimes unnecessary (â€Å"Do you think it’s required in this sentence?†), but if it employed in a given phrase, it should be included in a complementary phrase in the same sentence, as here: â€Å"This regulation helps guarantee that the financial services industry upholds its obligation to protect consumers and ensure that its systems are sufficiently constructed to prevent cyberattacks to the fullest extent possible.† (Without that in place after guarantee, the reader is initially misled into thinking that the regulation guarantees the industry itself rather than something about the industry.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:How Many Tenses in English?Try to vs. Try and20 Movies Based on Shakespeare Plays

The Real Shape of Raindrops

The Real Shape of Raindrops Much like the snowflake symbolizes all things winter, a teardrop is a symbol of water and rain. We see them in illustrations and even on weather maps on TV. The truth is, a raindrop assumes several shapes as it falls from a cloud- none of which resemble teardrops. What is the true shape of a raindrop? Lets follow it along its journey from cloud to ground and find out! Droplets Raindrops, which are collections of millions of tiny cloud droplets, start out as small and round spheres. But as raindrops fall, they lose their rounded shape thanks to the tug-of-war between two forces: surface tension (the waters outer surface film which acts to hold the drop together) and the air flow which pushes up against the raindrops bottom as it falls.   Sphere to Hamburger Bun When the drop is small (under 1 mm across), surface tension wins out and pulls it into a spherical shape. But as the drop falls, colliding with other drops as it does so, it grows in size and it falls faster which increases the pressure on its bottom. This added pressure causes the raindrop to flatten on the bottom. Since the air flow on the bottom of the water drop is greater than the airflow at its top, the raindrop  remains curved on top, the raindrop resembles a hamburger bun. Thats right, raindrops have more in common with hamburger buns than falling on them and ruining your cookout- they are shaped like  them! Jelly Bean to Umbrella As the raindrop grows even bigger, the pressure along its bottom increases further and presses a dimple into it, making the raindrop look jelly-bean-shaped. When the raindrop grows to a large size (around 4 mm across or larger) the air flow has pressed so deeply into the water drop that it now resembles a parachute or an  umbrella. Soon after, the air flow presses through the raindrops top and breaks it apart into smaller drops.       To help visualize this process, watch the video, Anatomy of a Raindrop, courtesy of NASA.    Visualizing the Shape Due to the high speeds at which water droplets fall through the atmosphere, it is very difficult to see the variety of shapes it takes in nature without the use of high-speed photography. However, there is a way to model this in the lab, the classroom, or at home. An experiment you can do at home represents an analysis of raindrop shape through experimentation. Now that you know about raindrop shape and size, continue your raindrop exploration by learning why some rainshowers feel warm and others are cool to the touch.   SourcesAre Raindrops Tear-Shaped?  The USGS Water Science School