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SAT Reading and Writing skill page

SAT Parallel Structure Practice

Make items in a list or comparison match in grammatical form.

Practice parallel structure in Dolphin SATPractice questions
10-16 min practice time1 question on pageStandard English Conventions
Practice time10-16 min
Question bank1 question
Best forStandard English Conventions

What this tests

What to know for this SAT skill

Dolphin question bank

Practice your skill

Question 1 of 1Easy

In order to prevent nonnative fish species from moving freely between the Mediterranean and Red Seas, marine biologist Bella Galil has proposed that a saline lock system be installed along the Suez Canal in Egypt’s Great Bitter Lakes. The lock would increase the salinity of the lakes and a natural barrier of water most marine creatures would be unable to cross.

Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
  1. creates
  2. create
  3. creating
  4. created
Show answer and solution
Correct answerB. create

How to solve it

Plan: Keep both actions joined to the modal verb "would" in the same base form.

  1. Find the two coordinated actions: the lock would "increase" the salinity and ___ a barrier.
  2. The modal verb "would" requires a base-form verb after it.
  3. "Increase" is a base-form verb, so the parallel second action must be "create".

CheckRead the matched pair aloud: "would increase ... and create ... ". Both verbs now have the same form.

Common trap"Creates" may sound natural by itself, but it breaks the structure governed by "would".

Avoid these traps

Common mistakes on this skill

Matching meaning but not grammatical form

Items in a list or comparison should use corresponding structures, such as all nouns or all -ing verbs.

Breaking a correlative pair

With pairs such as not only/but also, the material following each half should be grammatically parallel.

Study plan

How to practice this skill in Dolphin

  1. Identify the items being listed, compared, or paired.
  2. Reduce each item to its grammatical skeleton.
  3. Revise the nonmatching item so all parts use the same form and logical level.
Practice parallel structure in Dolphin SAT

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FAQ

Questions about SAT Parallel Structure Practice

What is parallel structure?

It is the use of matching grammatical forms for ideas that serve the same function in a sentence.

Does parallel structure require identical words?

No. It requires corresponding grammar, not repeated vocabulary.