Parallelism in Verb Complements: Cooking as Joy, Washing Dishes as Hardship

Parallelism in English grammar is a principle that ensures balance and symmetry in sentences. It is a stylistic device that adds rhythm and clarity to the sentence structure, making it easier to understand. When it comes to verb complements, such as gerunds and infinitives, maintaining parallelism can be a bit tricky. This is especially true in sentences like “My friend considers cooking a great joy and to wash dishes a great hardship.” Is this sentence parallel? Should the gerunds and infinitives be parallel? Let’s delve into this topic and find out.

Understanding Parallelism

Parallelism is a grammatical concept that involves matching grammatical forms within a sentence or among sentences. When elements in a sentence are parallel, they share the same grammatical form, creating a sense of balance and rhythm. This can involve matching verb tenses, noun forms, prepositional phrases, or even entire clauses.

Gerunds and Infinitives

Gerunds and infinitives are two types of verbals, which are verbs that function as other parts of speech. A gerund is a verb ending in “-ing” that functions as a noun, while an infinitive is the base form of a verb preceded by “to” that can function as a noun, adjective, or adverb.

Parallelism in Verb Complements

When it comes to verb complements, maintaining parallelism means using the same form of verbal throughout the sentence. If a gerund is used as a complement in one part of the sentence, a gerund should be used in the other parts as well. The same goes for infinitives.

Is the Sentence Parallel?

Looking at the sentence “My friend considers cooking a great joy and to wash dishes a great hardship,” we can see that it is not parallel. The first verb complement is a gerund (“cooking”), while the second is an infinitive (“to wash”). To make the sentence parallel, we could change it to “My friend considers cooking a great joy and washing dishes a great hardship.”

Why is Parallelism Important?

Parallelism is important because it improves the clarity and readability of your writing. It helps your reader understand the relationships between your ideas and makes your writing more engaging. By ensuring that your verb complements are parallel, you can make your sentences more effective and impactful.

Conclusion

In conclusion, parallelism in verb complements involves using the same form of verbal throughout the sentence. If a gerund is used in one part of the sentence, a gerund should be used in the other parts as well. The same goes for infinitives. By maintaining parallelism in your writing, you can improve its clarity, readability, and effectiveness.