Parallelism
Use the same grammatical form for items in a series to create rhythm and clarity.
What & why
Parallel structure tends to be easier to process because a repeated grammatical pattern lets listeners anticipate what is coming and spend less effort parsing syntax. Research on processing fluency suggests this ease makes ideas feel clearer and more pleasing, freeing attention for the content itself.
Before & after
“Our goals are to grow revenue, customer happiness, and reducing churn.”
“Our goals are to grow revenue, increase customer happiness, and reduce churn.”
When you’ll use it
Listing company goals or priorities in strategic presentations
Describing product features or benefits in marketing materials
Outlining project phases or deliverables in status updates
Presenting options or alternatives in decision-making meetings
Creating memorable mission statements or value propositions
Building persuasive arguments with multiple supporting points
Pro tip
Match the verb forms across your list. Your ear will hear the symmetry.
Questions & answers
What's the difference between parallelism as a rhetorical device and parallel structure in grammar?
How much parallelism is too much?
Can I mix different parallel patterns in the same presentation?
Learn more
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