Question

Which sentence has an error in parallel structure?

Answer 1

Answer:

• C) The teacher assigned an essay in which students needed to have a strong thesis, to create a clear structure, and they needed to make a logically progressive argument.

The error is the use of they a second time.

Explanation:

To keep parallel structure in sentence you must use the same pattern of words after the conjuntions (for instance, and, or). Some of the parallelis that you must check is the use of the same kind of verbs:

• progressive with progressive
• infinitive with infinitive
• past with past

A) Charlotte didn't know which habit she found the most annoying: smacking gum, tapping pencils, sending text messages, or sleeping in class.

In that sentence all the verbs use the form ing, thus the parallel structure is correct.

B) The principal could never understand why teachers were late, failed to turn in their lesson plans, and yet still complained incessantly all day long.

All the verbs are in past tense. Thus, this is a correct parallel structre.

C) The teacher assigned an essay in which students needed to have a strong thesis, to create a clear structure, and they needed to make a logically progressive argument.

Although, the verb forms are correct, in parallel structures you do not repeat the pronoun.  Thus this form is not a correct parallel structure.

The error is repeating the pronoun they.

D) Each day at work at the ice cream shop, Ben needed to check the inventory of ice cream, insure that all the workers showed up on time, and modify the menu board's offerings.

All the verbs have the same form. This is a correct parallel structure.