Agenda:
• Introducing parallel structure
• Fixing faulty parallelism
• Handout: Creating parallel sentences
• Finding our own examples
• Journal reflection on lesson
• Homework: Self-critiques
Objectives: When reviewing sentences containing faulty parallelism in their own writing,
students will be able to recognize and correct their mistakes, making clearer sentences.
Materials Needed:
• Whiteboard and dry erase marker
• Overhead projector and computer
• Handout on creating parallel sentences
• Classroom textbook
• Student reflection journals
Activities:
• Use overhead projector to display six sentences • Identify the cause for faulty parallelism
which contain faulty parallelism due to incorrect within a sentence and explain why the
word structure. Explain that each of the sentences word is being misused in the sentence.
contain mistakes. The class will fix them together.
• Unveil each sentence one at a time for the class • Fix the error in a sentence, changing the
to see. For the first four examples, point out the words in the series to give it parallelism.
error in each sentence and demonstrate how the
words could be changed to improve the sentence.
• Further explain the possible benefits of using • Read a persuasive essay, writing down
parallelism effectively in all forms of writing. examples of parallelism found in the text.
• Provide directions to the students to open • Spend five minutes writing a response in
their textbooks to a persuasive essay and find the reflection journals about the impact
examples of strong uses of parallelism. Students the author had with the use of parallelism.
will be instructed to examine the effects of these
sentences, writing in their reflective journals. • Share responses with classmates.
• Instruct students to re-open their journals in order • Write in journals, reflecting on what was
to reflect on what they perceive to be the benefits learned in class and on the advantages of
of the day’s lesson on parallel structure. being able to recognize and fix faulty
parallelism in the student’s own writing.
• Navigate the classroom, providing help.
• Share responses with classmates.
• Lead the class in a discussion of their answers.
Assignment(s)/ Homework:
Students will review their own journal entries written earlier in the semester, highlighting
five total examples of either effective use of parallelism or faulty use of parallelism in their
writing. For the examples of faulty parallelism found, students will identify the error and re-
write the sentence in a way that will be more clear, concise and understandable to the reader.