Country Report (Pro)

 

Parallel Construction in Your Conclusion (1)

If you followed the formula in the previous lesson, the first sentence of your conclusion starts with a series of phrases that sum up your three body paragraphs. Here is a simple example:

 

Beautiful scenery, delicious food, and world-famous museums—these are some of the things that make France such a wonderful country.

 

Now—you guessed it—it's time to make sure that your list of reasons is written in parallel construction.

The easiest way to do this is to force it into one of the following molds. (Substitute your own phrases in the first half of the sentence).

  1. A series of nouns, each noun preceded by an adjective.
 
Friendly people, delicious foods, and breath-taking scenery—these are some of the things that make France such a wonderful country.
 

 

  1. A series of attractions.
 

The Eiffel Tower, the Louvre Museum, and the Seine River—these are some of the things that make France such a wonderful country.

 

 

  1. A series of gerund phrases.
 

Eating in Paris, visiting the Louvre, and skiing in the Alps—these are some of the things that make France such a great place to visit.

 

 

There are other possibilities as well. The important thing is to not allow yourself to be satisfied with sentences like these in the left-hand column:

 
Not Parallel Better

The Great Wall, eating Chinese food, and festivals that are very colorful—these are some of the things that make China such a wonderful country.

World-famous landmarks, delicious foods, and many colorful festivals—these are some of the things that make China such a wonderful country.

Eating at fine restaurants, castles, and people who are friendly—these are some of the things that make England such a wonderful country.

Delicious food, amazing castles, and friendly people—these are some of the things that make England such a wonderful country.

 

Quiz