Error No.

: 5

Error: Non-parallel structures

Some common examples

1. *Its main functions are file maintenance and storing the information of the suppliers
and customers.
2. *The company was invited to give a technical proposal for improving the efficiency of
the delivery and maximize the company profit .
3. *We have no difficulties in using and to understand our language because we have
been using it since our birth.
4. *I have confidence in learning German and to learn English.

Core grammatical problem

In a sentence with coordinated elements, the elements in coordination are not parallel in
structure.

e.g. We have no difficulties in using and to understand our language because we have been
using it since our birth.

In the above sentence, using is an –ing participle while to understand is an infinitive.

Probable causes of this structural problem

L1-related factor:

Chinese makes no particular distinction between the verbal and nominal forms of a word (e.g.
成 功 as a verb and the same form 成 功 as a noun), or between the present and past tense
forms of a verb (e.g. 他天天吃水果 vs 他吃了一些水果). The absence of distinct forms for
different structures in the mother tongue may explain learners’ lack of awareness of the
distinct forms in the target language.

L2-related factors:

1. Students are unaware of the importance of structural cohesion.

e.g. noun phrase joined with a noun phrase

verb phrase joined with a verb phrase

2. Students do not have adequate knowledge of the precise structure of the constituents of a
sentence due to insufficient grammar input.

e.g. Students may not know that in sentence (1), file maintenance is a noun phrase

but
storing the information… is an –ing participle clause.
 Correction procedure

To help students (Ss) overcome the structural problem such as:

I have confidence in learning German and to learn English

teacher (T) can go through the following procedure with students (Ss):

1. Ss underline all elements in coordination or in lists.

e.g. I have confidence in learning German and to learn English.

2. T analyzes the structures of the constituents to uncover elements of different categories.

e.g. in learning German is a prepositional phrase

to learn English is a to-infinitive clause

3. T tells Ss that if constituents of different syntactic categories are joined, the odd one has
to be changed so that it has the same syntactic category as the others, provided that the
revised elements fit into the grammatical context of the whole sentence and observe the
combinatory restrictions of other constituents.

e.g. I have confidence in learning German and in learning English.

(changing to learn English to in learning English)

4. Ss suggest alternative ways of making elements parallel, if possible. T tells Ss that

sometimes it may be necessary to change the structure of the sentence/elements in
coordination.

e.g. I have confidence in learning German (NP) and English (NP).

(omitting to learn)

Similarly, sentence (1) can be rewritten as:

e.g. Its main functions are file maintenance and storage of the suppliers’ and
customers’ information. (changing storing the…. to a noun phrase)

Follow-up exercise

Correct the following sentences.

1. Popular exercises for men and women include aerobic dancing, lifting weights and
jogging.
2. She took up drinking, gambling and smoked cigarettes.
3. He couldn’t decide whether to go into business for himself or taking the job.
4. They should be thoroughly familiar with methods of data input, file maintenance,
handling output and troubleshooting.