45c Including all necessary words
45cIncluding all necessary words
In addition to making any parallel elements grammatically similar, be careful to include all words—prepositions, articles, verb forms, and so on—that are necessary for clarity or grammar. (See also 39e.)
To a city in Mexico or to Mexico in general? The editing makes the meaning clear.
In the unedited version, had . . . see is not grammatically correct.
Quick Help: Editing for parallelism
Quick Help: Editing for parallelism
Editing for parallelism
- Look for any series of three or more items, and make all of the items parallel in structure. If you want to emphasize one particular item, try putting it at the end of the series. (45a and d)
- Be sure items in lists and headings are parallel in form. (45a)
- Check for sentences that compare, contrast, or otherwise pair two ideas. Often these ideas will appear on either side of and, but, or, nor, for, so, or yet or after each part of either . . . or, both . . . and, neither . . . nor, not only . . . but also, just as . . . so, or whether . . . or. Edit to make the two ideas parallel in structure. (45b)
- Check all parallel structures to be sure you have included all necessary words—articles, prepositions, the to of the infinitive, and so on. (45c)