Page 122 - Wordsmith A Guide to College Writing
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Nonparallel thesis points:
New York is an exciting city to visit because of the Metropolitan
Museum of Art or the American Museum of Natural History, many
Broadway plays have tickets available, and visiting Ellis Island or
the Statue of Liberty.
Differing grammatical structures and too much information make
the previous example seem awkward and lacking in unity. Now
look at the same thesis statement with parallel points.
Parallel thesis points:
New York is an exciting city to visit because of its fascinating
museums, Broadway plays, and historic sites.
The parallel thesis flows more smoothly, and the points sound as
though they belong together. Notice that no specific details, such
as the names of plays or historic sites, are given. Details are best
reserved for the body paragraphs.
Exercise 3-1 Parallel Structure in Thesis
Statements
In each pair of thesis statements, circle the letter of the thesis with the
strongest parallel structure.
1.
