Unit 5 · Topic 5.3

5.3 Linking ideas with repetition, synonyms, pronouns and parallel structure

Writers tie ideas together by repeating key words, using synonyms, pointing back with pronouns, and putting related ideas in the same grammatical form, called parallel structure. These links help readers see how sentences relate, and they can also add emphasis and rhythm.

Key terms

repetition
synonym
pronoun reference
parallel structure

Four ways to link ideas

Tool	How it links	Example (written for this page)
Repetition	Repeats a key word so readers track the main idea	The library is a refuge. It's a refuge from noise, from cost, from being alone.
Synonyms	Refers to the same idea in different words, avoiding monotony	The fines... these penalties... such charges
Pronoun reference	Points back to something already named	The mayor proposed a curfew. Her plan drew immediate criticism.
Parallel structure	Puts related ideas in the same grammatical form	We came to learn, to argue and to listen.

Parallel structure

Parallel structure means matching the form of related items: nouns with nouns, verbs with verbs, clauses with clauses. It makes ideas easier to follow and tells readers that the items are equal in importance. "She likes hiking, swimming and to ride bikes" breaks the pattern; "She likes hiking, swimming and biking" keeps it.

Writers also use parallelism for effect. Starting several clauses or sentences with the same words (called anaphora) builds rhythm and emphasis. A series of three parallel items (a tricolon) feels complete and memorable.

Clear pronoun reference

A pronoun only links ideas if readers know what it points to. "The board met with the teachers after they voted" is unclear: who voted? Watch especially for "this" and "it" at the start of a sentence. "This shows..." often leaves readers unsure what "this" is. Adding a noun ("This comparison shows...") fixes the problem and makes commentary sharper.

Reading these choices rhetorically

In reading passages, these tools aren't just glue. Repetition can hammer a point or create a chant-like rhythm. Parallel structure can balance two ideas against each other or suggest they belong together. When you see one, ask what it emphasizes and why the writer wanted that emphasis at that moment.

Synonyms done carefully

Synonyms keep a paragraph from repeating one word over and over, but they have to keep the meaning steady. If an essay calls something a "policy" in one sentence, a "suggestion" in the next and a "law" in the third, readers may think you're talking about three different things. Choose synonyms that refer to the same idea, and repeat the key term itself whenever precision matters more than variety.

Worked examples

Try each one yourself first, then open the solution.

Example 1
Repetition and parallelism in the Gettysburg Address
Midway through, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address (1863) says, in the Bliss copy Lincoln wrote out by hand: "But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground." Its final words are: "government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." Explain how repetition and parallel structure work in these lines.
Show the solutionHide the solution
1. Step 1: First line: the same frame ("we can not") repeats three times with three verbs that grow more sacred: dedicate, consecrate, hallow.
2. Step 2: Effect: the repetition lowers the speakers. The ceremony itself can't make the ground holy, because the soldiers already did.
3. Step 3: Final line: three parallel prepositional phrases repeat "the people" with different prepositions: of, by, for.
4. Step 4: Effect: each phrase names a different relationship (government comes from the people, is run by them, and serves them), and the three-part rhythm makes the speech's final idea easy to remember.
Answer: Model paragraph: Lincoln uses repetition to shrink the ceremony and enlarge the soldiers. In "we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow," the same frame repeats while the verbs grow more sacred, so each clause admits a deeper limit: nothing said that day can make the ground holy, because the dead have already done it. The speech ends with a different kind of repetition. In "of the people, by the people, for the people," three parallel phrases keep "the people" fixed while the prepositions change, defining democracy as government that comes from, is run by and serves its citizens. The balanced, three-part rhythm gives listeners a sentence they can carry away as the reason the war must be won.
Example 2
Fixing pronouns and parallelism in a draft
Practice sentences (written for this page): (a) "The council told the librarians that they would need to cut hours." (b) "Ending fines would bring families back, save staff time, and the library would look more welcoming." Revise each for clarity.
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1. Step 1: In (a), "they" could mean the council or the librarians. Replace the pronoun with the noun you mean.
2. Step 2: In (b), the first two items are verb phrases (bring, save), but the third is a full clause. Rewrite the third item as a verb phrase.
Answer: (a) "The council told the librarians that the library would need to cut hours." (b) "Ending fines would bring families back, save staff time and make the library more welcoming."

Common mistakes

Calling every repetition "redundant." Purposeful repetition is a choice that creates emphasis.
Writing lists that break parallel structure, such as mixing nouns and full clauses.
Starting sentences with a vague "This" or "It" that could refer to several things.
Identifying parallelism without explaining what it emphasizes.

On the exam

Writing questions may ask which revision keeps a sentence parallel or makes a pronoun clear. Test each option against the rest of the sentence.
Reading questions may ask about the effect of repeated words or structures. Answers that mention emphasis, contrast or a connection between ideas are usually on the right track.

Connected topics

Videos

Parallelism: Explanation, Effects, Example | AP Lang Rhetorical Strategies
Ms. Peer EditorWatch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)
Parallel structure | Syntax | Khan Academy
Khan AcademyWatch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)
Cohesion with Cohesive Devices
Ceal ElssWatch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)
"What Is Parallelism?": Oregon State Guide to Grammar
OSU School of Writing, Literature and FilmWatch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)
Parallelism: The secret to great writing
Learn English with Rebecca · engVidWatch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)
Lexical Cohesion
Puente LiteracyWatch on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Check yourself

5 questions on 5.3 Linking ideas with repetition, synonyms, pronouns and parallel structure. Pick an answer to see if you got it, and why.

The first day in the land of apples was a bitter-cold one; for the snow still covered the ground, and the trees were bare. A large bell rang for breakfast, its loud metallic voice crashing through the belfry overhead and into our sensitive ears. The annoying clatter of shoes on bare floors gave us no peace. The constant clash of harsh noises, with an undercurrent of many voices murmuring an unknown tongue, made a bedlam within which I was securely tied. And though my spirit tore itself in struggling for its lost freedom, all was useless.

A paleface woman, with white hair, came up after us. We were placed in a line of girls who were marching into the dining room. These were Indian girls, in stiff shoes and closely clinging dresses. The small girls wore sleeved aprons and shingled hair. As I walked noiselessly in my soft moccasins, I felt like sinking to the floor, for my blanket had been stripped from my shoulders. I looked hard at the Indian girls, who seemed not to care that they were even more immodestly dressed than I, in their tightly fitting clothes. While we marched in, the boys entered at an opposite door. I watched for the three young braves who came in our party. I spied them in the rear ranks, looking as uncomfortable as I felt. A small bell was tapped, and each of the pupils drew a chair from under the table. Supposing this act meant they were to be seated, I pulled out mine and at once slipped into it from one side. But when I turned my head, I saw that I was the only one seated, and all the rest at our table remained standing. Just as I began to rise, looking shyly around to see how chairs were to be used, a second bell was sounded. All were seated at last, and I had to crawl back into my chair again. I heard a man's voice at one end of the hall, and I looked around to see him. But all the others hung their heads over their plates. As I glanced at the long chain of tables, I caught the eyes of a paleface woman upon me. Immediately I dropped my eyes, wondering why I was so keenly watched by the strange woman. The man ceased his mutterings, and then a third bell was tapped. Every one picked up his knife and fork and began eating. I began crying instead, for by this time I was afraid to venture anything more.

But this eating by formula was not the hardest trial in that first day. Late in the morning, my friend Judéwin gave me a terrible warning. Judéwin knew a few words of English; and she had overheard the paleface woman talk about cutting our long, heavy hair. Our mothers had taught us that only unskilled warriors who were captured had their hair shingled by the enemy. Among our people, short hair was worn by mourners, and shingled hair by cowards!

Zitkala-Ša (Gertrude Simmons Bonnin), a Yankton Dakota writer, "The School Days of an Indian Girl," The Atlantic Monthly (February 1900), from the section "The Cutting of My Long Hair." As a young girl she left her family in what is now South Dakota for a missionary boarding school in Indiana, which the children had heard called the "land of red apples." "Shingled" hair is hair cut short.

Question 1 of 5

The repeated references to bells in paragraph 2 ("A small bell was tapped," "a second bell was sounded," "a third bell was tapped") primarily serve to

(1) Our school owns an empty lot behind the gym. (2) It is covered in weeds and broken glass. (3) The student council wants to turn the lot into a community garden. (4) A garden would give science classes a place to study plants, give the cafeteria fresh vegetables and neighbors could meet there.

(5) Teachers have already shown interest. (6) Ms. Ortega's biology class could test soil and track plant growth. (7) Mr. Dean's cooking class could use the harvest in recipes. (8) They both said they would help plan it.

(9) Gardens take work, and summer is the hardest season. (10) Without volunteers, the beds could dry out in July. (11) The council has a plan for this problem. (12) Families could sign up for one week each.

Written for this practice set: a student's draft of a proposal from the student council.

Question 2 of 5

Sentence 4 (reproduced below) breaks parallel structure. "A garden would give science classes a place to study plants, give the cafeteria fresh vegetables and neighbors could meet there." Which version best fixes the problem?

Question 3 of 5

Sentence 8 (reproduced below) has unclear pronouns. "They both said they would help plan it." Which version makes the references clearest?

Question 4 of 5

In sentence 7, the writer refers to "the harvest." This word choice helps the paragraph's cohesion mainly by

Question 5 of 5

Sentences 6 and 7 begin the same way ("Ms. Ortega's biology class could..." and "Mr. Dean's cooking class could..."). This parallel structure helps the paragraph mainly by

0 of 5 answered