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Parallel Structure Practice (B2) - English Grammar Quiz

⏱ Time: 07:30 📝 Questions: 15 📊 Level: B2 📚 Type: Grammar ⭐ XP: up to +16 (on pass)

Use this 15-question quiz to find your weak spots in Parallel Structure. At Level B2, every question targets a specific sub-topic with a clear explanation. Your score tells you what you know; the explanations show you what to study next.

⏱ You have 07:30 to answer 15 questions. The timer only starts when you click Begin.

Q1  15
Q1 15

Question 1: She enjoys hiking, swimming, and ___.

Question 1 options
'cycling' is correct because parallel structure requires all items in a list to share the same grammatical form. Since 'hiking' and 'swimming' are gerunds (-ing forms), the third item must also be a gerund.
Q2 15

Question 2: The manager asked us to work efficiently, to communicate clearly, and ___.

Question 2 options
'to meet all deadlines' is correct because the list uses infinitive phrases ('to work', 'to communicate'), so the third element must also be an infinitive phrase to maintain parallel structure.
Q3 15

Question 3: In parallel structure, every element in a series must use the same grammatical form and perform the same grammatical function.

Question 3 options
True because the core rule of parallel structure requires that each element in a series appears in the same grammatical form and fulfils the same grammatical role, ensuring balance and consistency in the sentence.
Q4 15

Question 4: Which situation best describes WHY a writer would use parallel structure in a sentence?

Question 4 options
'To create balance and rhythm between related ideas' is correct because parallel structure is a rhetorical device used to improve readability, create rhythm, and draw clear comparisons between grammatically equal elements.
Q5 15

Question 5: Arrange the words to make a correct sentence:

Question 5 options
  • to save money,
  • My goals are
  • and to learn Spanish
  • to travel abroad,

Drag items or use arrows to arrange them in the correct order.

The correct order is 'My goals are to save money, to travel abroad, and to learn Spanish' because parallel structure requires all three infinitive phrases to follow the same 'to + verb' form after the linking verb 'are'.
Q6 15

Question 6: Which sentence correctly uses parallel structure?

Question 6 options
'She likes painting, reading, and cooking' is correct because all three activities use the gerund (-ing) form, making the list grammatically parallel. The other options mix verb forms within the same list.
Q7 15

Question 7: Two colleagues are reviewing a report. One says: 'This section lists our aims as: reducing costs, improving quality, and ___.' Which option correctly completes the sentence?

Question 7 options
'expanding the client base' is correct because the list uses gerund phrases ('reducing costs', 'improving quality'), so the third item must also be a gerund phrase to maintain parallel structure in the business report context.
Q8 15

Question 8: Which sentence correctly uses parallel structure with correlative conjunctions?

Question 8 options
'Not only does she speak French, but she also speaks Mandarin' is correct because correlative conjunctions like 'not only...but also' must connect two elements of the same grammatical form — here, both are verb phrases.
Q9 15

Question 9: Put the words in the correct order:

Question 9 options
  • ate well,
  • and slept early
  • The athlete
  • trained hard,

Drag items or use arrows to arrange them in the correct order.

The correct order is 'The athlete trained hard, ate well, and slept early' because parallel structure requires all three verbs in a list to share the same simple past tense form.
Q10 15

Question 10: Tom wants a career that is rewarding, that offers flexibility, and ___.

Question 10 options
'that provides a good salary' is correct because the sentence uses a parallel series of relative clauses beginning with 'that', so the third element must follow the same 'that + verb phrase' structure.
Q11 15

Question 11: Which statement about parallel structure with infinitives is true?

Question 11 options
'When listing infinitives in parallel, 'to' can appear before each verb or only before the first, but never inconsistently within the same list' is correct. Standard grammar allows 'to swim, to run, and to cycle' or 'to swim, run, and cycle', but mixing — such as 'to swim, running, and cycle' — breaks parallelism.
Q12 15

Question 12: Original: 'Her hobbies include painting landscapes, writing poetry, and she also plays the violin.' Rewrite to use correct parallel structure: 'Her hobbies include painting landscapes, writing poetry, and ___.'

Question 12 options
'playing the violin' is correct because the transformation requires replacing the non-parallel clause 'she also plays the violin' with a gerund phrase to match 'painting landscapes' and 'writing poetry'.
Q13 15

Question 13: Match each sentence to the correct parallel structure label.

Question 13 options
Neither the director nor the producer approved the script.
Her plan was to study abroad, to gain experience, and to build her network.
He enjoys running, cycling, and swimming every weekend.
We need a candidate who is experienced, who is reliable, and who communicates well.
Parallel structure with infinitive phrases
Parallel structure with gerund phrases
Parallel structure with relative clauses
Parallel structure with correlative conjunctions

Select an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

Parallel structure can be formed using gerunds, infinitives, correlative conjunctions, or parallel clauses. Each type requires the matched grammatical form to be consistent across all elements.
Q14 15

Question 14: When using correlative conjunctions such as 'both...and' or 'either...or', the grammatical structure after each conjunction must be the same.

Question 14 options
True because correlative conjunctions connect elements of equal grammatical weight, so the structure following each part of the pair must be parallel — for example, 'both to study and to practise' or 'both studying and practising', but not 'both to study and practising'.
Q15 15

Question 15: Which sentence uses parallel structure most effectively to create a formal, balanced tone suitable for a professional report?

Question 15 options
'The project aims to reduce expenses, to improve efficiency, and to strengthen client relationships' is most effective because all three infinitive phrases are grammatically identical, creating the formal balance and rhythm expected in professional writing.