5 Points About Parallel Structure

5 Points About Parallel Structure 5 Points About Parallel Structure 5 Points About Parallel Structure By Mark Nichol The following five sentences present various problems with sentence organization. Each is followed by a discussion of the sentence and a revision that addresses the problem. 1. The policy is effective, proportionate, and meets the standards. Effective has the verb is, and standards is supported by meets, but proportionate has no dance partner. It needs the twin of is, or must share the original instance of the verb, as shown here: â€Å"The policy is effective and proportionate and meets the standards.† 2. It was a stated requirement not to further increase but, rather, to reallocate capital. This sentence is not wrong, but it suffers from a delayed keyword. It’s not clear until after the sentence is read that the intention is to counterpoint the idea of increasing capital with the idea of reallocating capital; capital is too far removed from the first word it is intended to be associated with. When capital is located immediately after that first word, the sentence is clearer, and a pronoun can replace the keyword at the end of the sentence: â€Å"It was a stated requirement not to further increase capital but, rather, to reallocate it.† 3. We appreciate your time and contributions to our study. If â€Å"and contributions† is omitted from this sentence, what remains is the ungrammatical â€Å"We appreciate your time to our study.† To clarify that time and contributions are not intended to be strictly parallel, the pronoun your should be repeated in order to produce two distinct clauses, where a repetition of â€Å"we appreciate† is implied after and: â€Å"We appreciate your time and your contributions to our study.† 4. They might be confronted with situations that they may not have experienced before and might test them to their limits. In the simple sentence â€Å"They might be confronted with situations that they may not have experienced before,† that is optional. However, in a more complex statement, it is necessary not once, but twice, to signal that â€Å"they may not have experienced before† and â€Å"might test them to their limits† are parallel phrases: â€Å"They might be confronted with situations that they may not have experienced before and that might test them to their limits.† 5. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Administration, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued a joint statement on the new rules. The phrase â€Å"Board of Governors† applies only to the Federal Reserve System, so the first item in this list needs to be set off from the rest (rather, the list needs to be set off from this item) so that no implication that each of the other entities has a board of governors exists: â€Å"The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, as well as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the National Credit Union Administration, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, issued a joint statement on the new rules.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely?â€Å"As Well As† Does Not Mean â€Å"And†75 Synonyms for â€Å"Hard†

What You Need to Know to Succeed in the Retail Industry

What You Need to Know to Succeed in the Retail Industry Retail can be an excellent job for anyone- especially college-aged or retired people who need or want the flexibility and human interaction. It used to be fairly easy to just show up and get hired. Nowadays, it’s becoming a competitive field in its own right. Here are a few things to know to succeed in landing yourself a retail career.1. Performance MattersYou’re not simply there to help customers when they need it. You’re also there to perform well across a variety of metrics. Make sure you know what these are for your job and that you are meeting them. Otherwise, you will be let go.2. Customers are the Reason You Have a JobEveryone you speak to is your customer. And you should treat them with respect- each one is precious to your company, which can’t afford to lose any customers at all. If you get a totally unreasonable person, get management involved instead of getting snippy.3. Don’t ComplainNeither customers nor bosses (nor coworkers, for that matter) appreciate a Negative Nelly. Don’t gossip, don’t complain, don’t gripe about your hours. And never bad-mouth your company in anybody’s earshot. Be a positive force and get respect.4. Be FlexibleBeing a team player is important. Be willing to help your teammates get their work done, and to swap shifts with a desperate coworker in occasion.5. Respect the RulesTry not to cut corners. Respect your company’s policies. Don’t try to make new rules for yourself. Stick to what you’re told and be trusted to follow it to the letter.6. Take InitiativeSelf-motivation is important, as is the ability to take delegated tasks and do them without issue, promptly, and well. If you go above and beyond, as a rule, everyone will notice. And you’ll likely get ahead.7. Be ProfessionalRetail may seem like a more casual industry than others, but professionalism is no less important. Follow standard business etiquette at all times. Be courteous a nd polite and make a good first impression at every turn.8. Keep in Mind: There is a FutureRetail may just seem like a stop-gap job, but there are ample opportunities for growth if you keep your eyes open and continue striving.9. The Hours Can be ToughKeep in mind you’ll be working a lot of evenings and weekends. These are very busy times for most retailers and you’ll likely have to work some of these times. Some work environments will be slow, others will be rapid-paced and rapid-fire. Make sure you know which you’re most suited for before accepting any jobs.10. Confidence is KeyYou might not realize how important it is to engage with every customer, but it is crucial. Patience, empathy, respect, and positivity are also important. Greet every customer afresh, with a smile and a willingness to help, and you’ll do fine.