El parallelism consiste en repetir una misma estructura gramatical en elementos que están coordinados (listas, comparaciones, pares correlativos). Da claridad, ritmo y un estilo muy cuidado en C1.
1) Mapa rápido
❌ She likes reading, to travel and going out.
✅ She likes reading, travelling and going out.
❌ The project was expensive, time-consuming and it required a lot of expertise.
✅ The project was expensive, time-consuming and demanding.
El contenido es parecido, pero la versión paralela es mucho más clara, elegante y fácil de procesar.
Regla de oro: si algo está en lista o unido por and / or / but, intenta que las partes tengan la misma forma gramatical.
2) Idea básica de parallelism
El parallelism se aplica cuando dos o más elementos cumplen la misma función en la oración (por ejemplo, tres objetos directos, dos cláusulas comparadas, etc.). Esos elementos deberían usar estructuras similares.
| Contexto | Incorrecto | Versión paralela |
|---|---|---|
| Lista de gerundios | We discussed improving communication, how to reduce costs, and to attract new clients. | We discussed improving communication, reducing costs, and attracting new clients. |
| Comparación | Working from home can be as productive as when you are in the office. | Working from home can be as productive as working in the office. |
| Contraste | The course is demanding but you learn a lot from it. | The course is demanding but rewarding. |
Pregunta rápida: “Si transformo cada elemento por separado, ¿tienen todos la misma ‘forma’ (verbo, gerundio, adjetivo, etc.)?” Si no, revisa el parallelism.
3) Parallelism en listas: verbos, sustantivos, cláusulas
Los casos más frecuentes: listas unidas por and / or / but.
| Tipo de lista | Paralelo recomendado | Ejemplos |
|---|---|---|
| Lista de verbos | Todos en la misma forma: infinitivo, gerundio o forma base. | Our goals are to reduce costs, to improve quality, and to increase customer satisfaction. (o sin repetir to cada vez: to reduce…, improve… and increase…) He enjoys reading, travelling and learning languages. |
| Lista de sustantivos | Todos del mismo tipo/grupo y sin mezclar estructuras muy distintas. | The job requires experience, attention to detail and good communication skills. Mejor evitar mezclar experience + being able to… + that you can… en la misma lista. |
| Lista de cláusulas | Estructuras similares al inicio de cada cláusula. | The company expects that employees meet deadlines, that they communicate effectively, and that they adapt quickly to change. |
❌ The programme helps students to develop skills, confidence is built, and they learn to work in teams.
✅ The programme helps students develop skills, build confidence and learn to work in teams.
4) Parallelism con pares correlativos
Con estructuras como not only…but also, either…or, neither…nor, both…and, lo que va después de cada parte debe ser paralelo.
| Par correlativo | Incorrecto | Versión paralela |
|---|---|---|
| not only… but also… | The course is not only demanding but also you learn a lot. | The course is not only demanding but also rewarding. The course not only develops your skills but also expands your network. |
| either… or… | You can either apply for a scholarship or there is the option of paying in instalments. | You can either apply for a scholarship or pay in instalments. Either we reduce the scope or we increase the budget. |
| neither… nor… | The manager is neither clear in his instructions nor he supports the team. | The manager is neither clear in his instructions nor supportive of the team. He neither explains the goals nor offers feedback. |
| both… and… | The new policy affects both employees and how projects are managed. | The new policy affects both employees and managers. The new policy changes both working hours and project management. |
Truco: sustituye el texto después de cada parte por una letra (a / b). ¿Tienes “not only + a / but also + b” con la misma categoría gramatical? Si no, ajusta la estructura.
5) Parallelism en comparaciones y estructuras largas
Las comparaciones y oraciones largas son terreno perfecto para problemas de parallelism.
| Contexto | Ejemplo no paralelo | Corrección paralela |
|---|---|---|
| Comparaciones as…as | Online meetings can be as effective as when you meet in person. | Online meetings can be as effective as face-to-face meetings. |
| Comparaciones more/less… than | This tool is more useful for small teams than big companies should use it. | This tool is more useful for small teams than for large companies. |
| Cláusulas largas con varias conjunciones | The project aims to improve user experience, reducing costs, and the team wants to test new ideas. | The project aims to improve user experience, reduce costs, and test new ideas. o: The project aims to improve user experience and reduce costs, and the team wants to test new ideas. |
| After prepositions | The job consists of training new staff and you have to supervise daily tasks. | The job consists of training new staff and supervising daily tasks. |
❌ Employees are expected to arrive on time, that they meet deadlines and to communicate clearly.
✅ Employees are expected to arrive on time, meet deadlines and communicate clearly.
6) Errores típicos de parallelism
| Error | Problema | Versión correcta / comentario |
|---|---|---|
| Mezclar infinitivo y gerundio en la misma lista | Rompe el ritmo y suena improvisado. | Elige una forma y manténla: to learn, to practise, to review o learning, practising, reviewing. |
| Mezclar nombre y cláusula completa | “experience, flexibility and that you can work under pressure”. | Normaliza todo como sustantivo o como cláusula: experience, flexibility and the ability to work under pressure. o: that you have experience, that you are flexible and that you can work under pressure. |
| Pares correlativos sin parallelism | “either working from home or you work in the office”. | either working from home or working in the office o: either you work from home or you work in the office. |
| Comparaciones asimétricas | “as productive as when you go to the office”. | as productive as going to the office / as productive as office work. |
| Intentar meter “todo” en una sola frase | Parallelism se vuelve imposible si la frase es caótica. | Divide en 2 oraciones y aplica parallelism en cada una por separado. |
7) Mini-práctica
- Reescribe con parallelism correcto:
a) The job involves managing a team, to coordinate projects and reporting to the director.
b) The course helps students to improve their writing, speaking skills and how to organise presentations.
c) Our main goals are reducing costs, to improve customer service and that we increase our market share.
d) They need to be motivated, flexible and they should be able to work under pressure.
e) She enjoys going to conferences, to read scientific articles and networking with colleagues. - Corrige el parallelism en estos pares correlativos:
a) The programme not only teaches technical skills but also students learn how to work in teams.
b) Either you can submit your assignment online or in person submission is possible.
c) The policy affects both employees and how managers plan projects.
d) He neither explains clearly nor the team understands the objectives.
e) The app is not only easy to use but also it offers many advanced features. - Mejora el parallelism en estas comparaciones:
a) Online learning can be as effective as when you go to a traditional class.
b) This method is more useful for beginners than people with advanced knowledge.
c) Working in an international team is more challenging than when you work with people from your own country. - Crea tres listas paralelas (escribe solo la parte en negritas):
a) Una lista de tres gerundios sobre hábitos saludables en el trabajo (… , … and …).
b) Una lista con both…and sobre beneficios de trabajar desde casa.
c) Una oración con not only…but also sobre aprender inglés. - (Producción guiada) Escribe un párrafo breve (80–100 palabras) sobre trabajo remoto, aprendizaje online o redes sociales donde incluyas:
• 2 listas paralelas (por ejemplo, tres verbos en -ing)
• 1 estructura con either…or o neither…nor
• 1 comparación con as…as o more/less… than manteniendo buen parallelism
Respuestas ejemplo (orientativas):
1) a) The job involves managing a team, coordinating projects and reporting to the director.
b) The course helps students to improve their writing, speaking and presentation skills.
c) Our main goals are reducing costs, improving customer service and increasing our market share.
d) They need to be motivated, flexible and able to work under pressure.
e) She enjoys going to conferences, reading scientific articles and networking with colleagues.
2) a) The programme not only teaches technical skills but also teaches students how to work in teams.
b) Either you submit your assignment online or you submit it in person.
c) The policy affects both employees and managers / project planning.
d) He neither explains clearly nor supports the team effectively.
e) The app is not only easy to use but also full of advanced features.
3) a) Online learning can be as effective as attending a traditional class.
b) This method is more useful for beginners than for advanced learners.
c) Working in an international team is more challenging than working with people from your own country.
4) Respuestas posibles:
a) taking regular breaks, stretching during the day and drinking enough water.
b) The home office offers both greater flexibility and more control over your schedule.
c) Learning English not only opens professional doors but also gives you access to global culture.
5) Respuesta libre; revisa que todas tus listas y comparaciones mantengan la misma forma gramatical en cada elemento.
8) Próximo paso
Continúa con Stance & Hedging (apparently, arguably, tend to…), donde aprenderás a expresar tu posición y el grado de seguridad de tus afirmaciones usando marcadores como apparently, generally, tend to, it seems, fundamentales en el inglés académico avanzado.