Do your students write “She likes hiking, to swim, and riding a bike” – mixing gerunds, infinitives, and nouns in the same list? Do they write “The dog ran to the door, jumped up, and barking loudly” – mixing past tense verbs with a present participle? Do they have no idea that all items in a series must have the same grammatical form?

You’re not alone. Faulty parallelism in lists is one of the most common – and most easily fixed – errors in student writing. When items in a series are not grammatically parallel, the sentence feels awkward, clunky, and unprofessional. Correcting parallelism in lists is the first step toward mastering parallel structure.

This resource gives you 40 task cards and 5 worksheets that provide systematic, scaffolded practice with parallelism in lists – from simple noun lists to verb sequences, gerunds vs. infinitives, adjectives, prepositional phrases, and correlative conjunctions.

Perfect for grammar centers, writing workshops, test prep (ACT, SAT), ESL/ELL support, and homeschool.

What’s Inside This Toolkit

Two formats – task cards AND worksheets – with complete answer keys.

Format 1: Task Cards (40 cards)

Each card presents a sentence with a parallel structure error in a list. Students rewrite the sentence so that all items in the list have the same grammatical form.

Examples of task card tasks (by list type):

Simple noun lists

• I need a bag, some rope, and to bring a knife. → I need a bag, some rope, and a knife.
• She brought chips, a sandwich, and some soda to drink. → She brought chips, a sandwich, and soda.

Adjective lists

• He is smart, handsome, and has kindness. → He is smart, handsome, and kind.
• The room was messy, disorganized, and had dust everywhere. → The room was messy, disorganized, and dusty.

Verb sequences (parallel tenses)

• The dog ran to the door, jumped up, and barking loudly. → The dog ran to the door, jumped up, and barked loudly.
• He woke up, brushed his teeth, and was eating breakfast. → He woke up, brushed his teeth, and ate breakfast.
• I came, I saw, and I was conquering. → I came, I saw, and I conquered.

Gerunds vs. infinitives

• She likes hiking, to swim, and riding a bike. → She likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bike.
• He enjoys fishing, to hike, and swimming. → He enjoys fishing, hiking, and swimming.
• His hobbies include running, to paint, and playing guitar. → His hobbies include running, painting, and playing guitar.

Prepositional phrases

• He ran through the field, over the hill, and was crossing the stream. → He ran through the field, over the hill, and across the stream.
• We looked for the keys under the couch, in the kitchen, and checking the car. → We looked for the keys under the couch, in the kitchen, and in the car.

Comparisons (more than / less than)

• He likes coffee more than to drink tea. → He likes coffee more than tea.

Correlative conjunctions (not only…but also, both…and, either…or)

• She not only writes stories but also editing novels. → She not only writes stories but also edits novels.
• The class is both challenging and requires a lot of work. → The class is both challenging and work-intensive.
• He is either lying or he is mistaken. → He is either lying or mistaken.

Complex lists with “to” verbs

• She wants to travel, learn French, and exploring castles. → She wants to travel, learn French, and explore castles.
• The recipe says to chop onions, dice tomatoes, and the garlic should be minced. → The recipe says to chop onions, dice tomatoes, and mince garlic.
• She told us to listen carefully, take notes, and we should ask questions. → She told us to listen carefully, take notes, and ask questions.

Adverb lists

• The team worked quickly, efficiently, and in a careful manner. → The team worked quickly, efficiently, and carefully.
• The report was well-written, concise, and it demonstrated good research. → The report was well-written, concise, and well-researched.

All 40 cards cover a wide range of list types – nouns, adjectives, verbs, gerunds, infinitives, prepositional phrases, comparisons, and correlative conjunctions.

Format 2: Worksheets (5 sections)

Part A – Correcting Basic Lists (10 sentences)
Rewrite each sentence, making all items parallel.

Part B – Parallelism with -ing or Infinitives (5 sentences)
Focus on matching verb forms (gerunds or infinitives).

Part C – Parallelism with Pairs and Clauses (5 sentences)
Includes correlative conjunctions and comparisons.

Part D – More Complex Parallel Lists (10 sentences)
Mixed practice with longer and more challenging lists.

Part E – Final Challenge (10 sentences)
Advanced error correction with a variety of list types.

Bonus – Write two original sentences with parallel lists of at least three items each.

Answer Keys

Complete answer keys for all task cards and all worksheet sections.

Key Skills Covered

This resource targets every essential skill for mastering parallelism in lists:

• Noun lists – all nouns (a bag, a rope, and a knife)
• Adjective lists – all adjectives (smart, handsome, and kind)
• Verb sequences – all verbs in the same tense (ran, jumped, and barked)
• Gerund lists – all -ing forms (hiking, swimming, and biking)
• Infinitive lists – all “to + verb” forms (to travel, to learn, and to explore)
• Prepositional phrase lists – all phrases starting with prepositions (under the couch, in the kitchen, and in the car)
• Correlative conjunctions – not only…but also, both…and, either…or – both sides parallel
• Comparisons – using more than / less than with parallel nouns (coffee more than tea)
• Mixed forms – identifying when a list mixes different grammatical structures and fixing them

Why This Resource Is a Grammar Game‑Changer

Two Formats for Flexible Teaching
Use the 40 task cards for active learning – Scoot, centers, or partner work. Use the worksheets for independent practice, homework, or assessment.

Focus on One Skill at a Time
Unlike mixed review resources, this set focuses specifically on parallelism in lists – making it perfect for introducing or reinforcing parallel structure before moving on to more complex applications.

Realistic, Grade‑Appropriate Sentences
Sentences are engaging and reflect real student writing – from hobbies and daily routines to descriptions and instructions.

No‑Prep & Ready to Use
Print and go – everything is black‑and‑white for easy copying. Answer keys included for quick grading or student self‑checking.

Perfect for a Variety of Settings

• Grammar centers and stations
• Small group instruction
• Whole‑class Scoot or gallery walks
• Morning work or bell ringers
• Early finisher bins
• Sub plans
• Test prep (ACT, SAT, SBAC, PARCC, STAAR)
• ESL/ELL support
• Homeschool co‑ops

Aligned to Common Core & State Standards

• CCSS L.6.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
• CCSS L.7.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
• CCSS L.8.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
• Supports CCSS W.6.5, W.7.5, W.8.5 (revising for clarity and sentence fluency).

Builds Stronger, More Fluent Writers
Once students master parallelism in lists, their writing becomes smoother and more professional. Lists will flow naturally without awkward shifts in grammar – a small change that makes a big difference in overall writing quality.

What Teachers Are Saying (Sneak Peek)

⭐ “Finally, a resource that focuses just on lists. My students needed this before moving on to more complex parallel structure. The task cards are perfect for a gallery walk – they fixed errors like ‘She likes hiking, to swim, and riding a bike’ and finally understood the rule.”

⭐ “The worksheets are great for homework. I love that there is a progression from basic noun lists to gerunds and infinitives. My students went from confused to confident.”

⭐ “I used the correlative conjunctions section to reteach ‘not only…but also.’ My students finally stopped writing ‘She not only writes stories but also editing novels.’”

⭐ “This resource made parallelism in lists click for my English learners. The repetitive practice with clear examples really helped.”

Help Your Students Make Their Lists Parallel – and Write Smooth, Balanced Sentences

Stop reading “She likes hiking, to swim, and riding a bike.” Start reading “She likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bike.”

Add to cart now and make parallel lists the easiest part of your grammar unit.