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Mike McGarry
Lesson by Mike McGarry
Magoosh Expert
Summary
Understanding the concept of parallelism in GMAT Sentence Correction requires recognizing that not all actions logically warrant parallel grammatical structures.
  • Parallelism is both a logical and grammatical structure, necessitating careful consideration of whether actions logically align for parallel construction.
  • Superficial parallelism occurs when actions are forced into parallel structure without logical coherence, leading to incorrect sentence construction.
  • The GMAT exploits superficial parallelism to trap test-takers who apply grammatical rules without considering the logical relationship between actions.
  • Correct application of parallelism involves discerning whether actions described are logically parallel and ensuring modifiers and descriptions are appropriately placed.
  • Always prioritize the logical meaning of the sentence over the mechanical application of grammatical rules to avoid falling into the trap of superficial parallelism.
Chapters
00:00
The Essence of Parallelism
00:40
Identifying Superficial Parallelism
01:42
The Logical Pitfalls of Parallelism
03:18
Strategies to Avoid Superficial Parallelism