The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Based on the image provided, the correct answer is B.
Explanation:
Parallel structure, or parallelism, is a grammatical principle that requires elements in a sentence that are alike in function to also be alike in construction. This means that words, phrases, or clauses joined in a series or by a coordinating or correlative conjunction should follow the same grammatical pattern. This creates rhythm and clarity in writing.
The correct sentence is B. Neither my mother nor my father can watch my game. This sentence uses the correlative conjunctions “neither…nor” to connect two grammatically identical elements. The element following “neither” is the noun phrase “my mother,” and the element following “nor” is the noun phrase “my father.” Since both parts are noun phrases, the structure is perfectly parallel. The sentence correctly links two subjects of the same type.
Let’s analyze why the other options are incorrect:
- A. He either decided to run the race or volunteer. This sentence lacks parallel structure. “Either” is followed by the verb phrase “decided to run the race,” while “or” is followed only by the verb “volunteer.” To make it parallel, the sentence should be rewritten as, “He decided either to run the race or to volunteer” or “He either ran the race or volunteered.”
- C. Not only is she cutting her hair, but also coloring it. This is also incorrect. The phrase “not only” is followed by an inverted clause, “is she cutting her hair.” The phrase “but also” is followed by a gerund phrase, “coloring it.” These two structures do not match. A correct parallel version would be, “She is not only cutting her hair but also coloring it.”
- D. I am not only baking cookies but also brownies. This sentence is not parallel because “not only” is followed by the action “baking cookies” (a verb plus its object), while “but also” is followed only by the noun “brownies.” The comparison is unbalanced. The correct parallel form would place “not only” before the items being compared: “I am baking not only cookies but also brownies.” Here, two nouns, “cookies” and “brownies,” are correctly paired.
