Which clause completes the sentence by creating parallelism?
A. regular exercise
B. exercise regularly
C. exercising regularly
D. you get regular exercise
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is A. regular exercise.
Explanation:
Parallelism refers to the use of consistent grammatical structures within a sentence to create balance and clarity. In this case, parallelism requires that all parts of the sentence follow the same grammatical format. Let’s examine each option and how it affects the sentence structure.
- A. regular exercise:
- This option creates parallelism because it uses a noun phrase (“regular exercise”) to maintain consistency with other potential noun phrases or subjects in the sentence. For example, if the sentence starts with “Benefits of…” or “The importance of…,” adding “regular exercise” as the object of the sentence preserves parallel structure.
- For example: “The benefits of regular exercise are well known.”
- B. exercise regularly:
- This option uses a verb phrase in the form of an imperative (“exercise regularly”). While grammatically correct, it does not create parallelism if other parts of the sentence follow a noun or a noun phrase. Using a verb phrase in this context disrupts the parallel structure.
- For example: “Benefits of exercise regularly…” feels unbalanced compared to a phrase like “Benefits of regular exercise.”
- C. exercising regularly:
- This option also uses a gerund phrase (“exercising regularly”), but it still does not create parallelism if the sentence structure requires a noun phrase. In the case where other sentence elements are structured as nouns, this gerund form would introduce inconsistency.
- For example: “The importance of exercising regularly” is slightly awkward compared to the simple noun phrase “regular exercise.”
- D. you get regular exercise:
- This clause introduces a complete independent clause (“you get regular exercise”), which disrupts parallelism. It is not consistent with a sentence structure that requires a noun phrase, and the introduction of a subject and verb leads to a non-parallel construction.
Therefore, A. regular exercise is the correct choice because it fits the necessary structure for parallelism, ensuring that the sentence flows clearly and consistently.