Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA) Practice Test

What does faulty parallelism entail?

1. Using consistent forms in a series

2. Switching forms in paired elements

3. Writing balanced sentences only

4. Excluding modifiers

The correct answer is: Switching forms in paired elements

Faulty parallelism occurs when there is an inconsistency in the structure of phrases or clauses within a sentence, particularly when multiple elements are meant to be compared or presented in a series. This lack of parallel structure can lead to confusion and disrupt the flow of writing. The correct answer highlights that switching forms in paired elements—such as using different grammatical structures or styles together—creates a disjointed effect and undermines clarity in communication. For example, if one part of a sentence is phrased in the infinitive form ("to run") and another part is structured as a gerund ("running"), it creates faulty parallelism. To enhance clarity and readability, all elements in a list or comparison should match in form, such as using all gerunds or all infinitives. The other options address aspects of sentence construction but do not capture the essence of faulty parallelism. Using consistent forms in a series reflects good parallelism. Writing balanced sentences pertains to overall sentence structure, which may be an aspect of clarity but does not specifically address parallelism. Excluding modifiers may affect sentence detail but is unrelated to the concept of parallel structure.