For a surefire way to get the points on the SAT about parallel construction, Rock&Scroll through Cool Rocket School Tutor posts for today’s SAT Question for the Day. Too many missed this one! Make it easy.
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For a storybook metaphor about the concept of parallel construction in writing, here are some words from Rocketboy the Rocketcat.
Here is a metaphor from Rocketcat, the funlover, about the parallel construction of long sentences. Rocket is an expert in smooth action. He recognizes the value of parallel construction to propel through complicated scenery with shifting action. A long sentence includes a writer's expression of a combination of elements. An aptitude test question is designed to 'test' the reader's ability to recognize when a sentence falters and why.
How can you design a question to find out if I can 'diagnose' certain types of imbalance in a sentence? There are ways to do this testing by using an example sentence with labels under different sections followed by a multiple choice format.
The SAT test question writers use a variety of ways to ask these questions. By practicing the style of questions and by understanding the variety of possibilities to test in this way, you can 'solve' each of the sentence error questions with confidence. Remember: The reading passages in this part of the test are short. The passage is short. The sentences are long. The reading mode to use is critcal. Do not skim the sentence. For purposes of strategic reading styles, use a critical reading style rather than skimming.
Rocket's Imagery
Rocketcat has one sapphire blue eye and one emerald green eye. He never closes them unless he is sleeping. He can imagine with his eyes wide open. You may need to close your eyes.
Imagine riding along a highway in a convertible. You would like to see everything on both sides of the road as you ride. Mountains are along on one side, and the ocean is on the other side. This is not a smooth, safe way to drive. Even if you open your eyes to be the driver of the fantasy, you want to look to the left and to the right. You want to gaze at mountains and dream drift to sea.
Let’s look into a parallel track version to keep this travel smooth.
What if we had a red convertible in a train of convertibles on parallel tracks, wheels on the left track parallel to wheels on the right track? We ride in our convertible cars along the coast. An engineer drives the cars; and we listen, read, look, talk, sing, eat, and dream.
We ride in the parallel construction of the tracks, and we act in parallel verbs. Read, look, talk, sing, eat, and dream are parallel. A writer adds extra words within the series of verbs with risk of interrupting the parallel construction. Try it. Make sure no trash or bumps are on the tracks. Bumps or trash on the parallel tracks are errors. A bump or trash on the track prevents the turning of the wheels on the parallel construction.
