How would you define balanced sentences?
Could you give me some examples?
Thanks!
Balance in writing sentences is generally called "parallelism". OWL the online writing lab has this definition.
"Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level. The usual way to join parallel structures is with the use of coordinating conjunctions such as "and" or "or." "
An example from that site would be
Not Parallel: Mary likes hiking, swimming, and to ride a bicycle.
Parallel: Mary likes hiking, swimming, and riding a bicycle.
For further examples"
w w w . o w l. e n g l i s h. p u r d u e. e d u / h a n d o u t s / g r a m m a r / g _ p a r a l l e l. h t m l
Balanced sentences, also known as parallelism, utilize the same grammatical structure to give similar ideas equal weight and importance. This can occur at the word, phrase, or clause level. One way to achieve parallelism is by using coordinating conjunctions like "and" or "or" to connect parallel structures.
Here's an example to illustrate the concept:
Not Parallel: The teacher likes to read, writing, and to grade papers.
Parallel: The teacher likes to read, write, and grade papers.
In the first sentence, the use of "writing" breaks the parallel structure because it does not match the form of the previous two verbs. By revising it to "write," the sentence becomes parallel. This change ensures that each activity is given equal emphasis.
If you'd like more examples and detailed explanations, you can visit the following website: "www(dot)owl(dot)english(dot)purdue(dot)edu/handouts/grammar/g_parallel(dot)html". This resource from the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University provides additional guidance on parallelism and balanced sentences.