Schrijven

Following the laws of parallel structure

In parallel constructions, two or more elements are balanced in a sentence: for instance, two nouns, two verbs or two clauses match each other. Parallelism plays an important role in improving coherence, because it highlights the fact that elements are related.

The first group of funds had losses of 10% while the second group had gains of 10%. Finally, whereas previous studies examined the effect on relatively short items, the two studies presented here focus on extended items.

If parallel constructions are used sloppily, this makes the sentence less elegant and also less clear.

*According to Davies (2000) quality improvement is not only a matter of applying external management insights, but rather of the pro-active commitment of all staff.

According to Davies (2000) quality improvement is not only a matter of applying external management insights, but also the pro-active commitment of all staff.

According to Davies (2000) quality improvement is not a matter of applying external management insights, but rather of the pro-active commitment of all staff.

*Secure land property rights are crucial both for efficiency as for equity reasons.

Secure land property rights are crucial both for efficiency and for equity reasons.

*Unlike previous research of this sort, we provide evidence that ...

Unlike previous research of this sort, the present study provides evidence that ...

Both

  • Both ... and ...

A construction with both... and ... can be used to highlight the fact that you are combining two elements. Insert both immediately before the first of the two items combined.

*Quality assurance processes are characterized by both a high level of internal and external monitoring.

Quality assurance processes are characterized by a high level of both internal and external monitoring.

If the items to be combined are fairly elaborate, it is better to use as well as to avoid confusion.

The author addresses the shift in the internal power dynamics in the Council, the potential for ensuring the legality and for enhancing the legitimacy of the Council's sanctions policy as well as the objections raised against time limits for undermining the effectiveness of sanctions as the three crucial areas in assessing time limits.

Do not use both or as well as in a negative sentence: instead use neither / nor.

*Both the physicians and the researchers do not have guidelines at their disposal.

Neither the physicians nor the researchers have guidelines at their disposal.

  • Both as determiner

Both can also be used as a determiner to refer to two elements.

This causes both (these) accounts to miss the mark. (= both + plural noun)

Both these books are critical of the government's policy. (= both + of + determiner + plural noun)

Both are considerably more frequent in the data. (both used independently)

Note that the or these are not used before both.

*My own evaluation of these both theories will conclude this contribution.

My own evaluation of both theories (or of both these theories) will conclude this contribution.

Either

  • Either ... or

This construction highlights the fact that you will introduce two alternatives and, as such, helps the reader interpret the sentence. For greatest clarity, insert either immediately before the first of the two items distinguished.

*One might seek either to give it a subjective or an objective grounding.

One might seek to give it either a subjective or an objective grounding.

Note that elements such as prepositions are sometimes repeated for the sake of clarity.

There were no reliability indices for either previous or present samples.

This could result either from our reinterpretation of the data or from the availability of the more recent experimental data.

  • Either as determiner

Either can also be used as determiner. If followed by a verb, this should be singular. Note that either cannot refer to more than two elements.

... does not fall into either category (either + single noun)

a greater number of firms in either country

in either event / case

either of these models is adequate (either + of + determiner + plural noun)

Neither... nor...

  • Neither... nor...

Neither... nor ... is the opposite of both ... and ....

Quantification is neither necessary nor desirable.

He provides neither argument nor evidence.

  • Neither... / nor... at the beginning of a sentence or clause

Both neither and nor can start a sentence or the second clause in a compound sentence. The meaning is and it is also not the case that..., so the preceding clause or sentence should also be negative. In this function, neither and nor are almost interchangeable, as the examples show. Note the inverted word order.

independent sentences: neither can be preceded by a conjunction like and or but.
This is hardly convincing. Nor does the quotation from ... support the author's interpretation.
My objective is not to explain ... Neither shall I concern myself with the debates surrounding ...

compound sentences: neither is always preceded by a conjunction like and or but.
Researchers have not explored the various interactions, nor have they adequately investigated ...
They never have to raise the question of ... and neither do we.

  • Neither as determiner

Neither can also be used as a determiner. If followed by a verb, this should be singular.

Neither argument was particularly convincing. (neither + single noun)
In neither book do they demonstrate that this factor played a role

Clearly, neither of these positions is satisfactory. (neither + of + determiner + plural noun)
Neither of the control variables is significant.

Note that neither can only refer to two elements: to refer to more than two elements use none (e.g. none of these criteria).

Not only... but also...

When combining two facts by means of not only ... but also, think carefully about where to insert not only; this should go right in front of the first of the two facts that you are combining. The second element is the one that gets the stress.

*This not only renders the argument valid but also sound.

This renders the argument not only valid but also sound.

If not only is placed at the start of the sentence, the normal order of subject and verb is changed.

Not only did it favour their own economies, but it was also seen as a way of increasing political support for the programme.

If you start a structure with not only, finish with but also. In informal writing but is often left out, but in formal prose, this is less common.

*Not only the kind of tool, also the way the tool is presented seems to contribute to this effect.

Not only the kind of tool, but also the way the tool is presented seems to contribute to this effect.