Parallelism

[FaysalT485]

Hi instructors,

I don't get why this sentence's components are not parallel

The consultant is looking for a cafe where there are comfortable chairs and that provides free internet access.

The way im reading it
The consultant is looking for a cafe where there are comfortable chairs
The consultant is looking for a cafe that provides free internet access

Both of these start with a relative pronoun, have a verb and align in logic.

Thanks

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

I would have no problem using this sentence in my ordinary speech; however, GMAT has a higher standard of what it considers parallel. The relative pronouns 'where' and 'that' are different, and the constructions 'there are' and 'has' that follows are also different.

[FaysalT485]

Thanks for the reply Sage.

couple of comments
1) there is no rule that says for constructions to be parallel their relative pronouns should be identical, am i correct ? I have seen multiple examples where "which" and "that" are parallel
2) "are" and "provides" both act as verbs, i don't see any thing wrong with them

Thanks again

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

The rules of what exactly counts as parallel can be a bit vague. We get our cues from analyzing GMAT problems from official sources. I'd be interested to see an example where 'that' and 'which' are used in a parallel construction.

As for the verbs, I can be more direct here. Sure, 'are' and 'has' are both verbs, but in the examples you gave the subjects are different. The constructions 'there are' and 'cafe provides' are definitely not parallel.

[FaysalT485]

Thanks again Sage,

Ok for point 2).

Point 1):
I might have made a false claim when i said "i have seen multiple examples where "that" and "which" are parallel"; I can't seem to find any example. But why "That" and "Which" can't be parallel ?

Can we generalize to the below rule:

"That" can only be parallel to "That"
"Which" can be parallel to any other relative pronoun except "That" (examples: Which & Where; Which & Whose...)

?

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

The major difference between 'which' and 'that' on GMAT is that 'which' is set off by commas and indicates a non-essential noun modifier, whereas 'that' has no commas and indicates an essential noun modifier. For that reason I'd be inclined cautiously to agree with your rules, although I'd encourage you to look for examples to verify them.

More importantly, remember that GMAT won't test you on really subtle or controversial issues. You can be confident that wrong answer choices in SC have something significantly wrong with them, even if it's hard to spot.

[FaysalT485]

Cool thanks man.

So I guess this statement, in Guide 8 6th edition page 76, is not very accurate
" When relative clauses are parallel, they should start with the same relative pronoun"

it should be
"If 2 clauses are parallel and one of them starts with a relative pronoun, the other clause must start with a relative pronoun too"
And particularly, a special case within the "rule" above, if one of the relative pronouns is "That" then the other should be "That"

?

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

Thanks for pointing out that rule in the SC guide. Please note that these guides are in a constant process of development as GMAT shifts its usage of English over time. I would be inclined to agree with your more subtle formulation (i.e. allowing for 'where' and 'which' to be parallel, for example), although I'd be interested to see some examples from official GMAT problems. Do you have any?

[FaysalT485]

Hi Sage,

Unfortunately no i don't have any examples i can think off.

Parallelism question: Should these Xs and Ys be parallel ?

X although Y
X instead of Y
X rather than Y

Im just wondering because i came across this example
" Though called a sea, the landlocked Caspian is actually the largest lake on Earth"

In that example: Though X, Y --> X and Y don't seem to be parallel

Thanks

[Sage Pearce-Higgins]

I know the example you're talking about (SC 719 from OG 2018). The constructions you mention should be parallel (at least in GMAT SC correct answers), although it depends what you mean by parallel. Look at the sentence I've just written: I've joined two potentially complete sentences with "although", but the sentences have different subjects and tenses. I've just used "although" as a conjunction to contrast the two parts. It's fine.

We need to be careful when looking at language not to be too narrow in our search for simple rules. The words 'although' and 'though' have some different functions. I can use them as a conjunction for whole clauses, as I did above; I can use them for narrower, more 'parallel' constructions, such as 'The weather is dry, though cold'; there are other functions too.

In the example you cited, we've really just got an opening modifier 'called a sea'. Look at this example: 'Born in the USA, Tim now lives in Canada.' If I want to emphasize the contrast, I might add 'Though born in the USA, Tim now lives in Canada.' There is no real parallelism to look for here. I suppose we might distinguish between a construction such as 'X although Y' (which is more likely to be parallel) and 'Although X, Y' (which is likely just to be a modifier). However, I don't want to over-complicate things, and, to be honest, I consider such knowledge to be unnecessary for GMAT. More useful is to analyze correct SC sentences and work out what's going on: how do they use words and what does 'parallel' actually mean anyway? But it looks like you're doing that already - keep up the good work.