14
The third concert of the subscription series was given last
evening, and a large audience was in attendance. Mr.
Edward Appleton was the soloist, and the Boston
Symphony Orchestra furnished the instrumental music.
The former showed himself to be an artist of the first rank,
while the latter proved itself fully deserving of its high
reputation. The interest aroused by the series has been
very gratifying to the Committee, and it is planned to give a
similar series annually hereafter. The fourth concert will be
given on Tuesday, May 10, when an equally attractive
programme will be presented.
Apart from its triteness and emptiness, the paragraph above is bad because of the
structure of its sentences, with their mechanical symmetry and sing-song. Contrast
with them the sentences in the paragraphs quoted under Rule 10, or in any piece of
good English prose, as the preface (Before the Curtain) to Vanity Fair.
If the writer finds that he has written a series of sentences of the type described, he
should recast enough of them to remove the monotony, replacing them by simple
sentences, by sentences of two clauses joined by a semicolon, by periodic sentences
of two clauses, by sentences, loose or periodic, of three clauses--whichever best
represent the real relations of the thought.
15. Express co-ordinate ideas in similar form.
This principle, that of parallel construction, requires that expressions of similar
content and function should be outwardly similar. The likeness of form enables the
reader to recognize more readily the likeness of content and function. Familiar
instances from the Bible are the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the
petitions of the Lord's Prayer.
The unskilful writer often violates this principle, from a mistaken belief that he
should constantly vary the form of his expressions. It is true that in repeating a
statement in order to emphasize it he may have need to vary its form. For
illustration, see the paragraph from Stevenson quoted under Rule 10. But apart from
this, he should follow the principle of parallel construction.
Formerly, science was taught by the textbook method,
while now the laboratory method is employed.
Formerly, science was taught by the textbook method; now
it is taught by the laboratory method.
The left-hand version gives the impression that the writer is undecided or timid; he
seems unable or afraid to choose one form of expression and hold to it. The right-
hand version shows that the writer has at least made his choice and abided by it.
By this principle, an article or a preposition applying to all the members of a series
must either be used only before the first term or else be repeated before each term.
The French, the Italians, Spanish, and Portuguese
The French, the Italians, the Spanish, and the Portuguese
In spring, summer, or in winter
In spring, summer, or winter (In spring, in summer, or in
winter)
Correlative expressions (both, and; not, but; not only, but also; either, or; first,
second, third; and the like) should be followed by the same grammatical
construction. Many violations of this rule can be corrected by rearranging the
sentence.