parallel structure

Choose the option that maintains parallel structure in the sentence.

When Delores realized that her father had made lima beans and rice for dinner, she __________, claimed to feel nauseous, and excused herself from the table. The bag of stale popcorn in her room would tide her over until breakfast.

• clutched her stomach

• was clutching her stomach

• did clutch her stomach

Choose the option that maintains parallel structure in the sentence.

To protect her delicate hands, Fran will not rake the yard, do the dishes, or __________.

• refuses to scrub the bathtub

• won’t scrub the bathtub

• scrub the bathtub

Choose the option that maintains parallel structure in the sentence.

When Diane takes her beagle for a walk, Santana enjoys sniffing for edible garbage, __________, and lunging at squirrels.

• howls at bicyclists

• howling at bicyclists

• she howls at bicyclists

Choose the option that maintains parallel structure in the sentence.

After Amanda cashes her paycheck, the money goes to her savings account, cappuccino fund, and __________.

• paying her credit card bill

• toward her credit card balance

• credit card balance

Choose the option that maintains parallel structure in the sentence.

In preparation for her run, Alicia __________, applied sunscreen, and inserted her earbuds.

• tightened her shoelaces

• was tightening her shoelaces

• did tighten her shoelaces

Choose the option that maintains parallel structure in the sentence.

We searched the car trunk, __________, and the top of the refrigerator, but we could not find the box of cornflakes that we do remember buying.

• looked on the pantry shelves

• on the pantry shelves

• the pantry shelves

Choose the option that maintains parallel structure in the sentence.

Bonkers, our ninety-pound golden retriever, chews on furniture, __________, and snots up the car windows—inconveniences we did not anticipate when we adopted him.

• would drag us around the neighborhood during walks

• he drags us around the neighborhood during walks

• drags us around the neighborhood during walks

Choose the option that maintains parallel structure in the sentence.

Belinda saw very little of the horror movie, for she shut her eyes __________, when she heard the monster’s footsteps in the dead leaves, and when characters started screaming.

• when the violins began to play

• while listening to the violins play

• during the violin music

Choose the option that maintains parallel structure in the sentence.

In Professor Curall’s office, Ruben feigned the flu. He hoped to be excused from class, get an extension on his paper, and __________.

• spend the afternoon playing tennis with his friends

• to spend the afternoon playing tennis with his friends

• then to spend the afternoon playing tennis with his friends

Choose the option that maintains parallel structure in the sentence.

Teresa was expecting a visit from her mother, so she spent the day cleaning the shelves of the refrigerator, scrubbing mold from the bathroom tile grout, and __________.

• she removed dog hair from the sofa cushions

• removing dog hair from the sofa cushions

• removed dog hair from the sofa cushions