Parallel Structure

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Reading Task: Parallel Structure

Summary of the Content:
This passage delves deeply into the core value and application of parallel structure in English. The parallel structure, that is, expressing parallel ideas in a parallel form, is one of the most fundamental and valuable stylistic means in English. Many of the most memorable sentences in English, from folk proverbs to literary masterpieces, have their lasting power derived from the parallel statements of parallel thinking. However, even native English speakers are prone to make mistakes when attempting to use parallel structures, let alone the English writing of native Chinese speakers. When writing in English, the lack of parallel structures will increase the difficulty of understanding. Parallel structures may have errors in various contexts, and the forms of errors are diverse, making it difficult to identify all of them.

Evaluation:
The author demonstrates that the parallel structure in English is not only an aesthetic decoration, but also a core functional means to achieve clear, efficient, powerful and logically coherent expression. The author also emphasizes the value of parallel structures in solving practical language problems, which is more practical and targeted than simply discussing their rhetorical effects. The author hopes to enhance readers, especially language learners and translators, recognize the importance of parallel structures, go beyond the appreciation of their rhetorical beauty, and understand their fundamental role in constructing clear logical relationships.

Reflection:
This passage has made me realize more profoundly that the parallel structure is far more than just a technique for "beautiful sentences". It is the direct mapping of thinking logic in the form of language. Its core value of promoting clarity, especially for non-native speakers, was not deeply thought about before. The author's emphasis that "it is entirely possible to express the same meaning in different ways" woke me up. The structure that native speakers consider natural is actually the preferred path for the formation of long-term language habits. As a learner or translator, being aware of this non-necessity enables me to choose to use parallel structures more actively to achieve specific expression effects, rather than passively imitating or unintentionally ignoring.
When revising our English writing or translating from Chinese to English, we need to consciously take checking parallel structures as a necessary step. It can no longer be regarded as an optional plus point, but as a necessary option to ensure the clarity of the foundation.
In the past, I might have avoided using slightly more complex parallel structures for fear of construction errors. Now I recognize its value, especially its contribution to clarity. I should learn and practice using it more actively, and regard constructing the correct parallel structure as a sign of improving professional ability.
All in all, this passage not only deepened my understanding of the value of the parallel structure theory in English, but also made me deeply realize its core instrumental role in practice, and prompted me to apply this powerful structural means more actively and rigorously in future language applications.