Question

Which sentence fails to use correct parallel structure?

A) The teacher reminded his kids that one should not judge others too harshly, too often, or too much.
B) In an effort to balance the budget, the governor slashed taxes, fired many state employees, and took a cut in pay.
Eliminate

C) Every day, Mrs. Lee reads her favorite blogs: Moms Who Want More, Being a Better Mommy, and Trouble-shooting Parenting.
D) I don't know which is irritating me more right now: the ringing phone, the crying baby, or the dog that won't stop begging at my feet.

Answer 1

Answer: Choice D

Explanation: I don't know which is irritating me more right now: the ringing phone, the crying baby, or the dog that won't stop begging at my feet. I just took the test on USATestPrep and this was the right answer.

Answer 2

D. I don't know which is irritating me more right now: the ringing phone, the crying baby, or the dog that won't stop begging at my feet.

Sentence D does not use parallel structure. When we have a list we want to make sure we use parallel structure. In other words, we want to make sure we use the same verb tense throughout our list (present tense, past tense, present progressive tense (-ing), etc...) Sentence D does not. The verbs are ringing, crying, and won't stop begging. For it to be correct, we would have to change the last part to the begging dog.