CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1a
The Standard
Use parallel structure.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
What This Standard Means
Students need to make items in a list or paired ideas match in grammatical form. They should notice when a sentence shifts from a noun to a verb, or from a phrase to a clause, and revise it so the pattern is clear and balanced.
Mastery looks like clean sentences such as “She likes reading, hiking, and cooking,” not mixed forms. Students often get stuck when lists get long, when correlative pairs appear, or when a sentence sounds correct because the meaning is clear but the grammar pattern is uneven.
Ways to Teach It
- Give students sentence strips with mixed lists, and have pairs rearrange or rewrite each one so all parts match grammatically.
- Ask students to revise this sentence and explain their choice: “The club values honesty, working hard, and members who show respect.”
- Use a five-item exit ticket where students mark each sentence parallel or not, then fix the two uneven sentences.
- Show three job ads or college mission statements, and have students highlight repeated grammatical patterns in lists of skills or values.
Before This Standard
If students are struggling here, check these first.
Plan a Lesson for CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.9-10.1a
Generate a complete lesson plan aligned to this standard, with objectives, activities, and materials. Free, no account needed.
Related Standards
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2c
Use varied transitions and sentence structures to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.2c
Use varied transitions and sentence structures to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and co...
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.3a
Vary sentence patterns for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1h
Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.