5 exercises — consistent grammatical form in lists, headers, API docs, and function descriptions for clarity and professionalism.
0 / 20 completed
1 / 20
Which bullet-point list is correctly parallel?
Option B is correctly parallel — all three items are third-person singular present tense verbs describing pipeline steps: "runs / builds / pushes." This form is standard in CI/CD documentation when describing automated steps. Options A, C, and D mix different grammatical forms (gerunds, infinitives, noun phrases), breaking parallelism.
2 / 20
A README has these section headers: "Installation", "Configuring the app", "How to deploy", "Monitoring". How should they be rewritten for parallelism?
Options B, C, and D are all internally parallel. However, option C (gerund/noun forms ending in -tion/-ing) is the most common convention in technical documentation (think: Linux man pages, AWS docs, RFC sections). Option B (imperative verbs) is used in task-based tutorials. Option D (how-to phrases) works in user guides. The key principle: choose one and apply it consistently. Option C is the most document-like and formal.
3 / 20
A job description lists responsibilities. Which version is correctly parallel?
Option B uses bare infinitives after "will": design / write / review / mentor — all parallel. This is the correct form after modal verbs. Never mix infinitives with gerunds or prepositional phrases in the same list. Job descriptions, sprint goals, and project charters should all follow this pattern.
4 / 20
An architecture document describes three database design principles. Which list is parallel?
Option B uses imperative verbs for all three items: "Normalise / Index / Partition." This is the standard form for technical guidelines, best practices lists, and configuration instructions. The imperative is preferred over gerunds or full sentences in numbered recommendation lists because it is direct and action-focused.
5 / 20
A function docstring lists three parameters. Which description is parallel?
Option B uses "the + noun phrase" structure for all three: "the maximum wait time in seconds / the maximum number of retry attempts / whether to enable debug logging." Note: "whether to..." is a parallel alternative for boolean parameters describing a choice. Options A, C, D mix different forms (gerunds, noun phrases, bare adjectives, verb phrases). Consistent docstring style directly affects IDE hover text quality and auto-generated documentation.
6 / 20
Alex is reviewing a pull request for a new feature. He comments: 'The code handles the error message and logs it to the console. Also, it validates the input data.' Which revision best demonstrates parallel structure in this feedback?
This question tests parallel structure within a code review comment. The original sentence uses 'also' and 'furthermore,' creating an uneven flow. Option 1 corrects this by using 'and', establishing a consistent pattern of actions performed by the code. Misconceptions might include thinking that 'also' is always correct or assuming that adding conjunctions automatically improves clarity.
7 / 20
Sarah needs to write a PR description for a change to the user authentication API. The current draft reads: 'The endpoint now supports OAuth 2.0. It returns JSON data. Rate limits have been implemented.' Which revision best uses parallel structure?
This scenario focuses on PR descriptions. The key here is to consistently use parallel structures describing the changes made. Option 1 maintains a consistent 'X does Y' pattern, which improves readability for developers scanning the description. Misconceptions may arise from trying to overly complexly describe each change.
8 / 20
Ben is updating his standup notes and needs to summarize the work completed on a new data pipeline. Which of the following lists demonstrates the best parallel structure?
This question tests parallel structure in a concise standup update. Using semicolons to separate clauses creates a clear and balanced summary of the work completed. Option 2 is preferred as it avoids redundant phrasing like 'we' which can be implied. The goal is to communicate clearly without unnecessary verbosity.
9 / 20
Chloe is writing an architecture document for a new microservice. Which of the following statements best demonstrates parallel structure?
This question tests parallel structure in a formal technical document. Option 0 presents the three principles as a list, creating a balanced and impactful statement. The other options use different phrasing, disrupting the parallelism and potentially weakening the message. It's important to present requirements or design constraints in a consistent and direct manner.
10 / 20
David is documenting a function that calculates user statistics. The docstring currently reads: 'This function takes an ID, a start date, and an end date as input. It returns the total number of orders placed by the user within that period.' Which revision best utilizes parallel structure?
This question focuses on function documentation, a critical aspect of developer experience. Option 0 uses 'parameters' and 'during that time' to create a parallel structure within the description of the function's inputs and output. This clarifies the function's purpose and usage for other developers. Misconceptions could arise from using overly verbose or informal language.
11 / 20
Alex is reviewing a pull request for a new feature. He comments: 'The code handles the error message and logs it to the console. Also, it validates the input data.' Which revision best demonstrates parallel structure in this feedback?
This question tests parallel structure within a code review comment. The original sentence uses 'also' and 'furthermore,' creating an uneven flow. Option 1 corrects this by using 'and', establishing a consistent pattern of actions performed by the code. Misconceptions might include thinking that 'also' is always correct or assuming that adding conjunctions automatically improves clarity.
12 / 20
Sarah needs to write a PR description for a change to the user authentication API. The current draft reads: 'The endpoint now supports OAuth 2.0. It returns JSON data. Rate limits have been implemented.' Which revision best uses parallel structure?
This scenario focuses on PR descriptions. The key here is to consistently use parallel structures describing the changes made. Option 1 maintains a consistent 'X does Y' pattern, which improves readability for developers scanning the description. Misconceptions may arise from trying to overly complexly describe each change.
13 / 20
Ben is updating his standup notes and needs to summarize the work completed on a new data pipeline. Which of the following lists demonstrates the best parallel structure?
This question tests parallel structure in a concise standup update. Using semicolons to separate clauses creates a clear and balanced summary of the work completed. Option 2 is preferred as it avoids redundant phrasing like 'we' which can be implied. The goal is to communicate clearly without unnecessary verbosity.
14 / 20
Chloe is writing an architecture document for a new microservice. Which of the following statements best demonstrates parallel structure?
This question tests parallel structure in a formal technical document. Option 0 presents the three principles as a list, creating a balanced and impactful statement. The other options use different phrasing, disrupting the parallelism and potentially weakening the message. It's important to present requirements or design constraints in a consistent and direct manner.
15 / 20
David is documenting a function that calculates user statistics. The docstring currently reads: 'This function takes an ID, a start date, and an end date as input. It returns the total number of orders placed by the user within that period.' Which revision best utilizes parallel structure?
This question focuses on function documentation, a critical aspect of developer experience. Option 0 uses 'parameters' and 'during that time' to create a parallel structure within the description of the function's inputs and output. This clarifies the function's purpose and usage for other developers. Misconceptions could arise from using overly verbose or informal language.
16 / 20
Alex is reviewing a pull request for a new feature. He comments: 'The code handles the error message and logs it to the console. Also, it validates the input data.' Which revision best demonstrates parallel structure in this feedback?
This question tests parallel structure within a code review comment. The original sentence uses 'also' and 'furthermore,' creating an uneven flow. Option 1 corrects this by using 'and', establishing a consistent pattern of actions performed by the code. Misconceptions might include thinking that 'also' is always correct or assuming that adding conjunctions automatically improves clarity.
17 / 20
Sarah needs to write a PR description for a change to the user authentication API. The current draft reads: 'The endpoint now supports OAuth 2.0. It returns JSON data. Rate limits have been implemented.' Which revision best uses parallel structure?
This scenario focuses on PR descriptions. The key here is to consistently use parallel structures describing the changes made. Option 1 maintains a consistent 'X does Y' pattern, which improves readability for developers scanning the description. Misconceptions may arise from trying to overly complexly describe each change.
18 / 20
Ben is updating his standup notes and needs to summarize the work completed on a new data pipeline. Which of the following lists demonstrates the best parallel structure?
This question tests parallel structure in a concise standup update. Using semicolons to separate clauses creates a clear and balanced summary of the work completed. Option 2 is preferred as it avoids redundant phrasing like 'we' which can be implied. The goal is to communicate clearly without unnecessary verbosity.
19 / 20
Chloe is writing an architecture document for a new microservice. Which of the following statements best demonstrates parallel structure?
This question tests parallel structure in a formal technical document. Option 0 presents the three principles as a list, creating a balanced and impactful statement. The other options use different phrasing, disrupting the parallelism and potentially weakening the message. It's important to present requirements or design constraints in a consistent and direct manner.
20 / 20
David is documenting a function that calculates user statistics. The docstring currently reads: 'This function takes an ID, a start date, and an end date as input. It returns the total number of orders placed by the user within that period.' Which revision best utilizes parallel structure?
This question focuses on function documentation, a critical aspect of developer experience. Option 0 uses 'parameters' and 'during that time' to create a parallel structure within the description of the function's inputs and output. This clarifies the function's purpose and usage for other developers. Misconceptions could arise from using overly verbose or informal language.
What will I practise in "Parallel Structures in Technical Writing — Grammar Exercise"?
Practice parallel grammatical structures for bullet points, numbered lists, headers, and technical specifications.
How many exercises are in this module?
This module has 20 multiple-choice exercises, each with instant feedback and a full explanation of the correct answer.
Is this exercise free to use?
Yes. Every exercise on CoderSlingo, including this one, is free to use with no account, sign-up, or paywall.
Do I need to create an account to do these exercises?
No account is required. Just click an option to answer — your score for this session is tracked automatically in the progress bar above.
What happens if I choose the wrong answer?
You'll immediately see which answer was correct, plus a full explanation covering the grammar rule and reasoning behind it — mistakes are where most of the learning happens.
Can I retry the exercises if I want a higher score?
Yes — use the "Try again" button on the results screen to reset and go through all the questions again.
Is my progress saved if I close the page?
No. Progress is tracked only for your current visit; reloading or leaving the page resets the counter. This keeps the exercise simple and account-free.
Where can I find more Grammar exercises?
Browse the full Grammar hub for related drills, or check the "Next up" link below to continue with a connected topic.
How is this different from reading an article on the same topic?
Articles explain grammar rules in prose; this exercise tests and reinforces those rules through active recall with immediate feedback — the two work best together.
Who writes these exercises?
Every exercise is written by the CoderSlingo team, drawing on real workplace English used in IT roles, then reviewed for accuracy and clarity.