Editing for Parallelism and Logical Comparison

What you’ll learn

Align coordinated structures and compare equivalent ideas.

រៀបធាតុស្មើគ្នា និងការប្រៀបធៀបឱ្យមានតក្កវិជ្ជា។

Meaning and use

Parallel structures help readers recognize equal relationships. Coordinate nouns with nouns, infinitives with infinitives, or clauses with clauses when the meaning calls for a series. Not every surface difference is an error, but awkward mixtures can obscure the logic. Comparison also requires equivalent targets rather than merely matching endings.

Parallelism រៀបធាតុដែលមានតួនាទីស្មើគ្នាឱ្យមានលំនាំស្របគ្នា។ ក្នុងការប្រៀបធៀប ត្រូវប្រៀបធៀបគំនិត ឬវត្ថុប្រភេទដូចគ្នា។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Parallel series	to plan, to draft, and to revise
Logical comparison	Our response time is shorter than theirs.

Examples

1. The course teaches planning, drafting, and editing.

   វគ្គនេះបង្រៀនការរៀបចំ ការសរសេរព្រាង និងការកែសម្រួល។

2. She wanted to learn, to practise, and to improve.

   នាងចង់រៀន ហាត់ និងរីកចម្រើន។

3. The new process is faster and more reliable.

   ដំណើរការថ្មីលឿនជាង និងទុកចិត្តបានជាង។

4. Our results are more consistent than those of the first group.

   លទ្ធផលយើងស្របគ្នាជាងលទ្ធផលក្រុមទីមួយ។

Everyday conversation

Dara: How can I improve this list of goals?

Maly: Keep the actions in a parallel form: to read carefully, to analyse evidence, and to write clearly.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
She enjoys reading, swimming, and to cook.	She enjoys reading, swimming, and cooking.	Coordinate -ing complements after enjoys.
Our prices are lower than the competitor.	Our prices are lower than the competitor’s prices.	Compare prices with prices.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Edit: The job requires patience, accuracy, and to communicate clearly.
2. Edit: Their office is larger than us.
3. Make parallel: We aim to reduce costs and improving quality.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. The job requires patience, accuracy, and clear communication.

   The list now consists of noun phrases.

2. Their office is larger than ours.

   Compare the two offices.

3. We aim to reduce costs and improve quality.

   The shared to governs both coordinated base verbs.

Quick recap

• Parallel series: to plan, to draft, and to revise
• Logical comparison: Our response time is shorter than theirs.