Which sentence demonstrates parallel structure in a list of actions?

Which sentence demonstrates parallel structure in a list of actions?

• A. The team is winning the game and scoring points.
• B. The team is winning the game; scoring points.
• C. The team is winning the game, and scoring points.
• D. The team is winning the game, and they are scoring points.

Answer: (A)

The main idea tested is keeping items in a list with the same grammatical form, so the sentence feels balanced and clear. Here, two actions are described as what the team is doing, and both are presented in the same form: the first part uses the present progressive “is winning,” while the second action is shown with the -ing form “scoring” that shares the same subject. Because the actions line up in the same pattern, the sentence reads smoothly and evenly, making the parallel structure obvious and effective. The other options disrupt that balance. Mixing a semicolon with a fragment (“scoring points” lacks its own verb) breaks the parallel relationship. Using a comma with “and” can introduce an unnecessary pause or shift in structure, and adding a separate subject for the second verb creates two different clauses rather than a single, parallel list. Keeping both actions in the same form under one subject preserves parallelism and clarity.

The main idea tested is keeping items in a list with the same grammatical form, so the sentence feels balanced and clear. Here, two actions are described as what the team is doing, and both are presented in the same form: the first part uses the present progressive “is winning,” while the second action is shown with the -ing form “scoring” that shares the same subject. Because the actions line up in the same pattern, the sentence reads smoothly and evenly, making the parallel structure obvious and effective.

The other options disrupt that balance. Mixing a semicolon with a fragment (“scoring points” lacks its own verb) breaks the parallel relationship. Using a comma with “and” can introduce an unnecessary pause or shift in structure, and adding a separate subject for the second verb creates two different clauses rather than a single, parallel list. Keeping both actions in the same form under one subject preserves parallelism and clarity.