Parallel structure

Question

Dear teachers,I get confused if all of the following sentences a) through d) could be gmmatically correct or not.Original sentences before parallel structure are:1. Use the present perfect tense.2. Use the past perfect tense.In parallel structure:a) Use the present and past perfect tenses.  (This is probablly the best, isn't it?)b) Use the present perfect and the past perfect tense. (Is it grammatially okay?)c) Use the present perfect and past perfect tenses. (How about this??)d) Use the present and the past perfect tense. (Is it also grammatically okay?)Native speakers, please, please help me!!!

RayH · Accepted Answer

a) Use the present and past perfect tenses. (This is probablly the best, isn't it?)
b) Use the present perfect and the past perfect tense. (Is it grammatially okay?)
c) Use the present perfect and past perfect tenses. (How about this??)
d) Use the present and the past perfect tense. (Is it also grammatically okay?)

I don't have a problem with any of these. Although I don't claim to be a grammar expert, my guess would be that strict grammarians would say that only a) and c) are correct.

Clive · Answer

Hi,
A and D seem ambiguous to me. Does 'present' refer to 'present perfect' or to 'simple present', which is often called just 'present (tense)'?

Clive

Gori · Answer

Thank you for your comments and advice, both RayH and Clive

As Clive says, what you say makes sense to me. Probably a) and d) may be ambiguous and readers may refer to them as "present tense," not "present perfect tense." Thank you for pointing it out!

However, as RayH says all of the examples a) through d) are still grammatically acceptable?? According to my grammar book, it says that "parallel structure makes repeating the same words unncecessary." In my examples, what are the same words unnecessary? I thought first that I could remove all the repeated words--"the," "perfect," and "tense" (but "tense" must be "tenses" if I drop one "the" in a sentence)--and make the sentence concise, as in the example a) Use the present and past perfect tenses. However, now I have started to think that "perfect" had better not drop after the word "present" since it may not be an unnecessary word omitted (in order to prevent readers from misunderstanding that it is "present tense," not "present perfect"). Is my understanding correct??

Parallel structure

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