Repetition, Synonyms, Pronouns and Parallel Structure: Study Guide (English Language 5.3)

Four tools that link

Topic 5.2 showed that coherence depends on links between ideas. This topic examines four specific ways a writer can create those links. According to the course framework, repetition, synonyms, pronoun references and parallel structure may indicate or develop a relationship between elements of a text. In other words, a reader notices the repeated word or the matching pattern and understands that the ideas belong together, contrast or build on each other.

Device	What it is	Main job
Repetition	The same word, phrase or structure used again	Keeps attention on a key idea; builds emphasis or rhythm
Synonym	A word with similar meaning used in place of an earlier word	Avoids monotony; adds a shade of meaning or a progression
Pronoun reference	A pronoun (it, they, this, which) that stands for an earlier noun	Avoids clumsy repetition and ties sentences together
Parallel structure	Matching grammatical form for ideas of equal status	Shows equality or contrast; creates rhythm

Repetition

Repeating a key word tells the reader, “This is what the paragraph is about.” In an argument, a repeated term holds the thread of the line of reasoning. If a writer changes terms midway, from “cost” to “price” to “expense”, the reader may wonder whether three ideas are being discussed.

Repetition can also be rhetorical: the repeated phrase builds emphasis and rhythm. Abraham Lincoln, in the Gettysburg Address (1863), says:

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground.

The repetition of “we can not” three times, with an increasing sense of solemnity in the verbs, builds towards the idea that the dead have already done what the living cannot.

The risk is needless repetition: saying the same thing in the same words with nothing added. “The policy is a good policy that makes policy better” repeats without developing.

Synonyms

A synonym lets the writer vary expression while keeping the same idea. It can also develop the idea by adding a shade of meaning, as in Lincoln’s “dedicate… consecrate… hallow”, where each verb is a step up in sacredness.

Be careful: no two words are exactly the same. A change of word is also a change of connotation (Topic 5.5). “The council decided”, “the council ruled” and “the council dictated” refer to the same event but make different suggestions about how it was done. In technical or argumentative writing, if you change the word you may change the claim.

Pronoun references

A pronoun stands for a noun mentioned earlier, called its antecedent. Pronouns are useful because they let writers avoid repeating a noun, and they link a sentence to the one before. But they only work if the reader can tell what they refer to.

Problem	Example	Repair
Ambiguous antecedent	“The mayor told the engineer that he would approve the plan.”	“The mayor told the engineer, ‘I will approve the plan.’” or name the person
Missing antecedent	“In the report they say the road is unsafe.”	“The report says the road is unsafe.”
Vague “this” or “which”	“The shops closed early. This caused anger.”	“The early closing caused anger.”
Distant antecedent	A pronoun appears three sentences after its noun	Repeat the noun or restructure

A reliable habit is to follow this, that and it with a noun when the reference could be unclear: “This decision…”, “That change…”.

Parallel structure

Parallel structure (also called parallelism) puts ideas of equal importance in the same grammatical form. The reader sees the pattern and understands that the items are equal, or that they are being contrasted.

Faulty parallelism puts equal ideas in different forms, which makes the sentence uneven:

Faulty	Parallel
“She enjoys hiking, to swim and bicycles.”	“She enjoys hiking, swimming and cycling.”
“The plan will save money, improving safety and to reduce delays.”	“The plan will save money, improve safety and reduce delays.”
“Not only is the proposal expensive, but also it is slow.”	“The proposal is not only expensive but also slow.”

Deliberate parallelism can do more than correct grammar. In the Declaration of Independence (1776), the signers list the Creator’s gifts: “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. The sequence of nouns signals items of a kind. In Lincoln’s phrase “of the people, by the people, for the people”, the matching phrases build a rhythm and make three relationships between a government and its citizens appear equal in importance.

Parallelism may also show contrast: Pope’s line “To err is human, to forgive, divine” (An Essay on Criticism, 1711) sets two matched clauses against each other. In Paine’s “the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph”, the matching “the… the…” pattern makes cause and effect feel inevitable.

Using the devices together

These four devices often work together. Consider this passage (Marlbridge example):

A library is a promise. It promises that a child who has no books at home will find them; it promises that a jobseeker who has no computer will find one; it promises that a lonely person will find company. A town that keeps this promise keeps something more than a building.

• Repetition: “promise” appears four times, keeping the paragraph on one idea.
• Parallel structure: three “it promises that…” clauses in matching form.
• Pronouns: “It” in sentence 2 refers to “library”; “this promise” in sentence 3 links back clearly to “promise”.
• Synonym: “keeps something more than a building” shifts from the abstract promise to a concrete contrast.

Worked example 1: repairing a passage

Draft (Marlbridge example).

The committee met the principal and she said that they would change the rule. It was approved at the next meeting, which surprised the parents. They don’t like to change things quickly. The new policy is a policy that sets new rules for the use of phones. The principal wanted students to use phones less, to be better at paying attention and that phones should not interrupt lessons.

Step 1: Find pronoun problems.

• “she said that they would change the rule”: “she” could be the principal or a member of the committee, and “they” is unclear.
• “It was approved”: what does “It” refer to, the rule or the change?
• “which surprised the parents”: which refers vaguely to the whole event.
• “They don’t like to change things quickly”: who? Parents or committee?

Step 2: Find repetition problems. “The new policy is a policy that sets new rules” repeats “policy” and “new” without development.

Step 3: Find faulty parallelism. “to use phones less, to be better at paying attention and that phones should not interrupt lessons” mixes infinitives and a clause.

Step 4: Revise.

The committee met the principal, who said the school would change the rule on phones. The change was approved at the next meeting, a speed that surprised the parents, who dislike quick changes. The new policy sets limits on phones. The principal wanted students to use phones less, to pay better attention and to keep lessons free from interruption.

Step 5: Check. Each pronoun has a clear antecedent (“who” refers to the principal; “the change” names the noun). The repeated “policy” is reduced. The list now has three matching infinitive phrases.

Worked example 2: analysing a passage

Lincoln, Gettysburg Address (1863):

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

Step 1: Identify repetition. “We can not” is repeated three times.

Step 2: Identify synonyms. “Dedicate”, “consecrate” and “hallow” are near-synonyms that escalate in solemnity. “Consecrated” returns in the next sentence, and the writer uses it to say that the soldiers have already done what “we” cannot.

Step 3: Identify pronouns. “It” in the second sentence refers to “this ground”, which ends the first sentence, so the reference is clear.

Step 4: Identify parallel structure. The three clauses “we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow” are exactly matched. The matching “add or detract” in the second sentence is a pair of opposites.

Step 5: Say what the devices do. The repetition and parallelism create a rhythm of solemn denial that mirrors the weight of the ground. The synonyms escalate and prepare for the turn: what the living cannot do, the dead already did. The return of “consecrated” ties the second sentence to the first and shows the contrast between “we” and “the brave men”.

Step 6: Write the analysis sentence. Lincoln repeats “we can not” and escalates through three near-synonyms so that the audience feels the limits of their own power, which makes the soldiers’ earlier consecration seem all the greater.

Common misconceptions

• “Never repeat a word.” Repeat key terms for clarity and emphasis; avoid thoughtless repetition.
• “A synonym is always better than repeating a word.” Synonyms can change meaning and confuse the reader in technical or argumentative contexts.
• “Pronouns are always clear.” A pronoun is clear only when its antecedent is unmistakable.
• “Parallelism is only for speeches.” It is a basic requirement of clear lists and comparisons in any writing.
• “Parallel structure means the same words.” It means the same grammatical form.
• “A device in a text is automatically effective.” In analysis, say what the device does for the argument.

Where this leads

Transitional elements are the next set of linking tools. Topic 5.4 covers transitions. To revisit the idea of coherence these devices serve, see Topic 5.2. Check your learning with the practice questions, the revision notes and the checklist.