Which term refers to using similar sentence patterns to create rhythm and balance in a sequence?

• A. Parallelism
• B. Repetition
• C. Lexical cohesion
• D. Topic sentence

Answer: (A)

Using similar sentence patterns to create rhythm and balance is parallelism. This device lines up the grammar of related parts—such as repeating the same verb form or structure across a series of words, phrases, or clauses—so the sequence feels smooth and balanced. That unified pattern emphasizes the related ideas and makes the passage easier to process. For example, in a list like “reading, writing, and presenting,” each item follows the same grammatical form, producing a steady cadence.

Repetition involves repeating the same word or phrase, which can create rhythm but doesn’t necessarily establish a consistent sentence pattern across an entire sequence. Lexical cohesion deals with how word choice and references connect across sentences to maintain coherence, not with mirroring sentence structure. A topic sentence simply introduces the main idea of a paragraph, not with the rhythmic effect produced by parallel structure.