Volcanic Ash, FAQs, and Parallel Explanations

When you have a complex topic to explain, parallel style can help your reader grasp your argument more quickly.

James Fallows is an expert writer and pilot. Check out this list from a blog post he wrote that leads nontechnical readers through the basics of air travel and volcanic eruptions. Each first sentence is followed by further, omitted information.

Is this [kind of eruption] a known issue in aviation weather, aviation safety, and so on?
Yes, indeed.

Why is this causing such widespread problems?

Because the ash is drifting into such busy traffic lanes.

Is the mammoth flight-cancellation and attendant disruption a big overreaction?
Really, no one can be sure right now.

What does this show about the press?
Widely available reports have been accurate, informative, and non-alarmist.

– James Fallows, “FAQ on the Volcanic Ash Mess,” the Atlantic, April 16, 2010

The reader doesn’t need a degree in vulcanology. This parallel Q&A format of a question followed by an initial sentence helps the reader easily pick up the benefit of Fallows’s expertise.

You can use parallel style in a similar way whenever you need to explain your own expertise. Your readers may be very grateful if you stick to a clean, consistent, parallel format to lay out a complex set of ideas.

For more guidelines on parallel structure in sentences and lists, see our updated book Professional Writing Skills: A Write It Well Guide. Also look for our book Essential Grammar: A Write It Well Guide, which will ship later this summer!