Question

question 8 of 10
which option best revises this sentence so that it uses parallel structure?

transportation planner sarah reidel believes companies
can improve traffic and help the environment by
encouraging employees to use alternative means of
transportation and provide telecommuting opportunities,
as well as reward employees who take advantage of these
offerings.

a. transportation planner sarah reidel believes companies can
improve traffic and help the environment by encouraging
employees to use alternative means of transportation and
providing telecommuting opportunities, as well as to reward
employees who take advantage of these offerings.

b. transportation planner sarah reidel believes companies can
improve traffic and help the environment by encouraging
employees to use alternative means of transportation, provide
telecommuting opportunities, and reward employees who take
advantage of these offerings.

c. transportation planner sarah reidel believes companies can
improve traffic and help the environment by encouraging
employees to use alternative means of transportation, providing
telecommuting opportunities, and rewarding employees who take
advantage of these offerings.

d. transportation planner sarah reidel believes companies can
improve traffic and help the environment by encouraging
employees to use alternative means of transportation, providing
telecommuting opportunities, and reward employees who take
advantage of these offerings.

Explanation:

Parallel structure requires consistent verb forms in a list of actions. The phrase "by" introduces three related actions, so all should use the gerund (-ing) form. Option C uses "encouraging", "providing", and "rewarding" (all gerunds), creating a grammatically parallel structure. Other options mix verb forms (infinitive "to reward" with gerunds, or base verbs with gerunds) which breaks parallelism.

Answer:

C. Transportation planner Sarah Reidel believes companies can improve traffic and help the environment by encouraging employees to use alternative means of transportation, providing telecommuting opportunities, and rewarding employees who take advantage of these offerings.