Which sentence uses parallel structure with two nouns joined by 'and' in the subject?

Which sentence uses parallel structure with two nouns joined by 'and' in the subject?

• A. The characters and plot lines of 30 Rock grew out of Tina Fey's experiences at Saturday Night Live.
• B. The characters and plot lines of 30 Rock grew out of Tina Fey's experiences at Saturday Night Live, too.
• C. The characters and plot line of 30 Rock grew out of Tina Fey's experiences at Saturday Night Live.
• D. The character and plotting lines of 30 Rock grew out of Tina Fey's experiences at Saturday Night Live.

Answer: (A)

Parallel structure is when a compound subject formed with two nouns joined by and keeps those nouns in the same grammatical form. In this sentence, the subject The characters and plot lines of 30 Rock has two nouns—characters and plot lines—both plural and linked by and. They share the same form, and the verb grows to agree with the plural subject. The other options break this balance: one uses a singular noun with a plural partner (plot line vs. characters), and another mixes singular and plural forms as well as mismatched wording (character paired with plotting lines). The clean, balanced subject in this option makes the parallel structure clear and correct.

Parallel structure is when a compound subject formed with two nouns joined by and keeps those nouns in the same grammatical form. In this sentence, the subject The characters and plot lines of 30 Rock has two nouns—characters and plot lines—both plural and linked by and. They share the same form, and the verb grows to agree with the plural subject. The other options break this balance: one uses a singular noun with a plural partner (plot line vs. characters), and another mixes singular and plural forms as well as mismatched wording (character paired with plotting lines). The clean, balanced subject in this option makes the parallel structure clear and correct.