Utilize parallel structure for crisper writing
To make 
your writing smoother when listing items, consider using parallel structure. This occurs when you follow the same grammatical pattern as providing a list of equal items or ideas within a sentence. For example, the following sentence uses parallel structure:
Los Angeles is my favorite city because of the weather, festivals, and beaches.
Weather, festivals and beaches are equal items, so they are presented as single words each separated by a comma.
The following sentence, however, lacks a parallel structure and so reads awkwardly:
Los Angeles is my favorite city because it is warm, multicultural, and the beaches and festivals are fun.
Though the warm, multicultural and fun beaches/festivals are equal items in a list, they are not presented as such. Notice that warm and multicultural are adjectives while fun beaches/festivals are nouns with an adjective (fun) describing them. The sentence might be rewritten as:
Los Angeles is my favorite city because it is warm, multicultural, and fun.
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Thanks for highlighting this concept. In my experience, parallel structure is so important to smooth communication that readers will automatically gravitate toward the parallel sentence. The average reader likely has no clue why he/she chose it, but innate language sense is most likely behind the choice. Unfortunately, many writers are equally clueless, as demonstrated in their drafts. Once the concept is understood and implemented, though, their prose is immediately elevated--and usually condensed--by one simple fix.
