Question

Which of the following would replace the underlined text to improve the sentence?

Anusha has very good habits. Every night before bedtime, she reads a book, singing a song and says a prayer.

• A. Reads a book, sings a song and says a prayer
• B. Reads a book, singing a song and says a prayer
• C. Reading a book, sing a song and said a prayer
• D. Reading a book, singing a song and says a prayer

Hint:

Parallel structure requires consistent verb forms: reads ..., sings ..., and says ....

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Coordinate elements in a series connected by coordinating conjunctions must maintain parallel grammatical form.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The habitual actions performed by the subject ('she') require simple present tense third-person singular verbs:
'reads a book (verb 1), sings a song (verb 2) and says a prayer (verb 3)'.
The participial form 'singing' in the original sentence violates parallel structure.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Hence, the correct parallel phrasing is 'Reads a book, sings a song and says a prayer'.