Emphasis & advanced · CEFR B2 · Confident

Keeping a list in shape in English

Everything joined by "and" or "or" must have the same shape — three -ing forms, or three nouns, never a mixture.

The shape

A, B and C — all the same shape

Write a list that does not trip the reader.

In Hindi

"and" या "or" से जुड़ी हर चीज़ की बनावट एक जैसी होनी चाहिए।

CoCap explains every structure in both languages, because a rule you understand in Hindi is a rule you can use in English.

The mistake to fix first

The sentence Indian-English speakers actually produce, and the reason it is wrong.

Commonly said	Correct English
She likes reading, to swim and long walks.	She likes reading, swimming and walking. All three items should take the same form — here, all -ing.

Commonly said

Correct English

She likes reading, to swim and long walks.

She likes reading, swimming and walking.

All three items should take the same form — here, all -ing.

Easy to confuse with

Close enough to be mixed up with this one. Knowing the difference is most of knowing either.

both…and / not only…but alsoB2Link two things in a way that sounds deliberate

Questions people ask

What is the keeping a list in shape used for?: Everything joined by "and" or "or" must have the same shape — three -ing forms, or three nouns, never a mixture. In practice: write a list that does not trip the reader.
How do you form the keeping a list in shape?: A, B and C — all the same shape.
What is the most common mistake with the keeping a list in shape?: Saying “She likes reading, to swim and long walks.” instead of “She likes reading, swimming and walking.”. All three items should take the same form — here, all -ing.

Where keeping a list in shape fits

Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.

Keeping a list in shape is a CEFR B2 structure — the confident band — and it belongs to emphasis & advanced. CoCap’s syllabus files every structure this way so you can learn in order instead of jumping between whatever a search happened to return.

I do understandB2

Reading it is not the same as saying it.

CoCap turns this page into practice: Hindi sentence in, English sentence out, corrected one thing at a time. Free, no card.

Practise the keeping a list in shape →

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