no-parallel-sentence-structure

Flags repeated syntactic templates across sentences in a paragraph.

Why

Repeated sentence templates can make a paragraph sound metronomic even when its words change.

Examples

Rubric

This rule is evaluated by the optional AI judge against the criteria below.

Flag a paragraph when two or more sentences rely on the same syntactic template for emphasis, such as repeated subject-verb openings, repeated “the X is…” clauses, or repeated imperative forms. The repetition must shape the paragraph’s rhythm, not merely result from a shared legal term. Do not flag parallelism inside one enumerated list, a statutory recitation, a quoted provision, or another context where the repeated structure is correct and functional. Do not flag ordinary repetition of a party’s name or a defined term when the surrounding sentence structures differ.

Should flag

• The court reviewed the motion. The court considered the response. The court rejected the argument.
• The agency found that the report was late. The agency found that the notice was incomplete. The agency found that the appeal was barred.
• The contract requires notice. The contract requires payment. The contract requires arbitration.
• The witness said she saw the car. The witness said she heard the impact. The witness said she called 911.

Should pass

• After reviewing the motion and response, the court rejected the argument.
• The agency found that the report was late, concluded that notice was incomplete, and dismissed the appeal.
• The contract requires notice and payment; it also requires arbitration.
• The witness saw the car, heard the impact, and called 911.

Turning it off

lawlint --disable no-parallel-sentence-structure draft.md

Or durably, in .lawlint/config.json — see Configuration.