And that is a very strange thing to write. The sentence says nothing that ‘He intends to retire in three years’ doesn’t say. This error is surprisingly common, even in serious publications. Like we said, it’s better to catch redundancies after pulling off your first draft (same time you use your English writing software), instead of during the writing process, as it’s something that’s difficult to avoid altogether. However, ‘why’ is clearly redundant after ‘reason’ when placed at the end of a sentence, as in the above example. Make sure to read your work carefully, being particularly sensitive to word meanings as you go over your text. Sometimes, you’ll even have to backtrack a few sentences before to understand that it’s just a misuse of words, instead of an important point that you failed to grasp. A commonly used example is ‘personally’ as in “I personally think that, blah, blah … “. For some people, ‘the reason why’ is acceptable in the middle of a sentence. By definition an adage is always old. The trick, for most of us, is not to avoid ever committing them. Stuart Cook - June 23, 2017, 10:16 am Reply. Yes. May I add a redundancy that annoys me? But can it be most unique? How Do You Start Practicing Argument With Thomas Aquinas? In this post we will look at some common examples of words which, in certain cases, should be deleted. When you catch a redundant phrase while reading, it isn't unusual to pause and try to ascertain what it meant - it's simply the way people respond to something that doesn't make sense. Rather, quite, somewhat, somehow. How to Remove Redundant Words and Phrases From Your Writing, https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jane_Sumerset/264602, http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Remove-Redundant-Words-and-Phrases-From-Your-Writing&id=3096303. Adding ‘time’ only increases the chance of forgetting to use the apostrophe after ‘years’. It is enough to write ‘Turnover fell below two million pounds.’ By adding ‘mark’ we are simply putting a redundant word on the end of the sentence. ‘However’ is a tidier alternative, and for occasional variation I’d use ‘that said’. The Reason You're Not Writing And How To Change That, The Professional Answers to the Amateur's Question. I thought to myself how strange it seemed. The word ‘past’ should be removed. | The trick, for most of us, is not to avoid ever committing them. I agree, Jason. More than making you look like an incompetent writer, redundancies often waste readers’ time. Expert Instead, it's more important to be able to identify these mistakes and correct them before turning your work in. Said, replied, asked, and any other dialogue tag. Essay, letter, report, email, and daily business English writing tips. Turnover fell below the two million pounds mark. Instead, it’s more important to be able to identify these mistakes and correct them before turning your work in. Unfortunately, most redundancies in your writing aren’t likely to be that obvious, making it a much more difficult task to identify and correct the offending phrases. When we use a word which simply repeats the meaning of another word, it is called tautology. © 2020 EzineArticlesAll Rights Reserved Worldwide. The sentence says nothing that ‘He intends to retire in three years’ doesn’t say. I wonder about “interestingly enough”. Contact Stuart for one-to-one video lessons. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! If you see them sneaking into your story, […], Brutus Beefcake - March 5, 2014, 2:17 pm Reply. ⎜. Another word that I cringe at is utilize, as in The batter is utilizing his bat much more effectively. Thanks. 1. years’ time. Make it ‘I thought how strange it seemed.’. The Problem With Redundancies. The word ‘currently’ is both unnecessary and incorrect here. While Orwell was referring to clarity in technical and political writing, there are many everyday sentences and phrases which also contain unnecessary words. Language is expressive; it is not logical. That is saying that something happened “back in” a specific year instead of just “in” the specific year. Your email address will not be published. He intends to retire in three years’ time. People think by using longer words and phrases it will make them seem smarter. Check out the example below: See how obvious we made that? The trick, for most of us, is not to avoid ever committing them. Not only is it already "apparent," but it also "appears." I don’t like the usage “as of yet” which is used by the media often. You may use these HTML tags and attributes: . No. Submitted On October 15, 2009. Stuart Cook - August 2, 2012, 4:03 pm Reply. He intends to retire in three years’ time. In terms of its age, it can be nothing but old. This tool makes your life much easier: http://www.checkyourtext.com/, Article Source: The number of crimes is increasing but detectives don’t know the reason why. It seems to be predominantly US English, a substitute for the British English “well”. Instead, it's more important to be able to identify these mistakes and correct them before turning your work in. Pete Cumming - June 22, 2017, 7:38 pm Reply. Because there are two superlatives: the common superlative of comparison and the less common emphatic superlative. Including ‘currently’ merely repeats that. Adding ‘time’ only increases the chance of forgetting to use the apostrophe after ‘years’. This is a similar problem to ‘reason why’. Stuart is an English teacher and runs the Speakspeak website. Using more words than necessary to express ourselves can make for bad writing and be confusing to the reader. Something cannot be ‘very unique’, not even Whitney’s voice. In both cases the unnecessary word is redundant and should be deleted.) Eventually, you'll be able to develop a visceral sense for similar errors, which should help you use them less and less. Redundancy is a bane that many writers fall to, especially during first drafts. Redundancy is a bane that many writers fall to, especially during first drafts. Profit is estimated at about 10 million pounds. Unfortunately, most redundancies in your writing aren't likely to be that obvious, making it a much more difficult task to identify and correct the offending phrases. Check out the example below: See how obvious we made that? “Most unique” is technically (and intrinsically by its very definition) incorrect. “Unique” is an absolute, and specific. (Incidentally, the term for using a word which adds no extra meaning to a sentence is pleonasm. In one of his six rules for writers, George Orwell said: ‘If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.’ Shorter is better, he was saying. Sorry, that’s just wrong. [WRITING] 10 Redundant Words That Are Redundant | ProEdit - April 15, 2014, 9:59 pm Reply, […] Sources: https://speakspeak.com/about-english/words-you-dont-need […]. please post more. Either remove ‘why’, or delete ‘reason’ and write ‘detectives don’t know why’. Whitney Houston had a very unique voice. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Having said that, we had a week long heat wave last month.” The simple ‘however’ would suffice instead of the longer ‘Having said that.’. Things are either unique or they are not unique. It is sufficient to write or say ‘I don’t know whether he’s coming.’. 2. the reason why. What are the most common words with the suffix -hood? 3 Writing Habits That Will Make You a Better Writer | Dark Gaia Productions, [WRITING] 10 Redundant Words That Are Redundant | ProEdit, https://speakspeak.com/about-english/words-you-dont-need, Build your English vocabulary: 10 alternative words for “thing”, Intermediate vocabulary exercise: words related to theft, stealing, Learn the right words – how to use monolingual and bilingual dictionaries effectively, How to spell: words containing ‘ie’ and ‘ei’. ‘Time’ is redundant here and can be deleted. As in “The weather here tends to be much cooler in the summer. This is especially true when writing to a set word count perhaps, in which sometimes a little "padding" will assist. Speakspeak | 10 redundant words (words you can delete), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window). Want a blatant example of redundancy? As the old adage says: don’t burn your bridges. 3 Writing Habits That Will Make You a Better Writer | Dark Gaia Productions - September 17, 2013, 12:52 pm Reply, […] way to make your writing tighter. thanks, Another phrase that always gets me, and it’s becoming rather prevalent is “having said that’ and its (and that’s its, and not it’s) variants. Say only ‘the adage’. Cherie - December 29, 2017, 4:57 am Reply. Eventually, you’ll be able to develop a visceral sense for similar errors, which should help you use them less and less. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Want a blatant example of redundancy? Research has shown that past experience helps us make complex decisions. The English language is tricky and has many nuances. When you catch a redundant phrase while reading, it isn’t unusual to pause and try to ascertain what it meant – it’s simply the way people respond to something that doesn’t make sense. Jane Sumerset. I thought I’d find it in this thread. More than making you look like an incompetent writer, redundancies often waste readers' time. Write either ‘is estimated at 10 million pounds’ or ‘is estimated to be 10 million pounds’. But for the most part, you can remove these words. As in “I am certain THAT she understands,” as opposed to, “I am certain she understands.” It seems unnecessary. Alternatively, we could say ‘The bridge is currently under repair.’. What Should I Do to Be Good in The Business Letter? Dialogue tags slow your pacing and distract readers from the conversation. Creating a Table of Contents for an eBook on Addiction and Dependency, How to Write Thousands of Words a Day, Every Day, Breaking the "Rules" of Paragraph Structure. Like we said, it's better to catch redundancies after pulling off your first draft (same time you use your English writing software), instead of during the writing process, as it's something that's difficult to avoid altogether. After all, who else can we think to other than to ourselves? Would “And I think to myself, what a wonderful world” be improved by saying “And I think it’s a wonderful world”? A movie doesn’t have to be “rather dull,” it can just be “dull.” Delete! Think about what you’re writing and keep an eye out for redundant words and save your adjectives for when you really need them. ‘Time’ is redundant here and can be deleted. We will never sell or rent your email address. Make sure to read your work carefully, being particularly sensitive to word meanings as you go over your text. Redundancy is a bane that many writers fall to, especially during first drafts. Sometimes, you'll even have to backtrack a few sentences before to understand that it's just a misuse of words, instead of an important point that you failed to grasp. It doesn't change the negative impact that the clutter of redundant words and phrases are likely to have on the quality of our writing. 1,011 Articles, By What’s wrong with using? I completely agree, Pete. Wouldn’t saying just “interestingly” be sufficient? Jane Sumerset | https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Jane_Sumerset/264602, Writing and Speaking: Writing What about the word “that”? Stuart Cook - April 22, 2014, 6:28 am Reply. Can something be very unique? In essence, ‘estimate’ and ‘about’ have the same meaning. In written English ‘having said that’ is clumsy. He currently lives in Prague and has been teaching for over 25 years. If so, please share it with friends. While it is true that the word “unique” can not be compared, it can be emphasized. ” So” used as a preliminary to any statement has become irritatingly common and must be a redundant element in the construction of a sentence. Not only is it already “apparent,” but it also “appears.” Unfortunately, most redundancies in your writing aren’t likely to be that obvious, making it a much more difficult task to identify and correct the offending phrases. More than making you look like an incompetent writer, redundancies often waste readers’ time. Redundancy, defined in the dictionary as the "superfluous repetition or overlapping of words", is best avoided in any li… If you’re mentioning something in the past, how could it be anything but back? Why not just say “yet”? I don’t know whether or not he’s coming. Author ‘Past history’ and ‘past tradition’ are similar examples. Writing Success - Do You Really Have the Power? Very annoying! Confusing words: travel, a journey, a trip, a voyage. qudratullah - March 10, 2012, 9:27 am Reply, Very useful lesson. Barry Gorden - April 24, 2014, 6:38 pm Reply. I hope you found this article interesting and useful. The bridge is currently being repaired. The present continuous passive structure ‘is being repaired’ tells us that the action is taking place now. In both cases the unnecessary word is redundant and should be deleted.). There will sometimes be a strong tendency for most of us to clutter up our writing, with a host of unnecessary words or phrases in the text.
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