Today, we are going to cover redundant phrases.
Here are the major infractions impeding your efforts to “cut the glut” followed by a list of other phrases you need to re-think.
Don’t Restate the Obvious
Your readers will know that squares are shapes and red is a color. Keep the first word in each of these pairs and delete the rest.
- Square in shape
- Red in color
- Tall in height
- Shorter in length
- Brief in duration
- Fewer in number
- Resemble in appearance
- Small in size
Let’s Not Get Together
The concept of togetherness is included in the words below. Don’t tack the word “together” on to them.
- Assemble
- Attach
- Combine
- Connect
- Cooperate
- Group
- Join
- Link
- Unite
Know the Words Built into Acronyms
It’s important to know the words that acronyms stand for so you don’t repeat them in your sentences.
- ATM means automated teller machine, so don’t say ATM machine.
- CD means compact disc, so don’t say CD disc.
- HIV means human immunodeficiency virus, so don’t say HIV virus. AIDS virus is OK.
- PIN means personal identification number, so don’t say PIN number.
Many words have adjectives and adverbs built into their meaning. Attaching modifiers to these words creates redundancies in our sentences.
- actual experience = experience
- added bonus = bonus
- advance planning, reservations,
- warning = planning, reservations,
- warning
- appears to be = appears or is
- completely destroyed = destroyed
- continue on = continue
- contributing factor = factor
- costs a total of = costs
- current status = status
- definite decision = decision
- divide up = divide
- exactly identical = identical
- final conclusion = conclusion
- foot pedal = pedal
- foreign imports = imports
- forward progress = progress
- future prediction, plans =
- predictions, plans
- honest truth = truth
- increase in increments = increase
- inside of = inside
- initial prototype = prototype
- joint cooperation = cooperation
- may possibly, might possibly =
- may or might
- most optimum = optimum
- necessary requirement = requirement
- new breakthrough = breakthrough
- none at all = none
- outside of = outside
- outside periphery = periphery
- postpone until later = postpone
- protest against = protest
- ask the question = ask
- biography of his life = biography
- cancel out = cancel
- close proximity = close or near
- consensus of opinion = consensus
- rate of speed = speed
- refer back = refer
- repeat again = repeat
- sharing the same = sharing
- temporary loan = loan
- true fact = fact
- usual habit = habit
- very unique = unique
We can also create redundancies by using two similar words when one will do. With these phrases, pick one word or the other, but don’t use both.
- adequate enough
- basic essentials
- clearly evident
- end result
- filled to capacity
- free gift
- past history
- period of time
- reason is because
- same identical
- separate apart
- sum total
- time period
What else would you add to this list?