Stumbled upon an excellent and fun article by Mark Nichol on
DailyWritingTips.com entitled "
50 Redundant Phrases to Avoid".
Sadly, I am guilty of using many of them.
In conversation, it’s easy in the midst of spontaneous speech to
succumb to verbosity and duplication. In writing, redundancy is less
forgivable but fortunately easy to rectify. Watch out for these usual
suspects:
1.
Absolutely certain or sure/essential/guaranteed:
Someone who is certain or sure is already without doubt. Something that
is essential is intrinsically absolute. A guarantee is by nature
absolute (or should be). Abandon
absolutely in such usage.
2.
Actual experience/fact: An experience is something that occurred (unless otherwise indicated). A fact is something confirmed to have happened.
Actual is extraneous in these instances.
3.
Add an additional: To add is to provide another of something.
Additional is extraneous.
4.
Added bonus: A bonus is an extra feature, so
added is redundant.
5.
Advance notice/planning/reservations/warning:
Notices, planning, reservations, and warnings are all, by their nature,
actions that occur before some event, so qualifying such terms with
advance is superfluous.
6.
As for example: As implies that an example is being provided, so omit “an example.”
7.
Ask a question: To ask is to pose a question, so
question is redundant.
8.
At the present time: “At present” means “at this time,” so avoid the verbose version.
9.
Basic fundamentals/essentials: Fundamentals and essentials are by their nature elementary, so remove
basic from each phrase.
10.
(Filled to) capacity: Something filled is done so to capacity, so describing something as “filled to capacity” is repetitive.
11.
Came at a time when:
When provides the necessary temporal reference to the action of coming; “at a time” is redundant.
12.
Close proximity/scrutiny:
Proximity means “close in location,” and
scrutiny means “close study,” so avoid qualifying these terms with
close.
13.
Collaborate/join/meet/merge together: If you
write of a group that collaborates or meets together, you imply that
there’s another way to collect or confer. To speak of joining or merging
together is, likewise, redundant.
14.
Completely filled/finished/opposite: Something that is filled or finished is thoroughly so;
completely
is redundant. Something that is opposite isn’t necessarily
diametrically opposed, especially in qualitative connotations, but the
modifier is still extraneous.
15.
Consensus of opinion: A consensus is an
agreement but not necessarily one about an opinion, so “consensus of
opinion” is not purely redundant, but the phrase “of opinion” is usually
unnecessary.
16.
(During the) course (of):
During means “in or throughout the duration of”), so “during the course of” is repetitive.
17.
Definite decision: Decisions may not be final,
but when they are made, they are unequivocal and therefore definite, so
one should not be described as “a definite decision.”
18.
Difficult dilemma: A dilemma is by nature complicated, so omit
difficult as a modifier.
19.
Direct confrontation: A confrontation is a head-on conflict.
Direct as a qualifier in this case is redundant.
20.
End result: A result is something that occurs at the end, so omit
end as a modifier of
result.
21.
Enter in: To enter is to go in, so throw
in out.
22.
Estimated at about/roughly: An estimate is an approximation.
About and
roughly are superfluous.
23.
False pretense: A pretense is a deception, so
false is redundant.
24.
Few in number:
Few refers to a small number; do not qualify
few with the modifier “in number.”
25.
Final outcome: An outcome is a result and is therefore intrinsically final.
26.
First began, new beginning: A beginning is when something first occurs, so
first and
new are superfluous terms in these cases.
27.
For a period/number of days:
Days is
plural, so a duration is implied; “a period of” or “a number of” is
redundant. It’s better to specify the number of days or to generalize
with
many.
28.
Foreign imports: Imports are products that originate in another country, so their foreign nature is implicit and the word
foreign is redundant.
29.
Forever and ever:
Ever is an unnecessary reduplication of
forever.
30.
Free gift: A gift is by definition free (though cynics will dispute that definition), so
free is extraneous.
31.
Invited guests: Guests are intrinsically those who have an invitation, so
invited is redundant.
32.
Major breakthrough: A breakthrough is a significant progress in an effort. Though
major is not directly redundant, the notable nature of the event is implicit.
33.
[Number] a.m. in the morning/p.m. in the evening: The abbreviations a.m. and p.m. already identify the time of day, so omit “in the morning” or “in the evening.”
34.
Past history/record: A history is by definition a
record of past occurrences, and a record is documentation of what has
already happened. In both cases,
past is redundant.
35.
Plan ahead: To plan is to prepare for the future.
Ahead is extraneous.
36.
Possibly might: Might indicates probability, so omit the redundant qualifier
possibly.
37.
Postpone until later: To postpone is to delay.
Later is superfluous.
38.
Protest against: To protest is to communicate opposition.
Against is redundant.
39.
Repeat again: To repeat is to reiterate an action, so
again is unnecessary.
40.
Revert back: Something that reverts returns to an earlier state.
Back is superfluous.
41.
Same identical:
Same and
identical are just that (and that). Omit
same as a qualifier for identical.
42.
Since the time when:
Since indicates a time in the past; “the time when” is superfluous.
43.
Spell out in detail: To spell out is to provide details, so “in detail” is repetitive.
44.
Still remains: Something that remains is still in place.
Still is redundant.
45.
Suddenly exploded: An explosion is an immediate event. It cannot be any more sudden than it is.
46.
Therapeutic treatment:
Treatment in the sense of medical care is by nature therapeutic, so the adjective is redundant.
47.
Unexpected surprise: No surprise is expected, so the modifier is extraneous.
48.
Unintended mistake: A mistake is an inadvertently erroneous action. The lack of intention is implicit.
49.
Usual custom: A custom is something routinely and repeatedly done or observed, and
usual is redundant.
50.
Written down: Something written has been taken down.
Down is superfluous.
At the end of the article there's a link to another article by Catherine Osborn entitled "
Eliminating Superfluous Phrases".
Also, guilty as charged!
In classes I have taught, students lean towards using phrases that
they think make them “sound smarter” but end up making their work wordy
and clunky. By streamlining your sentences and cutting out a few
phrases, you can communicate your point much more effectively.
For example, here is a list of some that crop up frequently:
- “Needless to say…” If it’s so needless to say, then why are you saying it?
- “It goes without saying…” Same problem here; easier to get right to your point
- “For all intents and purposes…” Again, this could easily be cut and your sentence would begin with exactly what you intend to say.
- “In light of the fact that…” You could easily just say “Since…”
Clear concise writing applies to all genres and helps your audience understand your point without being bogged down.
